To quote the Buddha, "Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future. Concentrate the mind on the present moment." Well, you'll have to ignore that advice if you want to make any progress in Switch, a puzzle platformer by Scott Addelsee, Jemma Barnard, Kate Fierek, and Tom Saunders. About 2/3s of the game will have to be spent in the past or the future, actually. You see, in each level, using the [arrow] keys, you must find three keys, one each in the past, the present, and the future, then take them to the exit door. To do so, you'll switch between the three eras with [Z], [X] and [C], respectively. A bridge unfinished in the present may be complete in the future. Likewise, a currently empty pedestal might have had a key on it in the past. Be warned: You have a limited number of "switches". Trial and error will be in play.
Though it was made in Flixel, Switch doesn't feel like it. In fact, it might be best described as what Sonic CD would play like, if it was made by the designers of LIMBO. The moody atmosphere and spooky aesthetic are Switch's strongest feature, from the eerie serenity of the past, to the disjointed present, to the vaguely totalitarian future. While the temporal puzzles are cleverly designed, the limits on "switching" unfortunately get in the way. Having to plot your moves certainly adds to the challenge, but the player should be allowed to explore such an effective setting to their heart's content. Not every game is improved by a medal system. Also, the jump physics are, in a word, wonky. If you can look beyond these issues, though, Switch has neat ideas behind it, and is well worth a chunk of your time.
Walkthrough Guide
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Oh, and here's the fastest possible solutions to the three first levels if you're going for the gold medals:
Level 1:
Get the present key in the pit and proceed right. When you get to the bridge, switch to the future. Once you're past it, switch to the past. Go underneath the overhang and into the cave. Run in as far as you can, take the past key, switch to the future and run back out. Go right, on top of the overhang. Climb up the factory, drop down to take the key, and keep going right as fast as you can to get to the door.
Level 2:
Switch to the future and go right. After you pass the building with the future key on top, switch to the present, climb left up that building until you get to the one small block sticking up on the long ledge, then switch back to the future, take the key, drop down, and switch to the past. Go right, taking the key as you go. Switch back to the future when you're almost at the rightmost part of the screen, then climb up the building, stand in the middle of the overhang, and switch to the present. Get the key, and go left toward the door.
Level 3:
Go right and climb up, drop down under the first overhang, and switch to the past and get the past key. Switch to the present, and jump across the platforms to the right to get to the present key. Switch to the future and just walk across for the biggest gap, then go back to the present. You'll come to a platform that you can't jump up to at the very end. Jump straight up on your current platform, and switch to the future while you're in the air. You should land on a tower one block higher up. Now jump to the right, and switch back to the present while you're in the air. You should now be able to climb to the top of the cliff. Switch to the future, get the future key, and switch to the past, drop down, and run left to the door.
Posted by: Alice
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April 20, 2012 12:57 AM