Exception Reviews

2.5$ spent, 28mn in, 12 maps done, 1.5 level achieved, twice 4 stars (max), rest between 1 and 3 (can definitely improve), 1 upgrade acquired (head stomp) and a lot of jumps (could not count them). Nice speedrun. Flashy. Responsive. Run or run faster. Jump. Beat. Catch bonuses. Find secrets. All ok. Pure arcade. Game recommends to play with a paddle (PS4 for me, no issue) but gives you keyboard tips. No big issue. Player recommends the game if you like the genre.

HIDDEN GEM ALERT!... This is a Puzzle Precision Platforming Masterpiece. Its beautiful . It's a diamond!

Best and cheapest 2D platformer I've ever played This game feels so underpriced for ammount of content/levels it offers lol Love graphic, originality, my mind literaly blew up from what I experienced playing this. Levels and transitions are just insane It's also very challenging to complete all of 16 worlds but it is so much worth it Game reminded me a lot deadcore and ghostrunner in some ways aswell. It has cool story to read too, well executed. Final worlds and world 13 are probably most fun to play Enemies and bosses are various and it takes some time to learn bossfights but afterall it was so rewarding beating them Missed one greeny designed world though, maybe could be DLC Anyway 100% recommend, even at regular price.

A great challenge platformer. * The controls feel somewhat too heavy, but you get used to it. * The game flow (try-die-repeat) is perfect, there is no downtime or annoying loading screens, everything is very snappy. * Instant leaderboards, so you can instantly see after each attempt how good it was and how much further you can push your time (if the intrinsic motivation isn't enough). * Gameplay variety: each level can be played in a few categories that often provide quite different experiences. * The music comes from staples of the genre, so no complaints there. * The visual style is great. It may look too bright and overloaded in screenshots, but it is much better in dynamics. * The story is an unexpected bonus -- it is small and non-invasive, but it is there and it is cute, presented via comics between episodes. Overall, I like this game a lot, it hits all those singleplayer-Trackmania vibes for me ("run the track until you are happy with the time, then move on to the next one") without being the bloated monster that Trackmania has become. The devs here have done an amazing job with what little budget they had. You can definitely see some rough edges (some menus look clunky, character models are very low-detail, time bonuses are not explained anywhere etc), but this game has it where it matters, and it's a real shame to see it lost in the depths of steam with not even enough reviews to get a rating. P.S. The game runs flawlessly on Linux with proton

128 bite-size levels of platforming speedrun fun. The feel resembles N (momentum / float / route-optimization) and Strider (aggro / flashy). My biggest complaint is that some visual effects are too intrusive, especially the pixelizing low-health effect.

The game has a cool story that isn't essential to the game. The art direction reminds me of early 2000s PC games that I've played before like Darwinia. The levels are incredibly quick to finish, some taking less than 15 seconds, but a leaderboard is included during the story mode, which makes playing those levels more rewarding. Overall, a solid game that is well worth the price.

This game is very fun. You can pick it up and play real quick. As it states you should use a controller. The soundtrack is AMAZING. The levels are fun and just get better as the game goes on. You don't have to upgrade your stuff but I am no completionist but it does have that capacity. The story was really fun. Short and sweet. You won't regret playing through this.

Platforming is not always my genre, though I had a wonderful time with this one. The available moves are quick to learn. Each of the (numerous!) level concepts is inventive and elegant enough to stick in memory. Retrying a level for either item collection, speed, or pacifism encourages a fresh perspective and the character always feels so fast and powerful.

Exception is a very solid IL-based speedrun focused game that's fairly polished and great fun to play.

TL,DR Elevator pitch: Take the original arcade version of Strider, slick it up for modern masochistic Meat Boy speedrunners, dip it in copious amounts of neon, chrome and pixely-voxely... thingies... and ya got yourself an Exception. I'm not going to lie, I played the game for 30 minutes to get a feel for the basic gameplay loop. Once I'd had my fill (after the first big boss that literally destroys the stage around you) I jumped to a playthrough video online to see if anything really develops to change that basic gameplay over the course of the game. I can't say that it does. This game is running, jumping, occasional slashing and constant path optimization -- for the entire game. The "combat" additions really only serve to increase your movement options, and even then I don't see them being necessary to complete the game. The game simply isn't about combat, it's about speed and movement across punishing terrains. If that's your bag, baby, well welcome home! Controls are solid, if a little slippery at times. It's going to take practice to git gud, kids. Visually, the game is lovely. The rotating stage thing is functionally just a gimmick, but it is a pretty one. Sound and music are appropriate and solid. I'm not raving about the soundtrack as others no doubt will, but it certainly didn't detract from the process. Don't get me wrong, I'm not giving a thumbs down. The game is executed well and I think it's probably a fantastic addition for speedrunners. This just wasn't for me. I had been hoping strongly for a deeper, more Metroidvania approach, I suppose; where upgrades - combat or otherwise - figure into progress, and the level-shifting design gimmick was more of a puzzle to be unspooled. Best of luck to the developers!