VVVVVV

 PC
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 273 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 189 out of 273
  2. Mixed: 63 out of 273
  3. Negative: 21 out of 273

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  1. Diogovsky
    Dec 5, 2011
    5
    If you like these old games that you need to get past of pits or games that change gravity up-down this game is highly recommended. But if you are those who get stressed easily with "impossible" challenging parts, don't play this game. You will get trapped, you will die hundreds of times and if you don't have patience enough don't buy it.
  2. tech-noir
    Apr 29, 2012
    7
    VVVVVV takes its name from the game's main objective, which I shall not touch upon in order to leave the discovery to you. The first aspect of the game that took me by surprise is the superb 8-bit chiptune music. The only problem with that is that it does get repetitive only because it replays one single track for about 30 minutes at a time, until you complete each level. The graphics areVVVVVV takes its name from the game's main objective, which I shall not touch upon in order to leave the discovery to you. The first aspect of the game that took me by surprise is the superb 8-bit chiptune music. The only problem with that is that it does get repetitive only because it replays one single track for about 30 minutes at a time, until you complete each level. The graphics are imitating the general style of the Commodore 64, including its startup screen. VVVVVV's main platforming mechanic is the player's ability to flip the character's screen position vertically, going from bottom to top and vice versa. This makes for some complicated platforming in general, as well as some challenging and entertaining rooms. Because of the game's incredible difficulty, the developers have cleverly implemented checkpoints liberally throughout the game world, which cuts down on rage and frustration. With that said, VVVVVV still manages to be extremely difficult, and you should expect to die hundreds of times, if not one thousand times by the time you complete the game. The platforming and controls are not badly designed, as in Super Meat Boy, so do not confuse this well crafted, yet simplistic game with that developmental disaster. Younger generations of gamers may find the overall presentation of VVVVVV to be unique and hip, but as we all know, these graphics have been done before, about 30 years ago. One serious flaw is that there are no audio options for volume. The in-game default is quite higher than usual, and requires turning down in Windows. While the majority of the levels' rooms are a lot of fun, and well designed, some are simply unreasonable and require too much luck as opposed to actual precision and skill. Because of this, you will die many times and spend far too long attempting single rooms. Which also means being forced to listen to a single song on a loop, for the entire duration of your trials. This is something of a shortcoming and should have been avoided completely by the developers, as these uncalled-for rooms only add negatively to the experience. Even though you get unlimited lives and unlimited continues, having to repeat a single room hundreds of times in order to pass it gets boring, repetitive, annoying, and only serves the purpose of replacing actual content with limited and mundane game play. While the music is once again, excellent, there are only a few that repeat over and over, as the rest must be unlocked by finding and collecting certain orbs within the game world. There are also a few more game modes for the player to experiment with once the campaign has been completed. The storyline and ending are endearing and delightful, and once you complete the game, there is an overall feeling of satisfaction. VVVVVV is short but perfectly sweet. It took me about 3 hours to complete.… Expand
  3. Jotto999
    May 25, 2012
    7
    Good: Excellent exploration, neat theme and pleasing music. Bad: it is tainted by some of the worst controls of a platformer I've ever had the frustration of using. The game itself is not hard, but the controls have been designed to be awkward. The time it takes to accelerate and decelerate is far too slow and so the handling is quite screwball. This would be forgiveable if theGood: Excellent exploration, neat theme and pleasing music. Bad: it is tainted by some of the worst controls of a platformer I've ever had the frustration of using. The game itself is not hard, but the controls have been designed to be awkward. The time it takes to accelerate and decelerate is far too slow and so the handling is quite screwball. This would be forgiveable if the content did not sometimes require millisecond timing and precision within a few pixels, but that's exactly where most of the game's challenge is concentrated. The game gives you a very narrow and winding racetrack, but then puts you in a WW2 Jeep with rusted, stiff steering.

    The game tries to compensate for this by dumping a snowfall of save and reload points all over the place, but this does little if anything to reduce the frustration. It genuinely baffles me why the makers decided to inject so much potential frustration into it. Making the controls awkward does nothing to add to the game, it's the shallowest way I can think of to make the game seem longer.

    For improvement, you've got a great concept here, I loved the exploration and music/theme combo. But the physics of the controls are appalling.    … Expand
  4. Andreakossa
    Apr 22, 2012
    6
    If you enrage easy stay away from this game, it has no God mode, and probably you will die a lot, so well now is your decision, or else if you like challenges this is good for you.
  5. EastonReviews
    Nov 13, 2011
    5
    Darn you, addictive game. VVVVVV is super addicting, funny, creative, but too brutal. The difficulty of the game is too hard for you to get better at as a starter and it only gets worse. With that and the graphics, this game seems like a old 80's game with a confusing idea and level transportation delevopment.
  6. Blaine
    May 18, 2013
    7
    Well done! Really amusing game.
    Nice game-play, interesting exploration elements (not common in platform games), humorous dialogues (at least for me).
    Absolutely not as difficult or frustrating as Super Meat Boy can be, except for a few spots. Took me around 4 hours to complete the game and collect all the shiny trinkets. Mesmerising soundtrack, it really took me back in time. Not    Well done! Really amusing game.
    Nice game-play, interesting exploration elements (not common in platform games), humorous dialogues (at least for me).
    Absolutely not as difficult or frustrating as Super Meat Boy can be, except for a few spots. Took me around 4 hours to complete the game and collect all the shiny trinkets.
    Mesmerising soundtrack, it really took me back in time.
    Not perfectly calibrated controls, not the end of the world though.
    Definitely a buy during Steam sales.    … Expand
  7. jredekop
    Apr 6, 2011
    6
    Fun enough to play. It's very basic, and nothing new is seen here, though that's not exactly the point. Despite this it's good enough for a download.
  8. Durandal
    Jul 27, 2011
    6
    Retro feel, especially if you've ever owned a Commodore 64... to the point where it probably could have been done ON a C64. Controls are decent... level design is decent... gameplay is frustrating and repetitive. It's a one trick pony. If you like repeatedly bashing your head against a finicky jump over and over trying to reach a checkpoint... you'll love vvvvvv.

    There is some sort of    Retro feel, especially if you've ever owned a Commodore 64... to the point where it probably could have been done ON a C64. Controls are decent... level design is decent... gameplay is frustrating and repetitive. It's a one trick pony. If you like repeatedly bashing your head against a finicky jump over and over trying to reach a checkpoint... you'll love vvvvvv.

    There is some sort of semblance of a story they're trying to push in the little dialog boxes... but honestly it never grabbed My attention and I started just clicking to skip them after a while until I got bored with being frustrated by a couple jumps. I don't know if it gets more interesting later... I only completed a couple of the levels before I got sick of the tedium. If you're into old skool, reflex-driven, platformers... you will probably like this. It is presented fairly well for what it is supposed to be. It is just very niche.    … Expand
  9. badrain
    Dec 1, 2011
    6
    Oh well. I really like the idea, but im not sure if I dig this game. I love retro games, especially platformers, but this... feels cheap. There's nothing extraordinary about it, we've seen it all a hundred times before. Of course, this kind of games are kinda unique now, but if I had to choose.. I'd rather play Super Meat Boy. Nevertheless, VVVVVV is decent game and i would definitelyOh well. I really like the idea, but im not sure if I dig this game. I love retro games, especially platformers, but this... feels cheap. There's nothing extraordinary about it, we've seen it all a hundred times before. Of course, this kind of games are kinda unique now, but if I had to choose.. I'd rather play Super Meat Boy. Nevertheless, VVVVVV is decent game and i would definitely play it from time to time. Thing is, there's nothing outstanding here, so I really dont understand what's all this fuzz about.… Expand
  10. rodericrinehart
    Feb 19, 2017
    7
    Challenging but fun for the most part. Some parts were very twitchy and not what I wanted, but most of it was a fair challenge. You can beat it in less than 3 hours, even if you die hundreds of times because the reloads take less than one second.
  11. LevelsAndGear
    May 8, 2012
    7
    VVVVVV is a solid retro-PC styled platformer with some clever writing and some clever puzzles. The soundtrack is great, and there's a lot of replaybility if you like the mechanics, with user created levels and other options. My primary complaint is that the controls were a bit touchy for my liking, and in a game of this difficulty, that can be the difference maker. Not for everyone, asVVVVVV is a solid retro-PC styled platformer with some clever writing and some clever puzzles. The soundtrack is great, and there's a lot of replaybility if you like the mechanics, with user created levels and other options. My primary complaint is that the controls were a bit touchy for my liking, and in a game of this difficulty, that can be the difference maker. Not for everyone, as this will test the patience of gamers of less than lightning quick reflexes or puzzle solving skills - But for even the talented finger mashers, there will be a lot of trial and error.… Expand
  12. AWG
    Jul 18, 2013
    7
    VVVVVV is a very good platformer, with a great set of music and a compelling grade of difficulty. Map navigation is a bit confusing but I guess that's how it was intended to be. 7.49/10
  13. Rallandollo
    Jun 24, 2014
    7
    Number of deaths: 1.098.908.756 ! VVVVVV is a very challenging platform game. Sometimes it is actually too difficult. But in the end a blast of a ride!
  14. ashketchum
    Apr 16, 2018
    7
    Higher difficulty doesn't always equate to a fun game, but VVVVVV generally strikes a good balance to present a challenging experience, that anyone can pick up and play, but requires a lot of trial and error by even the best players. However, the controls feel unnecessarily slippery a lot of the time, and this is clearly evident in sections such as The Tower and The Final Challenge, whereHigher difficulty doesn't always equate to a fun game, but VVVVVV generally strikes a good balance to present a challenging experience, that anyone can pick up and play, but requires a lot of trial and error by even the best players. However, the controls feel unnecessarily slippery a lot of the time, and this is clearly evident in sections such as The Tower and The Final Challenge, where the narrow platforms and limited screen space make these sections feel like forced difficulty, instead of providing an enjoyable challenge. Due to this, there is no satisfaction in passing these sections, as it feels more like luck than skill. Most of the sections don't work like this, though and the soundtrack is fantastic, and matches the game well. Overall, it is a fun game, and worth a try by people willing to overcome the challenges it present, especially since it doesn't take long to finish.… Expand
  15. Pinkpansylove
    Nov 11, 2020
    6
    This game is good, but I cant really see why I could give it more than an average score. Simple but fun gameplay with a cute soundtrack.
  16. glitchboi
    Jan 4, 2019
    7
    Slightly difficult game with challenging parts. This game can be completed in under 3 hours if you have the adequate amount of skill. If you're bored as hell and have nothing to do but stare at your Steam wallet as you only have $1.24, this will entertain you.
  17. loll0one123
    Aug 26, 2019
    5
    Playing this game after years of release I found the game very short, it ends after one hour
    but it is difficult.
  18. Wrathzo
    Mar 22, 2022
    7
    VVVVVV is a 2010 puzzle-platform game created by Terry Cavanagh. In the game, the player controls Captain Viridian, who must rescue their spacecrew after a teleporter malfunction caused them to be separated in Dimension VVVVVV. The gameplay is characterized by the inability of the player to jump, instead opting on controlling the direction of gravity, causing the player to fall upwards orVVVVVV is a 2010 puzzle-platform game created by Terry Cavanagh. In the game, the player controls Captain Viridian, who must rescue their spacecrew after a teleporter malfunction caused them to be separated in Dimension VVVVVV. The gameplay is characterized by the inability of the player to jump, instead opting on controlling the direction of gravity, causing the player to fall upwards or downwards. The game consists of more than 400 individual rooms, and also supports the creation of user-created levels.… Expand
  19. Jerg4n
    Mar 7, 2023
    7
    A fun, short adventure with great music. Nothing phenomenal but it¨s a fun way to spend an evening.

Awards & Rankings

32
#32 Best PC Game of 2010
33
#33 Most Discussed PC Game of 2010
1
#1 Most Shared PC Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. PC Zone UK
    Sep 12, 2011
    68
    Nothing VVVVVV does is actually new or different. [May 2010, p.91]
  2. GameCritics
    Sep 12, 2011
    70
    Sporadic difficulty notwithstanding, it's certainly a credit to Mr. Cavanagh that a project with VVVVVV's basic graphics and simple controls can feel so completely energetic and entertaining. Much more than it initially appears, I was quite glad to have spent time with the title, and eagerly look forward to what Terry will be cooking up next.
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  3. IGN
    Sep 12, 2011
    75
    It's easy to recommend VVVVVV to fans of the "retro revival" games that seem to be gaining in popularity; but it has more in common with artsy, competent and contemporary titles like N+ and Braid than it does with, say, Konami's Rebirth series on WiiWare, Mega Man 9 or Retro Game Challenge.
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