qomp2 Logo
qomp2 Icon
qomp2

Developer: Graphite Lab

Publisher: Atari

Action
Adventure
Puzzle
Retro
  • Price: $12.99 $19.99 (35% Off!)
    Deal!
  • Release Date: Feb 20, 2024
  • Number of Players: 1
  • On Sale Through: Feb 10, 2025 [$12.99]
  • Lowest Historic Price: $12.99
  • ESRB Rating: E [Everyone]
Reviews:
  • Watch this review on YouTube
    An unusual mix of Pong, Breakout, and some puzzle elements that sort of works…

    As someone who remembers playing many Atari classics with my parents at home when I was a child, the likes of Pong and Breakout are well-known to me. While I’ve generally loved to see the evolution of the Breakout formula in the form of Arkanoid and some others, I wouldn’t say either have inspired much more variation than that over the years. That was, until I got the chance to check out qomp2, which takes the basics of those games and adds a variety of puzzle-oriented situations to the mix.

    For the most part it’s best to think of qomp2 as a bit of a minimalist adventure of sorts. You’ll move into new areas, complete with challenging layouts and perhaps some complications or traps, and then try to figure out how to continue to progress. The tricky part is that your control over the ball is quite limited, from the start only being able to alter its course 90 degrees or charge it up for a quick burst of power and speed. Given your limited means of control, planning then becomes your focus, trying to figure out how and when you need to turn or boost in order to make your way out. 

    Perhaps not surprisingly, as simple as the game may seem, being successful can be quite tricky at times. Some puzzles will require precision, others will require speed, and some will really push you to manage both at once, which can be difficult at times. With each new stage, you’ll find new traps and enemies, which you often must try to figure out how to cope with through a little experimentation. Then, in the name of tempting you to attempt to tackle an even higher degree of difficulty, there are also objects you’re given the choice to grab in each stage as well.

    While there’s no question that qomp2 is a daring example of a team pushed to make the most of the setup they’ve been given, I can absolutely see where some gamers could be bored by it. Progress can be slow at times, especially when there’s a demand for both speed and precision, and that may make less ambitious gamers walk away as well. But if you’re excited to tackle a puzzle action game with a feel and style pretty well all its own, this may be at least a modest winner for you.


    Justin Nation, Score:
    Good [7.5]
2025

Nindie Spotlight

. All rights reserved