Puzzle-platformers have always been a fascinating sub-genre of 2D platformers. Indie developers use a 2D platforming foundation to create unique gimmicks, intriguing stories, and stunning visual aesthetics. When I was a kid, I was obsessed with these types of games, from Quantum Conundrum to Portal to Fez. So, when MotionRec landed in my hands, I was immediately expecting for a new experience to continue the legacy of this fascinating genre.
MotionRec is a puzzle-platformer from PLAYISM and HANDSUM. You play as a recording bot, designed to record the stories of civilization. The concept of recording is built into the premise and is foundational to the gameplay mechanics. It’s extremely ambitious, which can often be dangerous for games like this. However, I found MotionRec to be an absolutely wonderful time from beginning to end, even in spite of some minor issues with difficulty.
Don’t Forget to Record
The story of MotionRec is basically non-existent. Save for an opening scene where you see the main robot protagonist, named Rec, dropped in an apocalyptic world, a few instances of recordings and objects you find throughout the world, and a final cutscene, there isn’t really any narrative that is told through either subtle storytelling or more overt dialogue. This wasn’t really an issue, however, as it allowed the gameplay to take center stage.
The gameplay of MotionRec, in theory, has all the hallmarks of a traditional 2D platformer. Rec can walk back and forth and do a single jump, allowing him to make short jumps across platforms. As you progress further, you’ll quickly realize that you’ll need to employ another technique to cross greater gaps. Thankfully, Rec also has one major trick up his sleeve. With the push of a button, you can record Rec’s movements and then “replay it.” For instance, if you walk forward a few steps, you can repeat that motion with just one button press, allowing you to traverse that gap.
The ability to replay movement doesn’t just apply to simple back-and-forth movements. Anything you can do, whether it’s climbing up a platform, riding an elevator, or even more elaborate movements, can be recorded and replayed. Sometimes you will have to record precise movements to get past particular obstacles in your path. Say there’s a series of spikes blocking your way, with only a few gaps in between. You may need to experiment a little bit to find your way through.
For lack of a better phrase, this mechanic rules. It feels like the perfect evolution, paying tribute to previous entries in the genre. Sometimes, I found myself racking my brain trying to solve the platforming obstacle in my path. However, when I inevitably did figure it out, it felt so satisfying and made me feel like an absolute genius. There are admittedly some sections that are more difficult than others, almost to a frustrating extent. However, whatever difficulty you may face will depend on your previous success with the genre. That said, the fluctuating difficulty isn’t the only issue with MotionRec‘s premise.
Issues With the Recording
The biggest issue with MotionRec is that, beyond its main mechanic, there really isn’t much to it. The music, while relaxing, isn’t very memorable as it’s simply a set of repeating chiptune melodies. While there are multiple sections, none have any particular designs or characteristics that set them apart. Plus, as mentioned previously, there really isn’t any story, worldbuilding, or lore to dive into. In fact, when you first explore the world around you, you would be forgiven for thinking you’re exploring a dilapidated laboratory rather than a post-apocalyptic Earth.
Additionally, there are the game’s collectibles: music notes. You have to collect a good portion of these in order to progress to the next section, but aside from that, there’s no incentive for collecting every single music note in your path. That’s not to say that all of MotionRec‘s features beyond the gameplay are bad. The monochromatic visual style, for instance, evokes that classic indie vibe and really helps to convey the charm of Rec, the tiny little robot who you follow throughout the game.
Furthermore, despite the lack of any distinguishing qualities between levels, the new gimmicks that section introduces are a lot of fun to grapple with. For instance, you’ll eventually encounter a series of circular spots that you must pass by to unlock a door. Of course, the only way to fill those spots is to record and replay your movements like you’ve been doing the whole game. That said, the orientation of those spots only gets more intricate as time goes on, with a later puzzle asking you to fill two circles back to back without touching the ground.
Adding to the challenge, MotionRec will also ask you to test your knowledge and adapt to multiple gimmicks at the same time. There’s one puzzle, for example, where you have to jump into a fan, fill the spots, and pass through a box that repeats your recording, all without falling to your doom. One wrong move means death, but thankfully, death won’t force you into a really long loading screen: instead, you are thrown right back into the action to try again. This permits you to experiment with different solutions without being overtly punished.
At the end of the day, though, the best thing about MotionRec is its main gameplay mechanic. It is also the only major feature of the game, which comes at the expense of every other feature that you’d expect as a norm in the genre, such as recognizable music, levels, and an actual narrative. While other games have taken a minimalist approach, they are still recognizable in other aspects.
As a result, MotionRec, despite how good it is, doesn’t really reach the same heights as other puzzle-platformers. In any other situation, this would be the end of the story, and I would say that this game isn’t worth your time. However, I can’t deny just how much fun I had with the game as a whole.
A Beautiful Memory
MotionRec is an interesting case of a game. It’s a title that is entirely monochromatic, has very few recognizable music tracks, levels that look almost identical, a nonexistent story, and difficulty that fluctuates between manageable and agonizingly hard. That should be the last word on this game, and enough for me to tell you not to give it your time. However, it isn’t, because despite all of those issues, I still really enjoyed this game.
MotionRec is a game that is entirely built on its central mechanics, at the expense of everything else. It revels in that fact, confident in just how experimental and exciting the concept is, and it should be. The novelty of being able to record and replay your movements in any orientation somehow never gets old. Furthermore, the constant new gimmicks that the game introduces are enough to constantly test your intelligence. Even if you are finding yourself struggling, when you eventually piece it all together, you feel like an absolute genius.
Still, despite how much I liked MotionRec‘s gameplay, the lack of features beyond its mechanics means that it pales in comparison to some of the best games in the puzzle-platformer genre. If you’re like me and are looking for the next Portal, Fez, or Inside, then MotionRec comes up short in multiple ways.
However, I would still say that MotionRec is a game worth your time. For only $10, it’s a game that will entertain and charm you for every second in its short runtime. At the end of the day, despite my hopes for something more, I still found MotionRec to be a wonderful experience that I can’t wait to try again at some point down the line.
Disclaimer: PLAYISM provided a PC (Steam) copy of MotionRec for review purposes.
