There is no shortage of indie 2D platform games out there vying for your attention and money. In order to stand out from the crowd, these games have to try to make themselves unique through visuals, sound, and perhaps most importantly, gameplay. 13 A.M.`s Double Cross does this by mixing a physics platformer with a mild dash of beat-`em-up combat and even a mystery-sleuthing story element. It`s an interesting concoction, but sadly, this mix doesn`t go down quite as smoothly as you`d hope.Double Cross has players assuming the role of Zahra, a spunky young lass who works for RIFT, an interdimensional police force. RIFT is in charge of keeping all the various alternate universes out there in check, and Zahra`s one of their best up-and-coming agents. When RIFT HQ falls victim to a mysterious attacker, however, Zahra is tasked with combing through multiple dimensions and finding clues to the strange being`s identity. This involves some hand-to-hand combat, a bit of evidence collection and investigation, and a lot of swinging about with Zahra`s special Proton Slinger.While the game`s tutorial and Zahra`s status as interdimensional law enforcement might have you thinking that Double Cross`s priority is combat with monsters from different universes, it`s actually slanted very heavily towards pure platforming. Zahra makes ample use of her grappling-hook-like Proton Slinger to latch onto objects and propel herself along the game`s various environments, using the swings in tandem with a dodging skill to avoid hazards like spikes, fire pits, and security lasers. You`ll often be tasked with doing multiple, very precise swings in a row, which can be quite challenging--but thankfully, time slows down when Zahra is aiming her Proton Slinger, making it much less of a pain to do the demanding multi-sling sequences. It feels really satisfying to hit a bunch of tricky sling targets all in a row, especially if you`ve managed to suss out a hidden path to collect Upgradium, the game`s ...
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