Surlapse

Wall-jumping is one of the most popular gameplay mechanics in platformers, mainly because they are relatively easy to integrate and very useful for the players. On top of that, it also makes level exploration more engaging, even if it can also be difficult to employ the right technique. However, the gimmick is usually just a minor part of a game, not the central piece.

Surlapse is a fast-paced arcade game in which your only goal is to perform wall-jump after wall-jump, in an attempt to avoid an explosion that’s chasing you. It’s not a very original idea, but it can be just the thing you need to build your reflexes and have a few minutes of fun every now and again. Naturally, it gets boring without an actual purpose or multiple levels to keep you engaged.

As for the gameplay itself, you have to use the mouse only in order to jump, which can be a tad disorienting and annoying at first. Hence, you have to aim and shoot as quickly as possible, but at the same time try to maintain precision as well. The controls take a tiny split second to react to your input, which makes matters worse, but it’s not a huge problem if you can remain patient.

There are gaps in the buildings you have to avoid in order to maintain your speed, but it becomes pretty difficult to do so after a while. The bigger gaps make it more difficult to avoid losing the game, but even the small ones can have a negative impact on your progress. It’s also a bit counterintuitive to perform the jumps using the mouse.

As for the graphics, the game certainly looks nice, but the level design is very repetitive, and there’s actually no change in scenery no matter how much you manage to survive. It feels pointless sometimes, although at least the gameplay speed increases as you manage to make it further and further. Other than that, you wouldn’t be able to tell you are progressing at all, which is a bit of a bummer.

In the end, Surlapse is certainly able to peak your interest, but it won’t manage to keep you playing for longer than a few minutes. Hence, it needs more content to keep players engaged after the initial period wears off.