Magrunner: Dark Pulse

 PC
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 72 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 39 out of 72
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 72
  3. Negative: 13 out of 72

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  1. InsaneSamurai
    Jun 19, 2014
    3
    It's pretty portal-like for a while, which is charming and quite interesting, but it consistently devolves into tedium and frustration. Who has fun trying to solve a puzzle, making one mis-click, and having to jump down a platform and slooooowly inch it back up the wall with the really annoying dog-magnet over and over and over until it finally does what you wanted? The later puzzles canIt's pretty portal-like for a while, which is charming and quite interesting, but it consistently devolves into tedium and frustration. Who has fun trying to solve a puzzle, making one mis-click, and having to jump down a platform and slooooowly inch it back up the wall with the really annoying dog-magnet over and over and over until it finally does what you wanted? The later puzzles can only be solved one VERY specific way, and despite all the game physics allowing what should be multiple solutions, they just don't work right when they want to force the one solution. The puzzles get harder in the worst ways possible, like "oh you have to look in this particular direction standing in the corner where you have no reason to be anyway to see the only solution" or "good luck trying to fling yourself over this set of specific jumps while an unkillablle monster chases you", or my personal un-favorite "yeah we filled this level with auto-deaths and you don't get a checkpoint cause you explored too soon and wasted it, so have fun doing it 30 times". Also, no game should make you spend a few minutes trying to figure out how to push a button you know you have to push for some reason, only to spend even more time figuring out what the button did since the game gives you no indication whatsoever.

    Basically they had an awesome idea and an awesome setting, then failed miserably at the surrounding game design.    … Expand
  2. Julstar
    Mar 4, 2014
    4
    They said you'd like this game if you liked Portal. NOT AT ALL! Magrunner is way worse than Portal! I mean the puzzles aren't that bad, but in some levels some switches or buttons seem to have no particular functionI. I had no idea what to do but then suddenly something happened and I could go on and I had no idea how I'd done it?! I think the game was made without much dedication by theThey said you'd like this game if you liked Portal. NOT AT ALL! Magrunner is way worse than Portal! I mean the puzzles aren't that bad, but in some levels some switches or buttons seem to have no particular functionI. I had no idea what to do but then suddenly something happened and I could go on and I had no idea how I'd done it?! I think the game was made without much dedication by the developers, the story isn't very interesting and the enemies are just boringly designed! There's no particular reason to buy it!… Expand
  3. Voyou
    Aug 22, 2016
    3
    This Portal clone does what most other platformers disguised as puzzlers do wrong: It doesn't let you save, using checkpoints instead, but still makes you carry cubes around (always a bad sign) for ages, jump from tight spots to tight spots (preferably timed jumps,) and as a result forces you to grind all these moves all over again at the first faux pas.

    As in so many coattails riding    This Portal clone does what most other platformers disguised as puzzlers do wrong: It doesn't let you save, using checkpoints instead, but still makes you carry cubes around (always a bad sign) for ages, jump from tight spots to tight spots (preferably timed jumps,) and as a result forces you to grind all these moves all over again at the first faux pas.

    As in so many coattails riding titles, your brain won't break a sweat. All you need is jumping patience.

    Well, in this particular game, you'll even need patience between the rooms, as you'll be stuck listening to the mandatory conspiracy story line narrated by static holograms. The makers didn't grasp what made their model, Portal, alive and entertaining. Not only aren't the game mechanics as simple and fun, the whole thing just doesn't flow.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 31
  3. Negative: 1 out of 31
  1. XGN
    Nov 15, 2013
    80
    A great puzzle game, Magrunner challenges you step for step. The difficulty gradually gets more difficult and it takes a while before you see the end screen. With some rooms being without any addition, it feels a bit empty sometimes.
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  2. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 7, 2013
    80
    Have you heard from a little game called Portal? The guys at 3AM Games sure haven't, because Magrunner is almost an exact replica of the Valve's award-winning masterpiece. The portals are replaces with magnetism and the level design takes it's from Ctulhu mytology, but other than that, it's pure Portal from start to finish. [Aug 2013]
  3. PC PowerPlay
    Sep 25, 2013
    60
    Thematically undercooked, but this clever puzzler does feature progressively exciting level design. [Oct 2013, p.85]
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