Ingression is a 2D platformer by Espale Studios. It’s a game that is both challenging and rewarding, with excellent level design that makes players question their sanity before jumping for joy after conquering difficult levels. Despite the difficulty, each level is short enough that death does not result in frustration. Imagine if Celeste and Portal had a baby, and the outcome is the best of both games expertly melded together.
Thrawrting the Empire
You play as Rina, a thief tasked with stealing a time machine from the empire to prevent them from creating a time machine in the first place. Dr. Kowalski is an empire defect who helps you break into the empire’s base to steal a time machine. There are also flashbacks to Maxine, another thief who attempted the same task as Rina several years ago. There are some interesting story beats, but overall, it’s just a generic science fiction plot designed to move forward in the levels.
The gameplay in Ingression is superb. A precision 2D platformer that takes after games like Celeste and Super Meat Boy. Short levels but tricky platforming where one false move can send you back to the beginning of the level. You have a stamina bar when you cling to walls and different mechanics to learn. The use of portals in the video game is also interesting. Sometimes, you use the portals to traverse levels, and sometimes, you use portals to transport platforms through them. Combining all these elements creates a satisfying platforming experience.
Thinking with Portals
The level design in this game is just brilliant. Each chapter comes with a theme for Rina to traverse. Chapter 1 introduces basic mechanics, but each chapter after is layered with unique mechanics. One chapter deals with light-based objects such as lasers to dodge and a laser ball you can use as a moving platform to jump off. Chapter 3 is a synthetic biome with a flesh-eating plant you can bounce off and vines to climb and jump. Each chapter ends with a long chase scene, where drones chase you, and it is up to you and your mastery of the mechanics in each chapter to navigate a long maze before the drones zap you. These levels are the most challenging, and each jump must be perfect. However, running through these creates a flow I have rarely experienced in a game.
This is all before discussing the use of portals. They take an already excellent level design and elevate it to incredible heights. There are parts where you need to jump into portals and use the momentum to clear gaps. Sometimes, it feels amazing to clear those gaps, but sometimes, that can leave you disoriented and cause you to die. The most interesting way they use the portals is when interacting with other mechanics. The most insane example is shooting a light ball you can jump off, synchronizing it with a second ball. Both have to go through portals simultaneously before bouncing between them while going up to the end of the level, dodging spikes, and avoiding falling. Being able to execute these insane feats is exhilarating when you finally pass a difficult challenge. It also left me in awe at what the developers came up with.
A Triumph
Ingression is difficult, but it is satisfying to play. The levels I have played are unlike anything I have experienced in a platformer. Its flawless combination of platforming and portal gameplay is an excellent homage to the games that came before them while creating something unique and fun to play. While sometimes you can get disoriented by the portals, and the story is serviceable, the gameplay is excellent and a must-play for platformer fans everywhere.
