Metrico+ Review

A Heavenly Slice of Pie Charts. 
by Michael Johnson
Reviewed on Xbox One 
Release date January 20th, 2017 on Xbox One.
Also available on PS4 and PC
Developer: Digital Dreams Publisher: Digital Dreams

 Metrico+ is an infographic side-scrolling puzzle platform game developed and published by indie Dutch Developer Digital Dreams. Originally released back in 2014 on the PS Vita as Metrico, Digital Dreams has now ported the game to PS4, Steam, and Xbox One, adding updated mechanics, new puzzles, new modes, new character animations, a revised music soundtrack, and a + sign to the end of its name. 

Metrico+ has a charm that reveals itself from the moment you pick up the controller until hours later after completing the game.  It flaunts an exciting geometric world, with unique gameplay mechanics that force you to experiment with your character’s movements to solve puzzles and advance through the game. Move left, and a pillar might rise from the floor. Move too far right, and the pillar may rise a touch too far for you to reach. Jump at the wrong moment, and the pillars might box you in, forcing you to restart at a checkpoint. 
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Thankfully, checkpoints are abundant and are strategically placed at every puzzle, as they are very much part of the game itself. Metrico+ expects you to go through trial and error, and at some points even forces you to reload a puzzle to continue. As you complete a level, you’ll earn new upgrades, and just as you feel like you know the answers, Metrico+ changes the questions, forcing you to adapt and apply your new upgrades as you move through the game. This eventually leads to you being forced to use everything you’ve learned about the game’s mechanics to complete the final world. 

For the most part, I loved this game and the way it handles, but there are a few hitches that I should mention.  Occasionally, the controls can seem a little stiff, causing the character to fall off a ledge when trying to line up a jump. Also, towards the end of the game, I found myself stuck on a particular puzzle for about forty minutes, only to find out the game had glitched out on me. That being said, neither of these mishaps ruined my time with the game, and they shouldn’t be a concern for you if you’ve seen this game pop up on your feed and want to check it out for yourself at a very affordable price of $13.99.
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The narrative in the game seemed a little vague. Even after completing the game I still wasn’t quite sure what message the developers were trying to send to me. Although there do seem to be gradual visual changes to your main character over the course of the game, which did place a few theories into my head. Regardless, I enjoyed creating my story for the character. 

As for the aesthetics of Metrico+, I was impressed. As I stated earlier, the game is built using striking infographic art design. Not sure what infographic means? I wasn’t either. Evidently, it means information presented in a visual format. That makes sense, considering the mechanics used in the game hinge on the art design itself, but don’t fret, I never felt the need to break out my high school geometry books. Every world in Metrico+ delivers a different theme, color palette, and puzzles that all blend with one another quite well. I enjoyed studying the art design as the game progressed, and Metrico+ may be one of the most creatively designed games I’ve seen in recent memory.

Now, the beautiful art design is important, but we all know music helps take a game to the next level, and I feel like this game has the goods. Composed by Dutch artist Palmbomen, the synthetic sound design helps aid the visuals and provides a relaxing atmosphere as you travel through your shapely world. As with the art design, the music changes with each world you travel to.  Though the difference in the soundtrack didn’t seem as pronounced as the visuals, the effort is still appreciated. Throughout every world, more often than not, if you jump or shoot, a single music beat will ring out after you land or your shot hits the wall.  I’d be embarrassed to disclose the amount of time I spent shooting at different platforms and walls, trying to create my own soundtrack for the game. 

Metrico+ is a great puzzle platforming game. Not only is the art design and soundtrack charming, but having the game mechanics tied into the art design itself is a novel idea, and I very much enjoyed my time with it. Metrico+ can be both relaxing and frustrating, but it’s never boring. If you haven’t tried it yet, or even if you played the original Metrico (with no +) then Metrico+ offers much more content than previously seen, and I recommend picking this game up.   

*Note: A copy of the game was provided for the purposes of the review
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Final Score: 8/10

+ Unique puzzles and mechanics
+ Fantastic art design 
+ Great soundtrack/ambiance