Twin Robots: Ultimate Edition, is a game made by a one man Dev team named Pablo (I couldn't find his full name), his company is called Thinice (Thin Ice). This is the second one man Dev team game I have reviewed, and this is a really good game, blending puzzle and platform genres perfectly. Originally released on steam, the game has since been cancelled on the platform and no longer available (though pre-existing copies still work but without leader boards etc). Thankfully the ports handled by Ratalaika Games was not effected, so console users still get to play this masterpiece.
The short story sequence at the beginning of the game shows our two heroes Watt and Volt in a bit of trouble, they have been marked for scrap by the factory and now they must escape! To me it feels a lot like Unravel, with a world that looks like it belongs in the Portal universe.
You run through each level as these too little robots, one always starts trapped behind some glass with a crusher trap coming down on them, the robot that is free has to race forwards dodging traps in the search for a big red button that will allow the other robot to escape. Once you press this button your twin is safe in the starting room, or you can press X to switch the him and move him around (or the other player can move around the level freely if playing local co-op). With the crusher deactivated, the lights go out but the traps stay active! However the floor tiles light up they help guide your way as well as filling up your selected robots energy as he picks them up.
You can transfer energy to the opposite robot anytime by pressing and holding the Y button, this can be done from across the map, but be careful not to kill your robot as it’s game over if one of them runs out of energy or gets scrapped in a trap and you’ll have to restart the level again. On each level there are the floor tiles to collect (mentioned previously) and batteries both fill your current robots energy, which is good as everything from running, jumping and even charging the exit door drains your energy.
The level layout is easy to navigate mostly, some levels have you thinking shall I go this way, or that way and you end up in a one way section, which can easily be avoided if you take your other robot in a different direction each time. As far as platform / puzzle games go this is pretty balanced, I've played harder and I’ve played easier games.
The original version of the game has a decent amount of levels for an indie game, however the Ultimate edition includes about double the levels than it’s original incarnation, which does include some secret levels as well. It makes the original version obsolete to buy now (unless you can’t get the Ultimate Edition on your console).
The achievements are fairly easy, with a couple of objective based ones thrown in but nothing at difficult.
Verdict
As you probably gathered from my review, I love this game! it’s fun to play solo or with a co-op partner, it has nice secrets to find that relate to the achievements and the collectables that make you want to look everywhere, if you prefer to 100% every level like me. I have enjoyed a lot of hours reviewing the game, it is well worth the asking price. If you haven't played Twin Robots, I recommend you buy it, preferably the ultimate edition on either the Xbox One or Nintendo Switch as the standard version may be cheaper but it lacks the additional levels thus making is a shorter experience. I’m hoping Pablo at Thinice has some more games up his sleeve.
Developer: Thinice Games Publisher: Thinice Games (Ported by Ratalaika Games) Release Date: 29th August 2018 (Xbox One / Nintendo Switch ports) Price: £7.99 File Size: 409.8 MB Xbox One copy provided for review purposes
Available on: Xbox One, Nintendo Switch (Ultimate Edition) Also Available on: PlayStation 4, PS Vita and Wii – U (Standard Version). No longer available on the Steam!