Collapsed (Nintendo Switch) Review

Collapsed follows the rogue-like pattern exactly and, despite having such staples as random loot and a skill tree, it just does not pass muster. Although some aspects are impressive, like the particle effects for weapons, there are too many things wrong in general to recommend this. On the surface, this has all the trappings of a pretty interesting affair. There are the sci-fi roots of some post-apocalypse, different character classes to play as, random loot to obtain, a skill unlock mechanic, and run-and-gun platform action, which all sound like a tasty mix. It is not too long into the action where these come together and, sadly, it is clear the mix has not quite turned out as intended.

Among the problems are the control scheme and fact that the character feels very stiff. The pre-assigned (and unable to change) button setup is a disaster; the right-hand controls are set for aiming (hard enough), jumping, activating, shooting, melee attack, and two separate specials, while the left hand… moves left or right. Designed as a run-and-gun platformer, it was perhaps not the best decision to leave in an aiming element, especially compared to others of this ilk, such as Dead Cells, which have taken out this element completely.

On top of this, as touched upon, the main character actually controls very stiffly, even when he is actually doing what is intended. Games like this are made or broken by how well the character feels when controlling, but Collapsed can be chalked up in the negative category. Climbing is one egregious example of it never going exactly how the player intends it to go - falling off walls far too often, or jumping over and over instead of climbing.

This might all be hand-waved away, depending on how the game is structured, but the biggest problems are the very wild swings in difficulty. Oftentimes, those in control will be destroying whole screens effortlessly, only to have some enemies drop and do such fast damage that death arrives in nary two hits, or hitting ground spikes with the bad control scheme occurs.

There is a promising loot system included, with the idea of slotting three different things into your gun, armour, and melee. The idea of switching between, say, homing-spread shots to piercing flame shots is an intriguing concept. Ultimately, though, it does not deliver because of the hundreds of items that will be dropped, which are all very similar, and the fun of new treasure melts away into just ignoring almost everything.

One of the most annoying aspects is simply how unpolished Collapsed is, and how badly it needed further, rigorous testing. The promise of some sci-fi story is never delivered, beyond very vague random blurbs. The absolute worst element, though, is how many times the character either falls through the floor, becomes stuck, or is outright being placed into the wall on the start of a next level. It is impossible to get out of these situations and end the run. It easily happens 20% or more of the time and gets to the point where if gamers are not starting in the wall, then it is a surprise. This is an amateur mistake, at best, and incredibly annoying on the whole.