qomp2 is a puzzle arcade sport developed by Graphite Lab and revealed by Atari. This sequel is the successor to qomp, which was initially launched in 2021. I by no means performed the primary sport, so qomp2 is my introduction to this reimagining of Pong.
On this sport, you play as Pong, the ball, trying to interrupt free from between the 2 paddles. Although it’s implied, there’s no dialogue or straight story to comply with. The sport begins with Pong bouncing forwards and backwards between two paddles, introducing the sprint mechanic immediately. Controls are simple sufficient—maintain ZR to cost up Pong and launch to sprint. The A button modifications Pong’s route, shifting up or down. Nevertheless, it’s essential to hit the wall if you wish to flip round. Whereas the controls are simple sufficient, that doesn’t imply the gameplay is straightforward.
Every degree is sort of a maze with mild puzzles to resolve and different obstacles to bypass so you will get out and transfer on to the subsequent stage. These would possibly embody spinning levers, spikes, breakable partitions, wind tunnels, water, and extra. It took me a while to determine the mechanics to beat a few of these obstacles. For instance, when in water, Pong strikes slowly and sinks. In order for you the ball to maneuver barely quicker and upward, it’s essential to make it “swim” by tapping the A button. qomp2 does an amazing job personifying a ball.
The puzzles aren’t essentially the difficult half, although. It’s the motion. Two buttons are simple to recollect, however the gameplay is all about using angles to govern the place you need Pong to go. This implies you is likely to be caught in a single room for a while as you get the angle good with a view to get the ball in a selected spot. It wasn’t all the time simple; geometry isn’t my robust swimsuit. Actually, if it weren’t for the accessibility choices, I most likely would have rage give up.
I turned off the fish eye and display screen shake as a result of I discovered these to be too jarring when enjoying the sport. Different choices for accessibility included hints (which I turned on, although I by no means observed what the hints had been) and raycast. I turned that on because it’ll present you the place your ball is headed. That helped me determine the angles and resolve the place I wished the ball to go.
It wasn’t till I acquired actually caught on a degree that I went again into the choices in a determined try to see if anything would assist. I’m glad I did as a result of an alternative choice was there: invincibility. By default, it was turned off. I don’t bear in mind seeing that possibility there earlier than, so I’m wondering if the sport did that on objective to make sure you strive truly enjoying the sport first, which is intelligent. I turned invincibility on; certain sufficient, nothing within the ranges harm me. I may cruise via the half I used to be caught on, solely having to fret in regards to the angles and my motion. I turned the choice on and off relying on after I was actually caught. I’ll admit, there was one degree in World Three the place I had it on for the entire degree. I’d have been there for ages in any other case.
It feels like qomp2 is a protracted sport. It’s, and it isn’t. There are 30 ranges complete, however they’re comparatively quick. Typically, I by accident discovered a shortcut to the top that allowed me to skip all the degree. There are not any timers, and frequent checkpoints seem on the ranges. You’ll die rather a lot, nevertheless it’s not unforgiving. The sport additionally autosaves in between ranges. So, you may simply choose up and play this title everytime you need. There’s one collectible in every degree, including some replayability in case you don’t accumulate all of them the primary time.
After just a few ranges, you’ll face boss fights, that are cleverly completed. For instance, the primary boss is a giant paddle that you have to sprint into just a few occasions to kill it. The bosses get extra in-depth and distinctive the deeper you get into the sport.
Total, qomp2 is an easy sport, however it would preserve you considering. You’ll all the time must be one step forward to make sure the ball goes the place you want it to. It’s difficult however not unforgiving, permitting you to retry the degrees as many occasions as you may deal with. Or, for a extra informal expertise, undergo the entire sport with invincibility on.