No Time to Explain

 PC
Metascore
54

Mixed or average reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 8
  3. Negative: 3 out of 8
  1. PC Gamer
    Mar 7, 2013
    43
    We suggest you play the original, free, Flash version instead – the full explanation isn’t worth the outlay.
  2. Digital Spy
    Jan 31, 2013
    40
    Littered throughout the whole game are collectible hats, which completionists will appreciate, but ultimately, the controls in No Time to Explain are too imprecise and drag down the experience too much.
  3. Destructoid
    Sep 1, 2011
    40
    In its current state, No Time To Explain is in serious need of polish. One day, this might be a solid platformer, because the concept is fun and worth iterating upon. For now, though, the annoyances aren't worth putting up with.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 54 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 54
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 54
  3. Negative: 15 out of 54
  1. TheQuietGamer
    Jan 31, 2013
    7
    No Time to Explain is an interesting game, it started out as a free flash game that you could find on websites like Arcadebomb, but now is forNo Time to Explain is an interesting game, it started out as a free flash game that you could find on websites like Arcadebomb, but now is for sale on Steam. It's not a game for everyone, although it's got a lot of good things going for it. It's a brutally challenging and unique 2D platformer with a hilarious sense of humor but it's flaws are only amplified by it's $10 price tag. As far as gameplay goes gamers who are gluttons for punishment and enjoy games like Super Meat Boy are really going to get there moneys worth with this one. But part of the reason the game is so challenging is because of it's controls, they just aren't capable of bringing the level of precision required to make it through the games more difficult sections. Don't get me wrong they work well when you have to fling yourself across a gap, but when you in a tight area the requires precise movement and timing all goes to heck and most of the time just comes down to luck. On the bright side the game is hilarious and frequently had me laughing out loud. The dialog is amplified and made funnier by the awesome voice acting Dreux Ferrano Jr. (from Sanity Not Included). One problem is that dialog can be repeated at times, once I heard the same line several times in a row just because of bad luck. In the end No Time to Explain isn't perfect, but it still manages to be a good time in short bursts. If your a gamer who loves both good challenge and a good laugh pick this one up while it's still on sale, others who are prone to fits of rage due to repeated failures might find their $10 spent on something better.… Full Review »
  2. BlueRaja
    Jan 28, 2013
    5
    I *really* want to like this game, but right now the controls are just so clunky it's hard to enjoy the game, because you feel like you spendI *really* want to like this game, but right now the controls are just so clunky it's hard to enjoy the game, because you feel like you spend most of your time fighting against the controls. Mouse+keyboard were fine when this was a free flash game on Newgrounds that I could play instead of doing homework at school, but as a polished, paid-for game on Steam, it's not enough - this game needs Needs NEEDS controller support. I will update my review if and when the authors add controller support - hopefully in time for their first big Steam sale, which is when they'd make most of their sales.… Full Review »
  3. TitaniumDragon
    Nov 25, 2015
    4
    “I’m you from the future! There’s no time to explain!”

    Thus begins No Time To Explain, a game which seems so promising as you chase your    “I’m you from the future! There’s no time to explain!”

    Thus begins No Time To Explain, a game which seems so promising as you chase your future self through the first few levels as he screams about being horribly mangled by the giant enemy crab who sets off the whole story.

    While this is funny – and a very strong start – unfortunately, the game rather goes downhill from there. This is not because the gameplay becomes any worse, but because, while the silly story continues, it just isn’t as continuous after that point. It mostly takes place after zones, rather than getting those reminders in-zone of what is going on and what your goal is, and consequently, it basically ends up boiling down to the puzzles.

    Now, this isn’t entirely bad; the game is built up around the 2D platforming puzzles that make it up. There are a number of zones, and in most of the zones, you gain a new ability unique to that zone to help propel you through that zone – or else, there is some unique new gimmick the new zone has. Both work decently enough, and the variety means that the levels seldom feel too samey. All of the areas are quite short as well, meaning that you never end up spending too much time on any given level, and the respawns are pretty generous, with frequent checkpoints (with a couple of exceptions which largely make sense).

    But a big part of the charm of the game is the ridiculous plot of you from the future warning you from the present, and the various silly things that happen as a result of that recursion, and without that in a lot of the game, it just kind of feels… there.

    However, the biggest flaw with this game is that it is a puzzle platformer with deliberately poor controls – that is to say, it is intentionally difficult to control your character and get them to do exactly what you want them to do. The primary challenge is making whatever janky ability you have in a new area work for you and aid you in getting through the stages without struggling too much. While the controls are not “loose” in the sense of being inconsistent, they are certainly finicky, and it is often more or less trial and error in getting just the right angle on your abilities to clear many obstacles. It isn’t that you don’t know what you’re supposed to do, it is that actually executing on what you’re supposed to do is quite hard – ultimately, the game is more of a technical challenge than an intellectual one.

    The game itself feels a little bit cheap as well – the graphics are unimpressive, and the whole thing feels like it was made in Flash. There’s just nothing really there to impress, and while there are a few levels later on – in particular, the art level – which do more, it just isn’t really something that changed my mind about the game.

    For all its flaws, the game isn’t bad. But it is kind of mediocre. I don’t regret my time playing it, but it isn’t anything to write home about, either, and your life will not be forever less for not playing it. It is passable, but no more.    … Full Review »
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