Two Parsecs From Earth, fun platforming and puzzles

 

This year, the gaming world has been a crazy one: massive delays, surprise releases, re-releases... but that hasn't stopped us from enjoying an impressive number of good video games and the launch of a new generation. Among all these released games are some of our favorite and most creative types of games: indie games.

Today, we're honoring indie games with a review of one of them, Two Parsecs From Earth for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC, which we'll be analyzing in its Nintendo hybrid version.

The story of this game is simple and is practically just a premise to have fun for a while, have a few laughs and prepare the gameplay, the robot Z3-L1 is on its way to Earth in its spaceship with an important cargo when it is attacked and crashed by a meteorite, which causes it to fall to a nearby planet and lose its 3 batteries and almost 100 cargo boxes.

To beat the game you'll have to play it twice. HOW? HOW TWICE? Well yes, twice and now we'll explain why: Once we fall on the planet for the first time we'll have a broken Z3-L1 and practically only with the ability to jump a little, this is a curious fact but something very well done and it is that depending on how deeply we press the B button the robot will jump exactly as we press it, but when we say exactly we mean EXACTLY, the game exactly notes the press that the controller emits and that can be the cause of our death many times, something impressive.

In this first game we will have to get 30 shipments divided throughout the map and for this we will need 3 special abilities, exactly from 3 arcade machines divided throughout the map, once we reach these machines we will be given a choice between 2 special abilities and we will have to take one and leave the other so choose the one you like the most, to get certain shipments we will need one or even 2 of those abilities and each ability will have a specific area where we will have to use only that one and be master of the platforms. BE CAREFUL, this platform is not like others and with a touch of even one enemy we will have died and we will reappear at the door of the area through which we entered, which will lead to many MANY deaths (I finished the 2 games with 980).

In addition to getting those 30 shipments throughout all the levels, to get out of there we will have to get 3 batteries hidden on the planet, each time we pick up a battery we will be sent to a parallel dimension to make an Indiana Jones style escape (we will get to the point of references later), there we will escape from the planet and towards Earth.

The second game, also known as New Game+, is where we return to the planet in search of 60 more cargoes and can acquire the three skills we're missing, along with the three we chose in the previous game and which remain for this one, acquiring them all. For some cargoes, we'll even need three different skills. Once we have 60 cargoes, we can return to Earth and finally finish the game.

The gameplay is brutal, making it the best indie platformer we've seen since Shovel Knight due to its exquisite design and unparalleled gameplay. Plus, the ability to die with just one tap and the jump sensitivity make you think much more than other platformers.

The graphics are incredibly impressive, being fully animated and featuring a super colorful style that fits perfectly with the gameplay and, above all, with the relaxing and colorful soundtrack that the game offers for the most part.

Do we recommend Two Parsecs From Earth? Of course, this platformer has a beautiful, super-colorful graphic style and soundtrack, and fun gameplay, but it's also much more intense and more calculated than any other platformer, strongly reminiscent of Shovel Knight's gameplay style and quality.

Plus, forcing us to complete the first playthrough in a limited way and the second in its entirety will give the game a lot of life and replayability. The story is designed simply to make us laugh, because Z3-L1's comments, which repeatedly break the fourth wall, provide plenty of references and humor.

The game is available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC for the grand price of €8.

Worst parts of the game

• The need to play through the campaign twice to discover all the levels. 
• The short duration can be a turn-off.

Best parts of the game

• The story is funny.
• The gameplay keeps reinventing itself.
• The art design is very colorful and unique.
• The soundtrack is fun.

Score

7