Recent reviews by vaporFLO

Dead as a rock, with no updates since 2017, nor was there an announcement of any hiatus.

Shouldn't even be up for sale anymore really.

Intro Note: I have been putting off writing a review for this for years because I still haven't beaten difficulty 3/6, but that's probably going to take a while longer anyway, so I might as well do it now.

Okay, so what is Super Hexagon? Well, it's definitely not a complex game, that's for sure. Super Hexagon is a score-attack game where the goal is to last as long as possible without hitting obstacles. The player controls a triangle that orbits around a central point using the left and right buttons. Patterns of trapezoids spawn from outside the screen and disappear when they arrive at the center. Letting the triangle hit these obstacles is game over. It's a very simple concept, but this is to its benefit, especially given its excellent execution.

Granted, it being simple does not mean it's easy. There are two main factors that increase its difficulty: these obstacles can move very fast, and the game's visuals attempt to disorient the player. Disorienting here means that screen constantly rotates and can suddenly change the direction of its rotation. Coupled with the color of the screen changing gradually, as well as the high amount of obstacles on the screen, it's very easy to lose track of the triangle in the visual clutter. This is likely going to be a dealbreaker for some people: some people may not find struggling through the mess to be a fun challenge, or may otherwise not be able to tolerate the dizzying flashes for health reasons. For those that do wish to try however, it's a constant battle to maintain one's focused senses.

It might be ironic to say, but I actually find this chaotic frenzy to be conducive to forcing my mind to enter a zen state, which I find useful when under mental stress. Getting into how this game appeals to me personally, the way that the game only provides the smallest margins to thread the triangle through (at the higher difficulty settings) requires such sustained focus that it manages to clear the mind of distractions. There is only the slightest leeway with regards to errors and lagging or rushing by mere milliseconds is liable to end a run. Beyond it's difficulty, the short duration of each attempt means it's possible to approach Super Hexagon in bite-sized chunks. Games can be done in quick intervals, useful for 2 minute breaks in between writing projects, waiting for food orders, or passing the time during lines at the hospital (Super Hexagon is also available on iOS and Android). Even the 6 achievements only need 60 seconds each to complete, however most runs are likely to end in less than half that time. Even so, I've managed to rack up nearly 7 hours of playtime as of this writing.

On a presentational level, Super Hexagon is fairly competent. The system requirements are virtually nonexistent; if a computer can handle solitaire, it can probably handle this. Getting into a game from the main menu is quick, only needing 2 button presses with no loading time. As far as I can tell, it has support for any 4:3, 16:9, or 16:10 resolution at any framerate. The standout feature here is that just about anything that registers as left or right on a gamepad will work e.g. It's possible to use LT/R1 and B/Circle as the controls on an XBOX/Playstation gamepad without further configuration.

Expected Demographics: Challenge-seekers, those short on time, those wishing to meditate while playing games
Unlikely Demographics: Story-focused gamers, those hoping to dissect a myriad of mechanics, anyone who is in danger of seizures or other health problems exacerbated by flashing lights and rotating objects

For less than the price of a fancy coffee (or 1-2 cups of cheap coffee during sales), Super Hexagon provides a strong and paradoxically relaxing challenge that scales with whatever schedule one has.