Defunct (Xbox One) Indie One Shot

 

What I saw when I first watched the trailer for this game, and what I experienced when I played it for the first time were two completely different things. What I expected was some sort of marathon-explorer where all you have to do is travel as much distance as you can without hitting anything. But, I quickly realized (and thankfully for that), Defunct is so much more.

Set in the very far future on Earth, at a time where humanity has long been gone, you will be controlling an old, broken racing robot. After becoming separated from your ship, you'll spend the course of the game racing across Earth trying to keep up with and, eventually, rejoin your ship before it's gone forever.

Now, while your friendly little robot is mostly broken, it doesn't render you completely useless. Your minimally functioning engine is of no use to you in your quest to return home, but you can still gravitize yourself, which is the main mechanic that Defunct works on. By gravetizing, you essentially press yourself into the ground, making use of the terrain around you. Using it on the downslopes of hills will increase your speed, while uphills decrease your speed, significantly so if you still have the gravetize active.

This isn't the only way for you to get around though. You'll find little rings that provide a quick but effective speed boost, bottles of Enerjuice which will fill up a bar for a manually activated speed boost. You even gain the ability to magnetize to any metal surface, allowing for you to navigate a section sideways or even upside down. If all else fails, your original racing motor can be used still. It's not very powerful, but it's just enough to carry you up a hill if you need an assist.

The gravetize mechanic is tough to get used to at first, but by the time you make it through the games tutorial level on the ship, you should have it down well enough to make it around on Earth. You'll travel through some really gorgeous areas too, to the point that you might crash off the surface a few times soaking it all in.

Freshly Squeezed truly did an amazing job with this game, especially noting that it was their first step out of the gate. While it's relatively short, its incredibly fun to play, and just as beautiful to watch. I can certainly promise I'll be spending quite a bit of time in Defunct with an ear to the ground for word of their next release.

Rating : 9/10
Developed By : Freshly Squeezed
Published By : SOEDESCO
Also Available On : PS4, Steam (PC)