No Time to Explain

 PC
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

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  1. 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 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    “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.    … Expand
  2. MBGeek
    Jan 27, 2013
    3
    I can't believe I greenlit this turd on Steam. While the graphics are charming and the humor quite funny, the controls are AWFUL and on the verge of unplayable. Not even worth $3, much less the $10 they want. Avoid at all cost.
  3. TheICBPenguin
    Mar 21, 2013
    0
    It doesn't work. It just straight up doesn't work. Anytime i try to move the moves it turns into a slideshow. My computer should not have trouble playing a game this low fi. This is shoddy coding and the developer(s) should be ashamed of having their name on this thing
  4. tmgius
    Jun 22, 2014
    0
    I couldn't play this game because of the "*** Caught unhandled unknown exception; terminating" error that pops up just after launching it. There are a lot of people complaining about this in several forums, and there doesn't seem to be a solution. I sent an e-mail to Tiny Build Games five days ago, but they haven't answered yet.
  5. jbellis
    Jul 26, 2013
    1
    I wanted to like this after an enthusiastic preview I read, but it turned out to be one of the only games I actively regret spending time on. The keyboard and mouse controls are ridiculously bad, and there is no controller support.
  6. DJKrimson
    Feb 16, 2020
    3
    Couldn't see the fun in this game. Just a bunch of puzzleplatformer levels with awkward controls.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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.
    Read full review
  2. GameFront
    Feb 15, 2013
    70
    Even with its crap boss fights, the good things in No Time to Explain manage to outweigh the bad. As a major fan of time travel, I had a solidly fun time with it.
    Read full review
  3. Hooked Gamers
    Feb 14, 2013
    50
    No Time to Explain is insanity at its finest and funniest, with plenty of ludicrous scenes throughout the game. But the fun and fast paced gameplay is brought down by imprecise controls and hideous boss fights designed to test your patience. There’s a good game somewhere in here, it’s just a shame that I have to suffer to find it.
    Read full review
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