This is where some people might lose interest in the game. There are also warp gates that take you to fun mini-game levels that can unlock new playable characters, as well as collectible pacifiers that can be found throughout the game. In addition to the main “light” world levels, there are also parallel “dark” world levels to take on after clearing the light world’s time trials. Each chunk also serves as a checkpoint, so it really does feel like each level is made up of several mini-levels, though you might not even realize where one chunk begins and another ends unless you die and respawn at the checkpoint. I actually forgot that the levels were procedurally generated until the 2nd or 3rd world when I went to look for a guide for a particularly tricky chunk and saw that the walkthrough I was watching was completely different than the level I was playing. So, while you might get a completely different level than one of your friends, it should still feel like a normally designed level to you. that don’t fit together–each level will feel cohesive and intentional. While they are randomly generated, you will not get two chunks with different backgrounds, mechanics, etc. The levels consist of 5-6 chunks that cohesively work together, transitioning from section to section seamlessly. The game is able to randomly generate so many levels because each level consists of several chunks that were all individually designed.
The game was tested on Xbox Series X.Levels in Super Meat Boy Forever tend to be a fair bit longer than those found in its predecessor and there’s a reason for that. One thing’s for sure: it’s still just as self-punishingly compelling as its predecessor.ĭisclaimer: I was provided with a copy of Super Meat Boy Forever in exchange for a fair and honest review. Some may even prefer its speedier auto-running style, especially as it still makes you want to tear your face off in that way only Team Meat has mastered. Still, if you’re worried that Super Meat Boy is forever tarnished by the new approach it takes, don’t be: Forever provides the same, albeit adjusted mix of thrills, spills and self-inflicted kills. Fetus is a cartoonish monster, but the genuinely unnecessary and repeated massacre of woodland creatures is genuinely unpleasant–it just doesn’t make any sense, nor is it a motivator, especially when much bigger laughs are there for the taking. While many people will understandably dismiss the purposefully silly story in favor of its action, Super Meat Boy Forever manages to bask in the daftness of its narrative but also undermine it for no good reason. It’s understandable, as hardcore Super Meat Boy fans demand it, but a little exclusionary. It feels like Team Meat has focused too much on those blockbuster experiences provided during a flawless performance, rather than the real experience of most gamers: scrappy, checkpoint-chasing failures. When they thread together, they feel seamless and fantastic, but this only becomes apparent during those incredibly rare, near-perfect runs. Checkpoints are ridiculously inconsistent too, meaning you often have to perfectly recreate 15 steps before fathoming the 16th.Ĭrucially, new mechanics such as phasing, uppercutting and reversals are clever, but hamfistedly deployed. Often, the perpetual motion mechanic can stop you from anticipating or even seeing what comes next, so you’re stuck in an endless loop with no obvious way to move forward. Each new world introduces itself too bluntly, barely explaining new dangers or enemies, meaning you’ll repeatedly explode while playing a guessing game. Super Meat Boy Forever is certainly not without its faults. One specific outing, where you’re tasked with taking on clones in a furious and spectacular fight to the death, might take you over an hour just to understand–but once you succeed, the feeling of elation is unrivalled.
The boss battles are, by far, the best and worst the game has to offer: feats of endurance which, when done properly, may only take a minute to overcome, but usually require dozens of attempts to simply comprehend. It consistently emphasizes that the onus is on you: you are always the architect of your own downfall.
Levels are carefully structured so they never feel genuinely unfair–and certainly not badly designed. Team Meatįiguring out its delicate and carefully balanced mechanics is wonderful, and you still get that real satisfaction from absolutely nailing a section, only to become tons of mincemeat via 20 deaths in the space of a minute. The game's mechanics are seamlessly introduced, and mayhem ensues.