Published by Fabloo Games and developed by Maximum Entertainment, Quadroids is a strategic platformer game where you will not only use your mind to clear levels but also your psychomotor skills. What sets this game apart from other similar speed platformers is that you have to control ever-moving Quadroids on four different screens at the same time while avoiding hazards and obstacles and reaching the stage completion point. Intrigued? We were as well, and this is why we absolutely loved this take on platforming games. This is our review of Quadroids on the PS5 in which we kill some Quadroids to progress in the game and save others to colonize planets.
Quadroids features a main story, but it is mostly hidden behind a level system with cutscenes appearing at key moments such as starting a new planet for the first time or starting or ending the main game’s story. You are basically following the orders of the evil robotic overlord named Roboctopus who is trying to take over different planets. For his evil schemes, there is no shortage of Quadroids who will do anything to conquer every terrain that comes in their path. There are five different worlds in the game and each world offers a different feel both when it comes to hazards and level design. Each planet also has special challenge levels which will have a certain requirement to meet before you can play them such as collecting enough Quarks which are spread as white crystals in different levels and offer a side-challenge.
The main highlight here is Quadroids’ gameplay. Each level is split into four different screens and each screen is controlled by a separate key. Pressing that key will make any number of Quadroids in that particular screen jump. The gameplay is minimalistic because there is only one key for each screen and the only actual gameplay is jumping. There are no other controls but while this may sound simple, knowing when to jump is the real challenge of the game. Depending on the level, you will have spawning points of Quadroids on different screens, and from there, you will guide them through the level to reach the ending point. Each screen offers a different challenge, and you will need to navigate all of the challenges and hazards to reach the ending point. If the level has multiple spawning points on different screens, you will navigate all four of them at the same time while jumping and avoiding obstacles.
Sometimes, there is no requirement on how you reach the end but sometimes, you will need to ensure the timing of multiple Quadroids is the same so that you can use two of them to reach another area. The Quadroids do not run through each other, and they always bounce back after hitting each other so you will need to work around this to solve various puzzles and challenges. Another fact is that these Quadroids will jump at the same time if they are on the same screen. You will need to avoid obstacles such as acid pools, shooting cannons, enemies that will eat your Quadroids, and much more. However, to each of these hazards, there is a strategic aspect as well and you will often need to sacrifice some of your Quadroids to move ahead in a level.
Certain hazards like spikes will retain dead bodies of Quadroids allowing new ones to walk over them without any fear of dying and other obstacles like enemies and acid pools will give a temporary safe spot for crossing or jumping before they start taking the lives of your Quadroids once again. In each scenario based on the level and hazards, you will need to devise a strategy and move forward to clear the level. Sometimes you will need to cover entire maps filled with spikes with dead bodies of your Quadroids to clear a level or sometimes you will need to feed a Quadroid to an enemy to use them as a bouncing platform. Death is in Quadroids’ fate and sometimes you will give them this fate willingly since progress is dependent on it.
This whole death and progress mechanic is closely linked with each other and forms the basics of Quadroids’ gameplay loop. While each level is different from the other and as you progress in the story, the levels become harder and harder, the base concept remains pretty much the same. The challenge escalates so much in multiple levels that sometimes there are two screens inside a single screen as well which really puts your hand-to-eye coordination to test.
In the end, it is all about your motor skills and while you can take as long as you want to complete each level, if you really want to test yourself, each level offers a time challenge and a move challenge as well. To really master a level, you must complete it within a time limit and issue fewer moves than the move limit. If you are playing solo, you can also aim for the online leaderboards with your best time but if you decide to bring some friends or family along for some coop fun, the leaderboards are locked down.
While the UI feels a little confusing at first and setting up co-op gameplay is also a little daunting, Quadroids looks fairly good when it comes to level design. It even has cutscenes so you can enjoy the story along with level progression. One gripe that I do have with the game is that instead of completely shunning players from the online leaderboards for playing co-op, the game should have separate leaderboards for both modes. If you are not worried about online leaderboards then this should not worry you at all but if you love chasing those highscores and times, you will need to stick to solo gameplay.
Quadroids offers a unique take on the traditional speed platformers that we have played so far, and I absolutely loved this new type of challenge. There are a few similarities with Super Mear Boy but despite giving the same vibes, both games are completely unique and different from each other. It not only allows you to see how well your motor skills are but at the same time, it also tickles your strategic eye as you try to figure out how to nail those time and move challenges.
Final Verdict:
Quadroids is truly a challenging platformer not because the levels are designed to kill you again and again but because you need to be extremely good with your motor skills. Controlling multiple Quadroids across four different screens requires skills that I never thought I would need while playing a video game. The challenge only ramps up as you progress in the game and if you are looking for a platformer that really tests your mettle across every level, you must get your hands on Quadroids and try to beat every level perfectly. This is where the real challenge lies. With its simple yet extremely tough gameplay mechanics, Quadroids is certainly our best strategy platformer of this year so far because not only does it feel tight and responsive, but it also really tests your skills in different ways.
Final Score: 9.5/10
