WARP does something I love in gaming which is not hold the players hand. It gives you the tools, shows you briefly how to use them and then lets you figure out the best way to use certain abilities to move through a dangerous maze of soldiers, scientists and turrets all trying to kill you. in WARP you play as a small little orange alien who has the ability to warp through walls, into objects and even into people. You can hide in objects and people or move the thumb stick around and make them explode from the inside out. As you progress through the game you get new abilities like making a phantom version of yourself and then switching places with whatever the phantom is touching. This can cause guards to shoot the phantom and accidentally kill another enemy or swap with a guard to put them inside some one or a barrel. Gruesome deaths with a cartoon atmosphere make Warp an odd game, but it’s also a welcome addition to any problem solver’s gaming library
While playing WARP I found myself getting the same sense of accomplishment as I did from games like Portal. I’d have recently received an ability, not known how to use it properly and once I figured it out, moved forward I’d feel as though I’d mastered the universe, only to butt up against a new problem, get a new ability and learn how to use it. The joy I got from toying with the enemies as a cute little alien probably comes off as demented or twisted but I loved it. Using a decoy version of my character to force a guard to murder an innocent scientist brought a sadistic grin to my face and when I got an achievement for making guards shoot each other through my decoy in a cross fire I knew this is what the game had intended.
The only time I really got frustrated with the game was a boss fight that required me to really slow down, use multiple techniques I’d learned to that point and think about my actions before I did them. Like before though the game let me come to the conclusion on my own and didn’t hold my hand at all. When I finally beat the boss I was ecstatically happy and couldn’t wait to progress.
With so much of the game relying on stealth and staying in hiding I’d say the closest thing to this game I’ve played or the game that gave me the same feeling as this would be the original Metal Gear Solid on Playstation 1. Stealthily moving around a military base, hiding in boxes and crates and sneak attacking enemies from behind? Only now I’m playing as a cute orange alien named Zero. It’s like MGS and Portal had a love child that lets me blow up scientists from the inside out.
Visually WARP is pretty hit or miss even for an XBLA title. Using the unreal engine it’s obvious that the game is capable of so much more. It’s cartoon styling is one thing, but textures are incredibly low res and the cut scenes get up close and personal with the models and the blocky/pixelated texture just look ugly. Characters are animated beautifully and levels are well designed but a higher resolution texture pack would be a welcome addition if the game ever comes to PC. Voice acting and sound design is also solid and comical. Zero has a unique Gizmo from Gremlins like approach to vocalizing and all the scientists have the same voice which is doubly funny when they’re all conversing in the cafeteria before Zero goes on a blood thirsty rampage making them burst into pieces.
At a 800msp price tag ($10) Warp is a must buy for anyone who likes puzzle games. It’s packed with challenge rooms, time trials, tricky gameplay and fun mechanics. You should buy this.
