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Ravenous Games are the makers of the League of Evil games. Infestor has a very similar
button layout and almost the same visual style. It wouldn't be a leap of logic to assume that
this is another crazy gauntlet of platforming finesse served up in iOS ready bite-sized
levels. This game takes a different path however, sacrificing twitch platforming skill for a
more slow-paced thoughtful approach. Well when I say thoughtful, I mean it in loose
terms. Let's just say that this puzzle platformer requires little brain power, but because the
levels are short enough to complete a few of them when you have a couple minutes to
spare, this aids the experience rather than hindering it. So let's discuss what exactly
Infestor is all about.
You are a life-form that can inhabit the bodies of humans, bending them to your will and then
discarding them in gooey chunks when you are done with them. The goal of each short level
is to reach the pipe that connects you to the next level, so your oozing game of body
possession can continue unhindered. You have arrow keys to move, a jump button, and an
infesting button (plus an extra button appears when you infest the guard, although its placement
is quite cumbersome). Like the other platformers under the developer's belt, the controls here
are very nicely honed and aside from the extra placement, offer no problems whatsoever.
Each human has one task that they perform to the the detriment of all others. Some jump
high, some push blocks, some open doors, and some have a gun that goes “pew pew pew”,
shooting things. Taking over their body will put the infestor's head on their shoulders,
and pressing the infesting button will explode the human, catapulting you into the sky (which
is a great way to reach the exit in many levels). Seeing each human only has one task, it isn't
too hard to infest the human in front of you, then travel through the level before you see
a door or a box, and then execute the solution. It would have been nice to have some more
elaborate level design, but as stated before, the levels are bite-sized. This is a true
ad break game, and if you had to think too hard about progression, this tone would be
broken. Does this mean that some will find the game dull and repetitive? Of course, but
that can be said with every title really.
The version of the game reviewed was quite glitchy however. Your character would often
get stuck while pushing crates, and the game never registered achievements, so every time
you infested someone, you would get the achievement for infesting your first human. Mere annoyances
aside, Infestor is quite fun. Because you're not thinking too hard about a solution, it
becomes more a 'going through the motions' as you complete level after level, and this
can often be a rewarding game experience. And due to its low-fi presentation, no one
is going to be visually upset by what this nasty little alien is doing to our species.
Just sit back and enjoy the ride!