Clever classic indie 2D Puzzle platformer with a fresh coat of paint.
In this April’s Indie World Showcase we received a one-two punch same day release of Teslagrad Remastered and Teslagrad 2. Teslagrad Remastered, a re-release of the lauded 2D puzzle platformer with a graphical overhaul, seems like a smart way to give those who missed the original 2013 release an easy point of entry for those who are curious but needed a less dated look. Rain Games’ releasing Teslagrad Remastered is a laudable decision, as it breathes new life into a quality indie classic that some (like myself) missed the first time around.
Teslagrad follows the story of a young boy who finds himself lost in Elektropia, a kingdom run by a tyrant who is in a struggle with wizards using electromagnetic power to keep him at bay. The boy is chased by the king’s guards into the tower where the wizards reside, forcing him to explore and find the way out while using magnetic abilities to navigate and fend off traps and enemies along the way. The game deftly interlaces a wordless story with occasional vignettes told via small stage plays with old-fashioned string puppets. It’s an effective storytelling device that retains the quiet, lonely tone the world is going for.
The new visual overhaul wonderfully retains the original’s artistic sensibilities while converting it to a look that pops. More specifically, the remaster’s lighting is much more dynamic – the bright shining lights illuminate rooms that aren’t quite as striking in the original. Explosions seem more expressive and genuinely punctuate the dramatic scenes. Everything has a more clearly defined outline, helping to clean out some muddiness of the original. The changes are meaningful, and my eyes appreciated them immensely.
Teslagrad Remastered’s shining achievement still has to be its gameplay and puzzle solving. The core function is utilizing the color-coded electromagnetic powers of the wizards to navigate the world. Each acts as one pole from a magnet as matching colors will repel and opposite colors will attract. Starting out, I used them to open simple doors and switches. Diving deeper, added layers on the mechanics created longer sequences of having to use the poles with dash abilities and an electro wand to navigate sequences of jumping, dashing through grates, using oppositional polarity to grapple along a pit, using same polarity to launch across a chasm, and hitting a switch to launch over an empty space. It’s that balance of challenging but approachable that limits frustration but makes clearing each room feel rewarding. Bosses also fit that mold, although some of them have a looseness in the waves that didn’t always feel like the kill was skillful. For example, the first one you’ll encounter is a T-Rex looking trash compactor that needs polarized boxes to reach his mouth to deal damage. With the way the poles worked and the limited tools available in your kit, the experience felt unwieldy and scattershot in a way that doesn’t fit the rest of the experience.
The main character also has a healthy sense of gravity – his jumps don’t have any float, but I didn’t feel weighed down. Compared to something like Limbo, Teslagrad’s protagonist jumps might slightly higher. His walking speed feels just right, fitting the surrounding space and preventing exploration from feeling plodding. The animation deserves a lot of credit here, making his movements fluid and natural in a way that gives a feeling of momentum. His abilities to use magnetization have this great whiplash feeling when matching the same polarity that’s a bit cumbersome but exciting to work with.
Teslagrad Remastered is an accomplished 2D platformer with a unique magnetic-based ability that shines while traversing the tower and being a puzzle-solving tool. Though the boss battles sometimes feel a little less tight an experience, that’s a small blemish on an otherwise fantastic gameplay experience. With a fresh coat of paint and sharing the same price point as the original, this is an easy recommendation for those who enjoy older feeling indie platforms or as a primer to Teslagrad 2.
