Manic Miner 3D Demo

In theory, jumping from one ledge to the other for hours at end is not a very appealing concept, especially not when you are trying to relax and have some fun, since that is the purpose of video games. However, the genre was and still is largely popular, because most people enjoy the challenge in having to coordinate their moves just right in order to advance through the linear levels.

Manic Miner 3D needs to be disclosed as more of a tech demo than an actual game, since the developer states that it is just an experiment to test out a new graphics engine. Hence, it cannot really be judged as a regular game, because it would take a while to list all the flaws and mistakes that make the experience kind of unbearable and annoying at the same time.

For starters, there is not much of a story going on, but that’s to be expected anyway. You only need to know that you are some kind of miner, which is relayed to you by the game’s title and nothing else. The goal is to collect keys scattered around an underground complex, filled with platforms, patrolling enemies and the usual traps and pits that signify certain death.

Although the game is in 3D, you cannot use the mouse to look around the environment, which is certainly annoying and unintuitive this day and age. This also results in some pretty awkward camera angles from time to time, which make it that much more difficult to perform the tricky jumps required to reach certain areas. To top things off, the controls are unbearably uncomfortable, because the character responds too abruptly to your commands.

From a technical point of view, the graphics engine is nothing out of the ordinary either, although that doesn’t mean it looks bad. The lighting could have used a little bit of work, but the models are nicely rendered and the game certainly runs well, although the environments are quite restrained and tight.

All things considered, Manic Miner 3D is but an experiment and a way to present a graphics engine, which means that it shouldn’t be anyone’s first option if you are on the lookout for a video game to enjoy. However, if you do stumble into it, it deserves a few minutes of your time, at least until the unbearable mechanics and controls get to you.