Teslagrad

 PC
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 119 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 83 out of 119
  2. Mixed: 25 out of 119
  3. Negative: 11 out of 119
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  1. Funksatron
    Jul 30, 2014
    7
    A lovingly constructed animated world. The exposition of narrative throughout the game via puppet shows does a good job of dispensing plot. However this game suffers from several faults that could be easily addressed. Boss fights need some fine tuning. Checkpoints are designed in such a way that you usually have to redo a significantly long easy portion to get back to the difficult partA lovingly constructed animated world. The exposition of narrative throughout the game via puppet shows does a good job of dispensing plot. However this game suffers from several faults that could be easily addressed. Boss fights need some fine tuning. Checkpoints are designed in such a way that you usually have to redo a significantly long easy portion to get back to the difficult part that defeated you previously, this doesn't make for fun gameplay. At times I felt the visual cues of what was dangerous didn't line up with the actual areas that would harm you. Difficulty did not follow a smooth curve. My biggest disappointment by far was the lack of an ending (both endings in my opinion are worthless) after being shown that the designer DID know how to tell a story (via the earlier puppet shows). Good foundation, needs significant refinement.… Expand
  2. kdamica
    Jan 11, 2014
    6
    The graphics are amazing, and the controls are pretty tight, but poor level design prevents this from being a great game. Far too often, small mistakes force you to repeat long, boring stretches of platforming, making for a tedious experience. The boss fights are also fairly uninspired, and since you die in one hit, you'll be playing them over and over again. I don't mind difficultThe graphics are amazing, and the controls are pretty tight, but poor level design prevents this from being a great game. Far too often, small mistakes force you to repeat long, boring stretches of platforming, making for a tedious experience. The boss fights are also fairly uninspired, and since you die in one hit, you'll be playing them over and over again. I don't mind difficult platforming (I've put far too many hours into Super Meat Boy), but this game just feels like a chore. I tried to force myself to keep playing, just to see the beautiful environments, but I soon gave up.… Expand
  3. xephnid
    Mar 18, 2015
    6
    What none of the other reviews will tell you: This is a masocore game! Sure, it starts out easy enough but soon you'll encounter more and more increasingly drastic difficulty spikes. The game contains about one to two hours of gameplay and about ten to twenty hours of retrying and cursing. If you're into that sort of thing, well... here you go, but if not, stay clear! You've been warned.
  4. rogad
    Sep 6, 2015
    5
    Interest platform game with beautiful graphics and animation; unfortunately the excessive difficulty make it so that once you die you often have to repeat long boring stretches of a level, and boss fights unfortunately suffer even more from this handicap.
  5. Nicholaz
    Jan 5, 2014
    5
    I like the graphics and the general concept, also the background music and most of the puzzles.

    What I don't like is the general flow of how it challenges you. Most stuff is pretty easy and not challenging at all, and then you run into something which requires precise timing and quick fingers (try the demo and go down to the metal monster). Also I find the controls (although they    I like the graphics and the general concept, also the background music and most of the puzzles.

    What I don't like is the general flow of how it challenges you. Most stuff is pretty easy and not challenging at all, and then you run into something which requires precise timing and quick fingers (try the demo and go down to the metal monster).

    Also I find the controls (although they are rebindable) are counter intiuitive. WASD for movement, so far so good, but then left/right arrow for red/blue charge my brain permanently got confused about using the arrow keys for something that does not have anything to do with direction.    … Expand
  6. TitaniumDragon
    Nov 17, 2015
    5
    A 2D side-scrolling puzzle-platformer, this game is lovingly hand-illustrated, but very minimalistic in some ways. You are… a boy, who is running away from… some bad guys. You are the last heir of Teslagrad, a bunch of… people in pointy hats who seem to harness… electricity? But not just any electricity – two colors of electricity!

    A game focused on navigating a 2D environment and    A 2D side-scrolling puzzle-platformer, this game is lovingly hand-illustrated, but very minimalistic in some ways. You are… a boy, who is running away from… some bad guys. You are the last heir of Teslagrad, a bunch of… people in pointy hats who seem to harness… electricity? But not just any electricity – two colors of electricity!

    A game focused on navigating a 2D environment and finding secrets in the form of hard-to-reach scrolls, over the course of the game you gain the ability to punch to change the colors of blocks, surround yourself in a field which causes you to be repelled from or attracted towards blocks of the same/opposite colors, a flash-step horizontal teleport which can take you through most things, including some designated walls, and eventually a staff which can kill enemies and change block colors at range.

    The entire game is set in a pretty tight little environment, a tower which has a central pillar you can use magnetism to travel up and down via a colored field beam. As the game progresses, you go through a number of themed areas and fight a series of bosses. Death is generally fairly cheap, starting over at the last checkpoint, which is in every room, and often after most significant obstacles within a room as well – though there is the occaisional exception.

    On the whole, the game is centered around a variety of platforming puzzles which rely on your special talents. Some of these are reasonably creative, but after you gain the first three items, you go through several consecutive areas without unlocking anything new. While these areas are decent enough, in the end some of the puzzles do start to feel a little samey.

    Fortunately, the game is fairly short – 100% completion took me 5 hours according to Steam’s internal clock – and the game does present some real challenge without being daunting. That being said, it is very simplistic and minimalistic, and while the graphics are attractive enough, there’s nothing in this game which really goes above and beyond – just a bunch of platformer puzzles which are decent enough, but never really cross the line into exceptional.

    I didn’t feel like I wasted my time with this game, but at the same time it is hard for me to recommend anyone else spend their time on it; while it is decent enough, its lack of actually excelling in any way means that there are other, much more memorable experiences you can have. The story is very bare-bones and there is pretty much no real investment in it, so all there is is the puzzles – and while they’re okay, it just does not excite.

    Pros:

    * Decent puzzles.
    * Decent challenge level.
    * Decent bosses.

    Cons:

    * Minimalistic story which creates no emotional connection to the action in the player.
    * Minimalistic design starts to hurt a bit towards the end as the puzzles start to feel a bit samey.
    * Does not excel in any real way.    … Expand
  7. sh4dow
    Oct 4, 2017
    6
    Interesting concept but lacks the polish to be a truly enjoyable game. Especially the map interface is annoying to deal with (you can't scroll around and there is no indicator of your precise location). But with a Metroidvania style game, the map obviously is really important. Controls feel a bit odd, character seems to move too quickly on just slight nudges of the stick. And the art styleInteresting concept but lacks the polish to be a truly enjoyable game. Especially the map interface is annoying to deal with (you can't scroll around and there is no indicator of your precise location). But with a Metroidvania style game, the map obviously is really important. Controls feel a bit odd, character seems to move too quickly on just slight nudges of the stick. And the art style while intriguing in approach, also feels a bit like a student's project in terms of quality.… Expand
  8. jobopity
    Feb 15, 2014
    6
    This game has an amazing art style and music. At times it even feels like a classic Disney animated movie ( a la Sorcerer's Apprentice). The puzzles are quit intuitive and challenging. The only problem with this game is the balance between challenge and controls. The game controls like any casual platformer, and it's very smooth. However, the boss battles and the late-game puzzles requireThis game has an amazing art style and music. At times it even feels like a classic Disney animated movie ( a la Sorcerer's Apprentice). The puzzles are quit intuitive and challenging. The only problem with this game is the balance between challenge and controls. The game controls like any casual platformer, and it's very smooth. However, the boss battles and the late-game puzzles require far more precision than the game is able to give. There seems to be a physics engine, but there's nothing insuring that you can the get the same results for the same action a second time. For example, go onto a red cube and then activate your red cloak. You can fly directly horizontal the first time then directly vertical the second time while doing the exact same thing. The only other problem I had with it is the lack of checkpoints to compensate for the above issue. Other than that, pretty amazing game.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

88
#88 Best PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. Gameblog.fr
    Dec 11, 2014
    80
    Teslagrad is all about electricity, magnetism, and mind bending puzzles. The hand-drawn graphics and atmospheric music will take you to the top of the Tesla tower with a broad grin on your face.
    Read full review
  2. PC PowerPlay
    Mar 28, 2014
    70
    Despite pacing issues, Teslagrad's strange blend of science and fantasy prove that opposites do indeed attract. [Apr 2014, p.58]
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 23, 2014
    60
    Beautifully drawn, beautifully animated, yet frustrating puzzle platformer, capable of enchanting you in one minute and pissing you off in another. [Issue#238]
See all critic reviews »