Out of Line

It’s stunningly gorgeous, intuitive and creative, and a delightfully unique little puzzle-platformer. If I had to find something “wrong” with Out of Line, I suppose that it’s perhaps a little on the short side (it can be beaten within just a couple of hours). The default controls are also not ideal; the keyboard keys work just fine (A moves you to the left, D to the right, W jumps), but paired with having to click the mouse buttons to throw and retrieve your spear in conjunction just didn’t feel very smooth to me. Thankfully, that was easily solved by simply using my PS4 controller. These are honestly minor complaints, though. The game is beautiful and oddly moving, considering the complete lack of dialogue. If you need something a little different from your standard platformer, give Out of Line a try.

Out of Line is doubtless a polished experience, and an enjoyable one. It’s fun to get lost in the beautiful visuals, and the puzzles strike the right balance between challenging and unfair. Still, the vague story may prove frustrating for some, and the other characters do feel a little under-utilised. Nevertheless, it’s a game that will likely keep you entertained for its modest run time.

Nerd Monkeys’ mix of an adventure game, a platformer and a puzzle game won’t surprise you with any new ideas and won’t get stuck in your head. It looks good though and thanks to its low difficulty level and lack of violence it could have been a great family game, but sadly it doesn’t offer co-op. [09/2021, p.60]

The lack of difficulty and lack of evolution in the gameplay mechanics are an issue, but they don’t diminish the overall appeal of Out of Line, though they do hold it back from being something truly special. I savored exploring San’s forsaken habitat and eagerly awaited what lied around the next corner. The gameplay can’t match the lofty bar set by the presentation, but Out of Line remains a visual and atmospheric triumph.

Out of Line doesn’t break the mold of adventure games but still manages to offer a straightforward puzzle experience through a gorgeous hand-painted world. There’s fun to found during each movement of gameplay, but the lack of challenge and the minimalistic narrative doesn’t make for an engaging time. It’s a low-impact puzzle adventure that could easily be enjoyed for a nice afternoon game session.

Out of Line is a good little puzzle platformer that will last you approximately 2-3 hours. It flows nicely but some may find the puzzles a touch too easy to solve. The artwork and music are great but the story remains unclear, with the ending just leaving you with more questions.

I think that the impression of the game would have been better if the message of the story had been defined a little more clearly. Nevertheless, the style of the game exerted a certain charm on me and I think that other players can do the same.

Out of Line provides a fun evening of relaxing scenery, decent puzzles, and exciting set-pieces, and while its length and ease may turn off some would-be players, it's still worth a look for fans of the genre and of artistic innovation in gaming.