N++

 Xbox One
User Score
5.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 21 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 21
  3. Negative: 9 out of 21

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  1. GBG_Jason
    Oct 4, 2017
    9
    The past few years have been kind to lovers of the challenging platformer. Back in 2004 a game called N was launched, and it had a basic premise: open the exit and leave. The game also had gold to collect, which was an added challenge. You might think, well, that was over ten years ago. Ten years later, that same game was receiving its 2.0 update – and this was after the release of N+ onThe past few years have been kind to lovers of the challenging platformer. Back in 2004 a game called N was launched, and it had a basic premise: open the exit and leave. The game also had gold to collect, which was an added challenge. You might think, well, that was over ten years ago. Ten years later, that same game was receiving its 2.0 update – and this was after the release of N+ on consoles back in 2008. And after N+ could only be one thing.

    Of course, N++ was the next iteration in the series, first launching in 2015 on PS4. Similar to what I mentioned in my recent SteamWorld Dig review (you can read it here on Metacritic or on the Garage Band Gamers website), I had the opportunity to play this entry at GDC. I was familiar with the series and its difficulty, and was pleasantly surprised at just how clean the game looked. If you have played the others, you know just what you’re getting into.

    The game starts off simple enough. It teaches you the basic controls and what you’re capable of as the ninja, and progressively becomes more difficult. Simple enough, right? With leaderboards, collectibles, and increasing obstacles per level, it’s hardly simple. I don’t know about your competitive spirit if you think this sounds easy. Are you really going to let your friend best your time? I mean, really? It’s not like Bill has better gear allowing him to be faster – this is all based on skill.

    This is the type of game that takes away all the fluff and leaves you with the basics. And when doing that, everything has to be perfect. This isn’t Mario, or even Super Meat Boy. Yes it’s a platformer, but its floaty controls are entirely its own. They may seem weird at first, but soon become something that is beautiful. You’ll find the mere movement of this to be like an elegant dance, and every toe stepped on is a death. Truly, the game is for those that love punishment, as you must learn the intricacies of each obstacle and platform provided.

    The game boasts over 4,000 (you read that right) levels, meaning you can sink a lot of time into this. And I mean A LOT of time. The levels are grouped into episodes, and you’ll move onto the next set once you complete all the levels in an episode. This can be frustrating if you’re not able to complete one level but you beat the others and want to move on and come back. I understand that they want you to focus on what they provide, but sometimes moving on helps when you come back. In the event you beat all the levels it provides from the developers, there’s a level editor, which in turn means community created levels. As you might expect, there will be levels that rival even the impossible levels of Super Mario Maker. While you’ll definitely find some gems, you’ll face levels that are too simple or devilishly difficult more often than not.

    It may also interest you that not only does the game have leaderboards to challenge your friends, but also a co-op mode to face them head on. I had forgotten that when playing it again on X1, and mentioned it to my wife, which resulted in a quick no. I know full well that she doesn’t like games like this, so I wasn’t able to coax her into playing with me this time around – but from the PS4 experience, I can tell you it’s a great time. There will be lots of yelling and laughing, and it’ll be worth it.

    N++ is a game that anyone can understand; get from point a to point b. Even someone that’s never played a game before could figure it out. But beating it will take levels of mastery that only the most dedicated will achieve. It’s because Metanet decided to focus solely on what was necessary that the game doesn’t waste a single frame in gameplay. You know why you screwed up, you know why you died, and you know what you need to do. There’s never a point you will question the game, but you may find yourself swearing at your reflexes.    … Expand
  2. JackTheCabbage
    Dec 15, 2017
    9
    This game is one of the, if not the number one, 2d platformer I've played. Each level a new condensed challenge of momentum and timing. you might just want to play the game to play the game, and you sure will be satisfied with the almost endless amount of levels, or you could be a completionest and try to get all the gold with a quite the challenge. This game has amazing physics for itsThis game is one of the, if not the number one, 2d platformer I've played. Each level a new condensed challenge of momentum and timing. you might just want to play the game to play the game, and you sure will be satisfied with the almost endless amount of levels, or you could be a completionest and try to get all the gold with a quite the challenge. This game has amazing physics for its momentum based platforming that is perfected. The art style is minimalistic and great looking. All the levels fit within your screen with no scrolling meaning the only thing between you and the finish is the challenge right in front of your face. Overall this game is just about perfect… Expand
  3. djblackdavid
    Oct 30, 2017
    8
    Platformers have never been a genre of games that gamers lauded for puzzle like level design, but N++ is the exception. This game has just the right amount of difficult gameplay to blow away players like my self who would like a game to play while relaxing.
  4. Xbox_Alive
    Jan 2, 2018
    8
    N++ is one of them rare games that manages to be fun in both single player and co-op. One mode is normally more enjoyable than the other, but that’s not the case here because everything is enjoyable. To say the gameplay in the game is addictive would be an understatement. The reason I say it’s an understatement is because they have made it addictive without making you get frustrated whichN++ is one of them rare games that manages to be fun in both single player and co-op. One mode is normally more enjoyable than the other, but that’s not the case here because everything is enjoyable. To say the gameplay in the game is addictive would be an understatement. The reason I say it’s an understatement is because they have made it addictive without making you get frustrated which is very rare indeed. The game also allows you to have a lot of freedom by offering you a range of customisation options. You can change the levels to how you want them to be which is fun and gives the game even more replay value. Speaking of replay value the game has a huge amount of content for you to sink your teeth into. There is an abundance of levels for you to take part in and each level has a lot of variety, which keeps things fresh and stops you from becoming bored. You will however need to take time to get used to the controls. The controls can be overly sensitive at times and it will cause multiple deaths, so it’s a good job that dying is actually pretty fun. The presentation side of the game really makes the game stand out and makes it unique from other game’s in the genre. The best thing about the presentation is that they’ve managed to combine both the visuals and music perfectly, and by doing this they’ve definitely made the gameplay even better than it already is. At the end of the day I had an amazing amount of fun with N++: Ultimate Edition and with an almost endless amount of replayability it’s a game I will be enjoying for a long time to come. It’s fun with friends and when played on your own, and the variety and level design keeps things fresh and stops it from becoming tedious. Hopefully one day in the future we will get an online option, but there is more than enough here for now and it gets a massive recommendation from me.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best Xbox One Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. XboxAddict
    Dec 22, 2017
    89
    N++ is incredibly challenging, but never unfair (not including the insane player made levels), as controls are very precise and everything simply works the way it should. It takes some serious skill to tackle the later stages and hardcore mode, but that comes in time. There’s absolutely no shortage of levels to play, as the amount of content is baffling, again, not even including the online creator level sharing capability. I’m glad that N++ is here and in my game library, as I felt right at home ninja jumping and sliding from the get go, as it caters to the gamers that want to sit down and play for hours, or the kind that only have 10 minutes to get a few levels in.
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  2. MondoXbox
    Nov 4, 2017
    93
    One of the best platforming experiences ever with perfect mechanics and an highly challenging gameplay, now enriched with a metric ton of content.
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  3. XBLA Fans
    Oct 23, 2017
    80
    N++ may be the definition of too much of a good thing. As much as I enjoy the game, it got tiring after a while, soon finding it more enjoyable in short bursts rather than long marathons. If you're fine with a mountain of content that becomes so difficult, you'll most likely never finish it all; this is a great sequel that kept retained what was good about the last game and made some worthwhile additions. It gets repetitive, but the gameplay is so fun it'll keep pulling you back in for more.
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