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App Army Assemble: Portal Walk - Just another retro-inspired platformer or a boundary breaker?

Less Portal, more of a Walk

App Army Assemble: Portal Walk - Just another retro-inspired platformer or a boundary breaker?
|
iOS
| Portal Walk

Portal Walk is a retro-inspired platformer that just launched on iOS. You jump across a bunch of levels, battling enemies, solving puzzles, and finding keys to unlock the exit.

You play as Eugene, who's trying to find his way home after being trapped between worlds. That plays out over two chapters with 18 levels to journey through.

We asked our hardened bunch of mobile gaming experts in the App Army what they thought of it, and this is what they had to say.

Chanandler

Never really been a great fan of platformers but after ten minutes of Portal Walk I may be converted! The game has a great retro look, is packed full of little puzzles to overcome, and the difficulty seems just right.

It's tough enough for a challenge but not too bad to make you give up. I'm looking forward to spending more time with the game.

Ed Davis

Portal Walk is okay. The graphics are fine and the music in the background adds an ominous feel. The controls work well and are simple enough that no tutorial is needed.

There's no story line given so you merely jump into the game, gather some keys and boxes, and work your way to the end. The levels start off fairly basic and progress in difficulty, as most games of this genre do.

For me, it doesn't seem to add anything that hasn't already been done before. If you like this kind of game and are looking for something to pass the time, then it might be for you. But having played many games like it, I'm looking for something a bit more inventive.

Jc Ga

The graphics are pretty and animated with care but the music is repetitive. The controls slow down the game and I found it difficult to be precise.

I think it's missing a story, and it's a bit slow for my tastes. I think others will really take to it though.

Paul Manchester

Imagine living in a world full of treacle, where your legs only work 50% of the time. That's the cruel world our intrepid adventurer faces in this harmless but uninspired platformer.

Judging from the screenshots I was expecting a cheeky little roguelike, but this is much more simple.

The graphics are okay, but I wasn't a fan of the music or sound. The controls are terrible. If you're prepared to stick with it you may find some reward but make sure your phone bounces off walls, because you're going to throw it.

Adrian Claudiu Nicu

Adding to what Paul wrote, you don't get any sense of progression - you just move from level to level. Levels seem to appear at random as well. I seem to have played levels one and two in the first world, then somehow jumped to world two.

There is also no motivation for doing anything, the first levels are uninspired, and lacklustre compared to Goblin Sword or Sword of Xolan. I felt like I could just stop at any time - nothing drew me in.

I found attacking odd. You can't just spam the attack button, you have to hold it down to release attacks. Reviving is funky too. There's a limited number of times you can revive per session, but you don't get informed visually when you reach a checkpoint that makes reviving a relevant thing so you know where to "expect" it.

The graphics aren't unique but nice in their own way. I can't say the same about the sound though, which is hit and miss.

Kevin Santiago

It’s very bland. Sure, the pixel art, animation, and music is good, but it lacks audio feedback when you pick up an item. I couldn’t tell if I got it or not. There wasn’t a lot of sound effects except when you hit an enemy, or lava hits the floor.

The level design is okay, except when you're in a cramped place and have to take a hit from the enemy. This happens several times. The controls are quite simple, which makes it harder to beat a simple enemy. Overall the game looks good, but the gameplay is okay.

Michael Welly

Just played through the first few levels and I'm not very impressed. It looks nice but there's very little sound aside from background music. The trailer looked very promising but the gameplay doesn't hold up.

I've since removed this, as there are far better platformers on the App store. This one is a pass.

Quincy Jones

It's a pretty cool game. There's a lot of little things going on in the background and I love the music. The levels aren't too hard so far and the only issue I might have is the controls. They could do with a bit of a tweak.

Justin Herselman

Portal Walk is an action platformer at heart. I was expecting more from it! You basically traverse through levels searching for keys to unlock doors and reach the exit. Along the way you'll find energy boxes and enemies that you need to shoot with your slingshot. There's also TNT that you can detonate to clear platforms, and that's about it as far as gameplay is concerned after a few levels of play. It's really missing puzzles I think.

I've had issues with the occasionally unresponsive controls, the annoying music, and unfair enemy attacks. The orcs are scripted to double shoot making it impossible to avoid being hit by the second shot. It takes 2 shots to kill an Orc leaving you open to take an inevitable hit which repeatedly diminishes your life. There's also a good chance you'll miss due to the trajectory of your slingshot. The only positives for me is the great art style!

Laura Egri

It's a solid concept but I can't say that I'm impressed. You go from A to B, killing enemies along the way, and it quickly becomes repetitive. It could have been lot more engaging if the puzzles were more diverse and more challenging.

The graphics are great though, and I found the controls easy to deal with on my iPad. It's alright, but there are better examples of the genre out there.

What's the App Army?

The App Army is Pocket Gamer's very own community of mobile game experts. Each week, we provide them with a bunch of free codes and early access to the hottest upcoming games so they can provide their thoughts in features like this. We also host regular community-driven events with them in mind like tournaments, giveaways, and multiplayer evenings. To join, simply follow this link to the page on Facebook and request access. We'll get you in right away!
Chris James
Chris James
A footy game fanatic and experienced editor of numerous computing and game titles, lively Chris is up for anything - including running Steel Media! (Madman!)