qomp2 is a puzzle arcade sport developed by Graphite Lab and revealed by Atari. This sequel is the successor to qomp, which was initially launched in 2021. I by no means performed the primary sport, so qomp2 is my introduction to this reimagining of Pong.
On this sport, you play as Pong, the ball, trying to interrupt free from between the 2 paddles. Although it’s implied, there’s no dialogue or straight story to comply with. The sport begins with Pong bouncing forwards and backwards between two paddles, introducing the sprint mechanic immediately. Controls are straightforward sufficient—maintain ZR to cost up Pong and launch to sprint. The A button adjustments Pong’s route, transferring up or down. Nevertheless, it’s essential to hit the wall if you wish to flip round. Whereas the controls are straightforward sufficient, that doesn’t imply the gameplay is straightforward.
Every degree is sort of a maze with gentle puzzles to unravel and different obstacles to bypass so you will get out and transfer on to the following stage. These may embrace spinning levers, spikes, breakable partitions, wind tunnels, water, and extra. It took me a while to determine the mechanics to beat a few of these obstacles. For instance, when in water, Pong strikes slowly and sinks. In order for you the ball to maneuver barely sooner and upward, it’s essential to make it “swim” by tapping the A button. qomp2 does an incredible job personifying a ball.
The puzzles aren’t essentially the tough half, although. It’s the motion. Two buttons are straightforward to recollect, however the gameplay is all about using angles to govern the place you need Pong to go. This implies you is likely to be caught in a single room for a while as you get the angle good so as to get the ball in a selected spot. It wasn’t at all times straightforward; geometry isn’t my robust go well with. Actually, if it weren’t for the accessibility choices, I in all probability would have rage give up.
I turned off the fish eye and display shake as a result of I discovered these to be too jarring when enjoying the sport. Different choices for accessibility included hints (which I turned on, although I by no means seen what the hints had been) and raycast. I turned that on because it’ll present you the place your ball is headed. That helped me work out the angles and resolve the place I needed the ball to go.
It wasn’t till I received actually caught on a degree that I went again into the choices in a determined try to see if anything would assist. I’m glad I did as a result of another choice was there: invincibility. By default, it was turned off. I don’t keep in mind seeing that possibility there earlier than, so I ponder if the sport did that on objective to make sure you strive really enjoying the sport first, which is intelligent. I turned invincibility on; positive sufficient, nothing within the ranges damage me. I may cruise via the half I used to be caught on, solely having to fret concerning the angles and my motion. I turned the choice on and off relying on after I was actually caught. I’ll admit, there was one degree in World Three the place I had it on for the entire degree. I’d have been there for ages in any other case.
It appears like qomp2 is a protracted sport. It’s, and it isn’t. There are 30 ranges whole, however they’re comparatively brief. Typically, I unintentionally discovered a shortcut to the tip that allowed me to skip the whole degree. There aren’t any timers, and frequent checkpoints seem on the ranges. You’ll die rather a lot, but it surely’s not unforgiving. The sport additionally autosaves in between ranges. So, you’ll be able to simply decide up and play this title everytime you need. There’s one collectible in every degree, including some replayability when you don’t acquire all of them the primary time.
After a number of ranges, you’ll face boss fights, that are cleverly achieved. For instance, the primary boss is an enormous paddle that it’s good to sprint into a number of occasions to kill it. The bosses get extra in-depth and distinctive the deeper you get into the sport.
Total, qomp2 is an easy sport, however it should preserve you considering. You’ll at all times have to be one step forward to make sure the ball goes the place you want it to. It’s difficult however not unforgiving, permitting you to retry the degrees as many occasions as you’ll be able to deal with. Or, for a extra informal expertise, undergo the entire sport with invincibility on.
