Review: Warp

I’ll admit, I have been looking forward to Warp for a while. On my phone I have a list of Arcade and indie titles that I check up on every month or so, and when Trapdoor’s goresplosion-filled teleportation simulator was given a release date with Xbox Live Arcade’s “House Party” lineup I may have made some sort of squeaking noise.

Warp follows the story of Zero, a cute little orange alien who crash-lands to Earth and is locked up by some shady scientists in an underwater lab. Forced to run through tests for their study, Zero is not a happy guy – that is, right up until he re-attains his special warping powers and finally has the chance to make his escape!

Warp is very much a puzzle game. As you wind your way through the various levels of the underwater research station, you’ll have to make clever use of the abilities that are drip-fed to you to make your way past scientists, soldiers, turrets and various other hazards on your quest to freedom. Whilst you can warp directly inside these enemies and blow them up with a wiggle of your analog stick (accompanied by a very satisfying spatter of scientist leftovers), other enemies will notice their companions slowly expanding and take them down. Zero has no damage resistance, so one shot and you’re down for the count. Luckily the checkpoints are very regular,  so you won’t have too much backtracking to do if you have made a mistake.

One of the best-used puzzle elements is an indirect threat – water. Zero doesn’t cope well with water, and walking through a puddle or pool of the wet stuff will leave him unable to warp until he’s gotten back to dry ground and had time to recover. Moving through enemies can be pretty risky in this state, and in some areas the water is quite subtle, meaning you may not notice it until Zero’s already waded in. Planning your way around water becomes a big deal, especially late in the game.

Along the way you will encounter two types of collectibles, in the form of film evidence canisters to blow up and also grubs. Collecting and eating grubs will give you points to upgrade your abilities at set points throughout the game. Perks range from faster or quieter warps, to quicker recovery from taking a splash in the water, and even abilities that allow you to create enemy-stunning decoys to make taking them down easier. I found a couple of these were very helpful in the endgame, especially quick warps, but the game is built to be playable with only the bare minimum skills too. Then again, being able to insta-splode enemies does feel pretty good.

All in all, Warp is a great outing for an XBLA title. The main campaign is challenging and fun, and you can give yourself an extra challenge by going for a runthrough with maximised kills and one with no kills for the corresponding endings/achievements. Warp also features a set of Challenge rooms that are unlocked as you play through the game that will test your skill with each ability even further. Pick it up, give it a go, and enjoy painting the facility red!