The key question is whether or not Catch Up manages to do what many other similar games totally fail at; does it actually manage to leave behind empty platforming and progress towards actual fun?
Thankfully, Catch Up pairs funky, energetic beats to a gameplay that feels at once both slightly perplexing and engrossing. You control an ever moving ball, racing down a corridor with a plethora of interruptions and dangers. Pillars shift and cascade around you, jumping up and moving sideways, always trying to obstruct your path and mess up your day.
Planted X’s on the ground dictate areas you can periodically jump over oncoming obstacles, as well as a large number green diamonds that seem to represent points of some sort. The constantly shifting obstacles, paired with these abilities to bypass entire walls if you so choose, create a simultaneous feeling of achievement and luck, as if every single time you win, you only did it by the barest skin of your teeth.[sc name=”quote” text=”… a simultaneous feeling of achievement and luck, as if every single time you win, you only did it by the barest skin of your teeth.”]
A frequent problem with these kinds of fast paced, dodging games is that they often unnecessarily speed up to create additional difficulty. Although that most certainly happens in Catch Up, it truly feels very gentle and gradual. There isn’t really ever a point wherein you feel annoyed at the pace of the game, until very suddenly you realize you’re moving insanely fast and barreling through all the enemies like a race car driver. This lack of a drop off of fun is the element of Catch Up that keeps it exceptionally entertaining. No periods of boredom, just plain fun the whole way through.
After a few jumps and dodges, you will notice something moving quickly in the distance – the name ‘Catch Up’ is apparently not just a fun moniker, it actually refers to the goal of the game. You are chasing another ball that moves ever so slightly faster than you. However, whenever you manage to grab the green diamonds or make a jump, you speed up ever so slightly. Because of this, you will eventually catch that darned ball and destroy it. Once you do, the game then shifts into a faster pace and you then enter a rapid fire jumping game and ramp up points like mad.
Considering Catch Up is a small, quite simple platforming game, the feeling of achievement and sensory reward you get when you obliterate your enemy is hard to rival. Frequently, games of this type have pretty decent music, but in Catch Up, you will find yourself wanting headphones to get properly into the pace of movement and the energy of winning.[sc name=”quote” text=”… in Catch Up, you will find yourself wanting headphones to get properly into the pace of movement and the energy of winning.”]
Catch Up is something unique that creeps above its contemporaries; it is fun, engaging and exciting, without being too engrossing as to require you to spend all your time playing it. If you’re looking for something decently thrilling and a good distraction, then look no further.
Plus, it is incredibly satisfying to watch the enemy ball explode.
[appbox appstore id1235879678]
[appbox googleplay com.ketchapp.catchup]
