Red Trigger

In spite of how many shooters are released on a regular basis, few of them try to change something in the genre or come up with new gameplay mechanics. Hence, gamers are pretty bored of repetitive shooters that ask them to kill hundreds of enemies in order to reach the end of the level and take it from the top in a slightly different environment after that.

Red Trigger is not your regular FPS, on the other hand, because its main focus is on the puzzles, not the action itself. In fact, there are no enemies and no monsters to defeat, just tough levels that need to be figured out, explored and solved using nothing but your wits. Granted, the majority of the gameplay mechanics are borrowed from Portal, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

There are many differences when it comes to how you interact with the game world and how the puzzles work. Hence, you have a gun that’s capable of pulling red platforms out of the ground and you have to use these platforms to move, block lasers, or even propel yourself through the air. Even if these blocks can only be found in fixed positions, which limits replayability, the experience is still pretty fun.

As it’s to be expected, the levels get more and more complicated later on, especially when it comes to the difficulty of the maneuvers you have to undertake. Thus, fast reaction times and good reflexes are a must as well, although you still need a sharp mind to figure out how to put these skills into practice. Thankfully, at least there’s a tutorial in place to get you started with the basics.

In regards to how the game presents itself, the graphics are pretty decent, especially when it comes to shading and textures, courtesy of Unreal Engine 4 and its potent lighting effects. However, the level design itself can be a tad too featureless and boring, at least if you take the time to observe it. Thankfully, most of your in-game time is spent figuring out how to move on to the next level.

Even if Red Trigger can barely be called original, it still features enough challenging puzzles and nice mechanics to provide you with a good time. Hence, if you are willing to overlook a few things, this could certainly keep you busy for a while.