Maddening Relapse 2

Running in circles may not generally be the best use of your time, but with enough imagination and a few good ideas, even that can turn into a brilliant gameplay mechanic. If you add the wonder of procedurally generated levels, things get a lot more interesting and exciting. There’s not even any need for a convoluted background story, since you can keep yourself occupied trying to hit new high scores.

Maddening Relapse 2 is the second game in unique series of platformers, although it doesn’t differ that much from the first one. In short, you are a man running in circles, jumping over pits and avoiding the spikes that try to block your way. There’s not much else to it, but the gameplay mechanics are fun enough to keep you coming back for a few hours, or even more.

The entire game takes place on a circle, which is procedurally generated to go on forever and get more intricate the further you manage to reach. There is a red wall rotating around the center of the circle, and you die if it touches you. You can avoid it by running away, but there are various other traps you have to watch out as well, such as gaps in the circle and sharp spikes.

The controls are about as simple as they can get under the circumstances, since you only have to move from left to right and jump whenever you need to do so. Obviously, precision and accuracy are paramount, otherwise frustration kicks in and makes it difficult for you to enjoy the game. Thankfully, everything works as it should in this case. You are also encouraged to do well with achievements and trophies, although it can be quite challenging to get some of them.

As far as the technical side is concerned, the graphics are clean and simple, with solid backgrounds and very basic lines forming the circle and the obstacles you have to avoid. However, the soundtrack is the part that truly impresses, because it features a lot of tracks, and all of them are engaging and brilliantly composed to go along with the action on the screen.

Maddening Relapse 2 can become a bit too difficult after a certain point, which is why hardcore gamers might find it attractive. Still, it is very simple to understand how to play and get the basics out of the way, so everyone can pick it up from the first few minutes.