WarpThrough | Taken for a Quickie

---

We’re back with another quickie, this time for WarpTrough, a portal-grabbing platformer from indie developer Roofkat.

---

by Liam
​Andrews

---

@liam_andrews5

---

Developer: Roofkat
Publisher: Roofkat
Platforms: Steam
Players: ​1 - 4

---

Portals? Ooh, are we going on a trans-dimensional adventure?

​Sort of. While you’re tasked with passing through (read: collecting) a certain number of portals per level, the 2D layout of arenas stays the same no matter what dimension you’re in; only a slight change to the backdrop serves to represent each new world.

Standing in your way are an ever-increasing army of monsters that charge around levels randomly, making things significantly more difficult the longer stages go on. With only one hit needed to take you out, players must decide whether to try and reach the target number of warps by simply dodging monsters or by whittling their numbers down with special attacks.

What makes attacks so special?

The twist here is that you have to stand still in order to charge your attack, then move again to unleash it. Each of the four playable characters - whom you unlock as you progress through the campaign - has their own unique style, such as a fiery punch or electrical trap.

Our personal favourite was Ebbie’s dog, Ball, which bounced around levels taking out monsters while we chased down portals. On top of attacks, players can spend collected warp energy on extra life and time-slowing power-ups, the latter of which proved particularly useful.

Campaign, you say?

Aye, but a very short one, maxing out at around an hour or two. It’s a decent enough offering (if a tad nonsensical) with monsters, demons and otherworldly beings all making an appearance. Throw in a couple of bad puns for good measure, alongside some alternate outcomes, depending on your choices, and the mode is worthwhile.

However, it’s WarpThrough’s gameplay, rather than its story, that’s the real draw. The weekly challenge mode prompts players to rack up high scores with a select character and level, and is arguably the meat of the experience.

Would you recommend it?

Yes. The £9.29 price tag might seem a little steep at first glance, but collecting shiny orb-like portals is surprisingly addictive (as anyone who’s played Crackdown can likely attest to) and there’s a good amount of replayability, particularly for those who enjoy climbing leaderboards.