Grapple Demo

Grappling games are quite popular with the crowds, mainly because they are very challenging and they are not as straightforward as most platformers. There are a few interesting examples out there, but few manage to blend an appropriate mix of fun and frustration, because both are needed for a successful product in the genre.

Grappled is a rather simple-looking platformer in which you control a fuzzy ball of goo and you must make your way across a variety of tricky levels. Since the platforms float in the middle of nowhere, every mistake is deadly, and there are no half-right answers. Your only chance is to perform each jump with accurate precision and pay close attention to the layout of the level in front of you.

Although the ball can jump and stick to vertical surfaces, you need to grapple onto things as well, in order to swing, gain momentum and reach the platforms that are farther away. Obviously, the swing itself is important as well, otherwise you may not be able to gain enough speed to make the jump. Thankfully, when that happens, you can simply respawn from the last checkpoint you reached.

Since the difficulty level is what usually makes these games fun, it is very important that the controls do not get in the way and that you are always able to perform the moves you intend. In this case, everything works as it should and the keyboard + mouse control scheme is very simple to understand and use. Obviously, the levels are still difficult as hell, but at least you won’t be able to blame it on the controls.

The rest of the technical aspects are decent as well, although you should obviously not expect a revolutionary graphics engine. Although the environments are mostly black space and the plain platforms themselves, the game has a nice atmosphere about it, somehow. Stick figures act as guides on billboards and they are quite funny to watch.

All things being equal, Grapple is definitely one of the best in its category at the moment, even if the sub-genre is not that popular anyway. However, the gameplay is tons of fun and you can easily get lost in the multitude of levels for a few hours at least.