Bionic Bay Review—Simply amazing platformer

Playing so many "modern" games these days, a small detour to the waters of pure gaming simplicity is the necessary one, and it is very commendable that, from time to time, we get a simple game that will take us back to days where gaming was no more than jumping, dashing, rolling, and more jumping maybe, and all that until you pass a certain stage. When a new stage unlocks, you do pretty much the same thing again.

Seeing things like this from nowadays games' point of view, you might think that such gameplay must be a boring one, but no, those games were actually the most interesting ones, not for their sophisticated stories or fancy graphics and whatnot, but more for the enormous amount of fun they always provided.

Fortunately, there are still developers who prefer making such games, and Bionic Bay is definitely the game that falls into this category. 

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Bionic Bay

Bionic Bay is a 2D platformer in which you'll do quite simple tasks: jumping over obstacles to progress through levels. As the game progresses, you'll gain specific powers like a teleportation device or telekinesis; using those powers in combination with jumping and rolling to solve some areal puzzles will be the backbone of the entire gameplay, simple as that.

At the very beginning, you'll be spawned inside a huge mechanised facility of unknown origins, and you'll traverse your way out of it to begin your journey. Why are you here, and what is the place you find yourself in? These will be the questions that will get vague answers only later in the game, but be ready to play the game blindly, without any knowledge of its plot or anything, because there will be none, or it will be so minimalistic that you won't give it any attention.

After two or three big areas in the game, you'll get the first log with a quite vague explanation of what your character is doing and where he is escaping from, and to the very end of the game, the answers will stay a big mystery. However, not that you're going to be that interested in the story because this game isn't aiming to deliver it to you—you'll be too busy trying to figure out how to solve the next obstacle to give the story any real thoughts.

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Bionic Bay

So the main enemy in this game will be gravity and very realistic physics, and you'll do everything in your power to avoid falling into the gaps that lead into the abyss. As the levels progress, you'll be facing more and more obstacles, and the difficulty will rise gradually. The first levels are pretty easy to be honest, and some tricky jumps will be the biggest challenge, but as the game progresses, you'll start facing lasers, bombs, turrets, and many other forms of obstacles that will make your life miserable.

Some obstacles gave me real headaches from time to time, and I found myself trying to solve them sometimes even for half an hour or so. Fortunately, the game is very generous on checkpoints, meaning if you manage to solve one situation, the game will save, and if you fall to death, it will respawn from that specific place, saving you from repeating hard sections again.

In Bionic Bay, you won't meet any usual progression elements like unlocking and using new skills, collecting stuff or similar things. This game is as straightforward as it can be—pass the obstacles to come to the next stage using the abilities the game gives you, and that's pretty much it.

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Bionic Bay

Speaking of abilities, the game will give you the necessary ones at the beginning of the area. For example, if a level requires teleportation, you'll get that ability, or if it needs telekinesis, that will be your power. For some levels you'll need the ability to slow down the time, and the game will provide it. No special menus or stuff like that, just pure focus on finishing the levels.

Regarding graphical presentation, the game is reminiscent of hits like Limbo and Inside, only with the environments having a bit more colour. The levels are designed in pretty much the same manner, showcasing the unknown world full of mechanised monstrosities and huge machines that are way bigger than our hero.

The design is really fantastic and gives that creepy vibe all the time; the only problem with it is the lack of variety. Don't get me wrong, some levels will take place in water, for example, and the environment will be blue, while some other environments will be more grey or black and white, but apart from that, all levels look like they are pure copy/paste in design.

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Bionic Bay

Regarding graphical effects, I was quite surprised to see, for example, the use of particle effects in some levels, which gave the game quite a modernised look. The lighting in general is also of a high quality, along with beautiful reflections in some levels that feature surfaces like water ponds or polished metals.

The sound effects and music that play in the background are very good too. Music isn't too loud, except in situations where it must be, for example, during the sequences where you must move quickly to avoid hazards. In general, it works very well in creating the right atmosphere, and regarding this segment, I can say only good things.

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Bionic Bay

Conclusion

Bionic Bay is a game that will give you tonnes of entertainment on one hand and tonnes of frustration on the other, and you'll love it for that. In this game, simplicity is the key. No complicated mechanics, just jump, roll, use some special powers, and finish levels, and when you do that, do even more.

With its fantastic gameplay and unique art style you'll most certainly love, this game will very easily get under your skin. If you love such games, this one is an easy recommendation from me.