MainFrames (PC) Review

MainFrames (PC) Review

Bringing New Meaning to PC Platforming

MainFrames Review (PC)
MainFrames (PC) Review

Outside of its standout aesthetics, MainFrames is a novel pixelated take on precision platforming and a love letter to both platforming and retro PC enthusiasts.

In MainFrames, you take on the role of Floppy, a cutesy and very pixilated floppy-disc-inspired character. The game opens with Floppy venturing outside the confines of his cozy computerized quarters only to discover that his Personal Computer world or MainFrame (presumably) is in disarray with missing daemons or computer programs strewn about the game world, tasking the player to explore and repair its world.

Mainframes (Pc) Review

MainFrames is split into seven distinct zones or levels, all connected by one main hub area, featuring various NPC characters that gradually add exposition throughout the roughly 3-hour playtime of the game. A standout character, outside of Floppy themselves, would be a Linux-inspired penguin that the player will meet early on their adventures, who, outside of looking adorable (like everything else in the game, really), will act as your guide and mentor throughout the title, as you master its perilous platforming and window hopping antics.

On the topic of platforming, MainFrames is a deceitfully challenging platformer that hides behind its otherwise cute and charming aesthetic. The main gimmick of the game stems from its liberal use of moving and dragging around windows that act as platforms and sections throughout the various levels or screens that come into view. Windows can be manipulated, dragged and otherwise used to advance forward.

MainFrames is a deceitfully challenging platformer that hides behind its otherwise cute and charming aesthetic.”

Outside of windows, specific stage gimmicks, including the likes of bumpers that pinball Floppy around the stage, gears that change the orientation of objects, switches, keys, cursors and other unique elements that I won’t spoil, make up the bulk of MainFrames‘ gameplay loop. Additionally, stages will occasionally feature stray daemons or NPCs for Floppy to rescue, which essentially act as challenge levels, as companion characters perish in one hit, which, when coupled with unique stage hazards, can make for a rather challenging task.

Mainframes (Pc) Review

Thankfully, MainFrames offers some flexibility in its difficulty curve, giving the player access to a suite of accessibility options that can make the game easier. These toggles give Floppy the ability to jump and twirl indefinitely, in addition to invulnerability, for those who just want to plough through the game or at the very least, get over any roadblocks or particularly difficult present in MainFrames.

MainFrames offers some flexibility in its difficulty curve, giving the player access to a suite of accessibility options that can make the game easier.”

Control-wise, MainFrames is aptly tight and responsive, bringing to mind titles such as Super Meat Boy and Celeste, which ultimately means that the game is best played with your favourite controller. Saying that, however, there is a certain novelty in experiencing Mainframes on PC using a keyboard and mouse, as it feels fitting for a game that essentially takes place inside the confines of a retro PC.

Mainframes (Pc) Review

The sound design in MainFrames is also appropriately moody and features some retro sound bytes that accentuate the computerized feel of the game. What drew me in the most with MainFrames is its aesthetic, which features a swath of digitized backgrounds that look fittingly crunchy and low resolution, featuring colour banding and chunky pixels that evoke retro computing well. Foreground elements, on the other hand, are populated by personified computer programs that feel like residents of a digital world, bringing MainFrames to life.

MainFrames is a game for those who enjoy twitchy platformers, ultimately making it not a game for everyone, but thanks to some thoughtful accessibility options, the game can still be enjoyed by a wider audience, as long as you are not too conceited with the thought of having to rely on an infinite jump or two.  

Final Thoughts

REVIEW SCORE
Zubi Khan
Zubi Khan

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