Get-A-Grip Chip – Review
Follow Genre: Action Grappling Platformer
Developer: Redstart Interactive
Publisher: Redstart Interactive
Platform: PC,
Tested on: PC

Get-A-Grip Chip – Review

Site Score
7.5
Good: Adorable and Addictive!
Bad: Unforgiving controls that need a controller to fully appreciate
User Score
9.3
(3 votes)
Click to vote
VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: 9.3/10 (3 votes cast)

A grappling action platformer developed and produced by Redstart Interactive, Get-A-Grip Chip is an addictive little game released in October this year. This seemingly nondescript adventure by a first-time developer that only started up in 2019 might surprise you with its cute design, simplistic mechanics and unforgiving controls. With a Twitter feed full of game development ideas and progress over the past year, it’s clear to see that a goal to produce a game both fun and unique may have been achieved by Redstart Interactive.

Story

Get-A-Grip Chip opens with a slideshow of GIFs showing the prologue of a little factory worker robot, Chip, using his grappling claw to assemble other smaller still robots. Everything is happy and content until suddenly the packaging machine overheats! With a sudden explosion, a gear flies out and embeds itself in the back of the Quality Assessment Drone, driving it haywire. Suddenly equipped with a deadly laser (maybe how it gets rid of defective drones?!) it goes on a rampage throughout the factory, causing Chip to fall down to the first floor. It’s now up to Chip to rescue robots, avoid dangers, and work his way up to the top floor to remove the gear from the Head Drone. Presumably, as we couldn’t make it that far!

The goal is clear, the board is set, and now it’s time to place your chips (pun intended). It’s a simple and not particularly original tale for an indie game, fix the malfunctioning factory, but its execution is well designed and sets the game up with no hassle.

Graphics

The graphics can be summed up in a single word: Kawaii. It might be cliche, and maybe even a little cringe-worthy, but it is undeniably accurate. From the bold colors and block-y designs to the dinky characters and the constant ” ^_^ ” facial expression on Chip, it is just plain cute. Even the burning rocks that present one of many hazards fit this theme. The stylized comic graphics certainly add to this, while adding very clear points of danger and interaction. This is all combined with semi-static rolling backgrounds ranging from factories of various genres (the neon industrial punk setting stands out) to seemingly overgrown ruins, which add depth and variation to the areas you traverse.

Sound

The sounds, while not clashing, seem slightly out of place in the game. While they are of undeniably good quality, what first feels like rhythmic tunes turn into its own thing, ranging from techno to bars of almost progressive American rock. It is definitely not a complaint, it just seems a little… odd, upon reflection. With the cute artwork and intense focus gameplay, it isn’t something that is immediately noticed. When it is, other things become more apparent. When your cute drone dies, there is a resulting explosion that feels more visceral than would be expected. It starts to draw comparisons to hardcore platformer puzzle games, like Meat-boy.

Gameplay

Get-A-Grip Chip is a hardcore grappling platformer that aims to get its players to beat levels, rescue drones, use them to unlock more levels, all the while speed running to beat the scores of other players around the world.

The controls are incredibly simple, but no less challenging for it. Much like the premise of other hardcore platformers, it’s more about timing than an array of skills and abilities. The hardest element to get used to is that the gale has no jumping function. The only means of traversal are left, right, and grapple. The grapple itself is also very short range, meaning your momentum plays a huge part in getting that little further ahead to reach the next grapple point. On top of that you’ll have to be careful you don’t miss, or you return to your last checkpoint and lose any drones collected along the way. While it feels unique and well designed, Get-A-Grip Chip opens with a message about how the game performs better with a controller. Having played with keyboard and mouse, we are inclined to believe them, and certainly hope that it is the case. We advise all players to take their advice!

Despite these challenges, the gameplay is enjoyable and, quite frankly, moreish. Just one more level, one more try and you can get all the drones, you can move up in the speed run scoreboard. You can definitely (maybe) beat this floor.

Conclusion

Overall Get-A-Grip Chip, while incredibly challenging and frustrating at points, is equally as engaging and relaxing. While not overly complex, it pushes the player to keep their eyes open and their reflexes sharp. Those 30 levels may not seem like much, but by the second floor you will be wondering how many explosions and lava flows it will take you to reach the top. And you will try until you make it.

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: 9.3/10 (3 votes cast)
VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: -1 (from 1 vote)
Get-A-Grip Chip - Review, 9.3 out of 10 based on 3 ratings
Jayderlee


My Avatar is more accurate than I like to admit...

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