TEC 3001

 
Developer: Phoenix Game Studio
Steam Release: Apr 2014
Hours Played: 3.7
Similar To: AaAaAA!!! / Last Knight / Neon Drive / Tron Run/r / Unpossible
Rating: 5/5 Parsnips

GAMEPLAY
In much the same vein as Unpossible and Neon Drive, TEC 3001 is a runner set in a futuristic world that has you whizzing along a track towards a vast metropolis on the horizon. Neon lighting plays a role as well as traveling at break-neck speed but in this case, unless you dabble in the game's endless mode, you'll be spending the bulk of your runs completing bite-sized levels in the 41-level campaign. In TEC 3001, rather than speeding along a tube in first-person view or controlling a car down a four-lane track, you'll be controlling an anthropomorphic robot in third-person view as it dodges, jumps, slides, charges and weaves its way to the finish. For most runs, unlike Audiosurf, Boson X or Last Knight your mech is not restricted to lanes as you can freely move around anywhere on a track while going forward.    

BALANCE & PACE
What makes TEC 3001 one of the superior runners, apart from its fluid controls, is through the way it throws in fresh and exciting mechanics with each progressive run. This is no simple left-right and jump affair along a straight and boring track. Here, you'll be forever given spilt-second choices: do you jump a single barrier or double jump a higher one? Slide under a gap in the wall or drop down to the track below? Double jump the abyss or jump and charge to the adjoining track to avoid a trickier path? Smash through the barrier with a charge or leap over it? On top of that, you will be doing some levels that restrict you to lanes or give a time-limit, or have you charge as you run over green-arrow tiles. With 1-3 bolts of lighting awarded per run, levels last about a minute or two and are an absolute blast.

PRESENTATION & DESIGN
Almost every feature of TEC 3001 references science-fiction or future technology. From the Terminator inspired robot you control to the holographic images and neon-lit circuit boards in the menus, right up to the sexy computerized voice-over - all is designed to make you believe you've time-traveled a few thousand years to the future. Another good touch is the way your robot pounds the track giving off a metallic thump as he strides along. The options-screen allows you to tweak the electronica-inspired soundtrack, which also adds to the fururistic mood, as well as choose an alternative robot skin. You may also play in first-person view if you wish but I wouldn't recommend it.

PROGRESS SYSTEM
TEC 3001 has a superb 41-level campaign. Here, you'll enter a run in an attempt to reach the finish line but there will often be added conditions like collecting a set amount of batteries or finishing within a set time. If successful, you'll receive high-score stats on: batteries collected, objects destroyed, best-time, number of deaths and best score. You'll also be rated on a scale of 1-3 lightning bolts. You may also view a total score of all these stats added together but what makes this pointless and made conspicuous by its absence is the complete lack of online leaderboards - which is my one and only gripe about this otherwise excellent game. Still, the added Endless mode, which is a three-lane run that gets faster and adds more densely populated obstacles as you go, is also superb.

CONCLUSION

In addition to magnificently fluid and responsive controls,  runners nowadays need to be dynamic and exciting... and in this respect TEC 3001 delivers. As well as features mentioned above, unlike Unpossible which sticks to one colour-scheme, TEC appreciates the need for variety and will change it as you run through portals with your robot. Although I prefer a colour-scheme to be linked or associated to particular levels, this adds an extra dimension. The game also gives 24 awards which are achievements that you can view and access from the home-page. Still, apart from the absence of an online leaderboard and the fact the screen shakes a tad too much when going at max speed, there really is so much to like about this smashing game.