Life Goes On – Review
Life Goes on is a comically-morbid platformer where you have only one goal, get to the Cup of Life. This puzzle game by Infinite Monkeys brings the puzzle and the comical aspects together into one game which makes it very interesting. Don’t be afraid to sacrifice any knights to get the cup, death is not a setback. It is the only way to success.
Story
There is no real storyline in Life Goes On, the only goal that the knights have to is get to the Cup of Life. Every knight you play with has his own name and title which gives you a small aspect of a little story. Having to sacrifice knights who you just met might sound cruel but it’s necessary.
Graphics
The graphics of Life Goes On are certainly not the best graphics that can be found in a puzzle game but they have its own charm. The knights have big heads and small bodies which also contribute to the comical aspect of the game. Life Goes On has implemented rag doll physics for when the knights die and this is very fun to watch. Having sacrificed a knight and then seeing him bounce around or roll around the platform makes the game that bit more fun.
The puzzles in the game are graphically very well designed. Every piece of the map helps to create that medieval vibe that the game should have, that is if you don’t pay attention to the huge flamethrowers. Having maps that switch between snowy mountains, caves and volcanoes makes playing the game that much more interesting.
Sound
Life Goes On is a game that is situated in medieval times; this is also reflected in the music. The sound of the game together with the dark graphics help you get into that medieval setting that the game wants you to have. Every part of the map that is moving makes its own sound: the burning fire, the moving saw blades, the buttons being pressed… Even the dying knights make a screaming sound and react to everything that happens to them.
The overall sound of the game makes it a lot of fun to play and helps to accentuate all of the aspects to the game.
Gameplay
The goal in Life Goes On is to reach the Cup of Life, this have to be done by any means. To reach this cup you get an army of knights at your disposal and they are not afraid to sacrifice themselves. The levels of the game have been put together so you have to use multiple methods to reach the end in every single level. You can get past these puzzles by using the bodies of the knights who died earlier.
The game starts by throwing you into a starter level; here you can learn the basics of the game. The first level shows you how the spikes work, how you can use the lifeless knights as a bridge and what the objective of the game is. To get past spikes, you can jump onto them with one knight and jump on top of that knight to get across. Other traps that you will meet while passing through higher levels are flamethrowers, freezing rays, saw blades…
Some of the parts are moving parts, these can be moving constantly or they can require you to push a button. The buttons that are implemented in the game can be triggered in two ways; they might have to be pushed at all times or they have to be pushed just once. Having a knight run through a freezing ray turns that knight into a block of ice; this block can be used to stand on and pass through fire or to jump on higher ledges. When you can’t reach a higher ledge due to spikes, you can just sacrifice one of your knights by jumping onto the spikes and grab on to that knight with the newly spawned one to reach the ledge.
The gameplay of Life Goes On gets more challenging in every single level you play. You meet new traps or new ways to solve these traps and it keeps you thinking. Besides having to think hard in some of the levels you also have to have good reflexes. Some of the mechanics in the game require you to reach a button before a moving part reaches a certain point.
Conclusion
Overall the game is a very fun game to play. Life Goes On has a very good level design and this combined with the music make for a fun time. The puzzles in the game are designed very well and will make you think but it is that much more rewarding when you are able to solve one of the harder levels. Any fan of puzzle games will have a good time playing Life Goes On and this game is perfect for people who are new to puzzle games and want to get into it.
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