Verlet Swing Review: The Doctor’s Assessment

Subjective:

Verlet Swing presents for review as a game which tests your virtual physics as if you were Spider-Man swinging between buildings within a weird virtual setting.

Objective:

Developed by Flamebait Games, Verlet Swing is a single player grapple-hook adventure and puzzle experience from a first person perspective. Features include:

• 100 eccentric, surreal levels that are progressively difficult
• Comical obstacles such as koi fish and pizza slices
• Leaderboards are available for competitive gamers
• PlayStation and Xbox One versions have Platinum Trophy and 1000G Achievements available

Assessment:

There is no shortage of puzzle games on the market but very few exist that put you in the first person perspective. A lot of gamers may recall the Spider-Man series attempting to give you the sensation of swinging between buildings. Verlet Swing also accomplishes this sensation.

First, I had to google the definition for ‘verlet’ and it is defined as “a numerical method used to integrate Newton’s equations of motion. It is frequently used to calculate trajectories of particles in molecular dynamics simulations and computer graphics.” On the title alone, it is very clear you will be utilizing physics and swinging through virtual landscapes.

The objective is simple – swing by using momentum into the sphere at the end of the stage. However, players will quickly discover that they have to manipulate your direction while swinging to go under, over or around obstacles to reach the goal. You have to act fast and expect to restart levels many times!

The game rewards you for faster completion times. In addition, you are able to go back and replay levels at any time to better your score. This aspect helps with replay value.

The visuals are fairly random but work for this game. It is easy to identify surfaces you can attach to and what to avoid. Overall, it is very colorful and helps keep it interesting in addition to looking good on both docked and handheld modes. Unfortunately, the sound and music is not particularly memorable. This game does look like it would be a candidate for VR and as a personal note, this would be a prime candidate for a VR Labo game!

The controls are simple; shoulder buttons control your “swinging arms” and your analog sticks control your direction similar to any first person game. I must admit, it was significantly easier to control using my pro controller than the Joy-Cons. It’s completely playable but just a note if you are getting stuck and find yourself only in handheld mode.