Oh yes, we love a good 2D platformer here at Professional Moron. And as it turns out, Gravity Circuit is one of the best from 2023.
The work of Finnish indie team Domesticated Ant Games, this launched in July and has had mass player acclaim. But it’s not really been covered much by the gaming press… what’s going on!?
As this is a glorious homage to classic retro titles such as Mega Man 2 (1988) and it demands to be played (if you can hack it).
Fast-Paced Old School Platforming Glory in Gravity Circuit
There are so many indie games launching every day it’s difficult to keep up. We guess it’s natural some total gems slip through the net.
Word of mouth in the gaming community has helped Gravity Circuit find a wider following. But this thing launched on PC (Steam, GOG, Epic), PS4/5, and the Nintendo Switch. And yet we can’t find any reviews on it on any major gaming publications. It’s bizarre.
Gravity Circuit is very good. However, its difficulty setting will be divisive—we specifically think it hurts its chances. Anyway, more on that in a bit.
In the game, you take control of Kai. This is a robot lone operative dude war hero who must use super powers to save the land. After a decade in hibernation (i.e. turned off) her emerges into a land where his former comrades are now evil!
In classic platforming fashion, you then head off and do battle. Like this!
The level design in Gravity Circuit is incredible. Across 12 stages, whilst armed with an array of fancy weapons and tools, you can launch yourself all around them.
You get a hookshot as standard, for example, which is a brilliant thing. You can latch it into walls and slingshot yourself about.
It’s retro-styled in the classic Mega Man sense, but modernised in that glorious way indie games manage. All for current gaming sensibility standards.
Here’s another example of it all in action. Try to spot a consistent theme going on here, if you can. No hints!
Did you spot the theme? Well, it’s down to Gravity Circuit’s punishing difficulty standard. We were playing the game on easy mode (as we always do with games) and even that was hard as nails.
It’s like it’s ramped up to extra hard.
For us, that’s a significant issue. There’s a big debate in the gaming world regarding game difficulty, with the elitist types convinced playing games on the toughest settings proves their superiority as a True Gamer (yes, that’s very immature behaviour, well spotted).
But if you include an easy mode in your game, then at least make it an easy mode. Not ultra-hard in disguise, as Gravity Circuit does get very frustrating with its relentless onslaught.
We had this issue with the largely excellent The Messenger (2019), which is also let down by its absurd NES-era difficulty standards.
If you can overlook Gravity Circuit’s desire to make you annoyed to Hell and back, then this is an outstanding platformer.
Just on the basis of that level design alone. At its peaks, it’s up there with the very best modern platformers available.
The game also looks great, with the retro style. It’s got a proper retro gaming score, too, which was by Dominic Ninmark.
For us, this one just comes down to patience. Do you, after a long day of work, want to stick this on and mercilessly punish yourself?
If not, maybe look elsewhere.
But if you want a genuine platforming challenge that’ll mercilessly kick you in the face for even the tiniest of errors, this one is for you.
Congratulations to Domesticated Ant Games for creating such a fantastic game here. We just do wish, if you include an easy mode, to design it so it make things easier. It’s an accessibility tool for gamers, or regarding whatever mood you’re in at a specific time.
We must mark Gravity Circuit down a bit, simply on the basis it spends so much time deliberately frustrating the hell out of you.
But the delights are so many, it’ll often keep you coming back for more.
