Constant C (PC) Review

Constant C's main draw is its gravity bending. While it's a competent platformer, though almost unpleasantly floaty, its best feature is flipping levels in one of the four cardinal directions. At first, this gravity flipping is limited to switches anchored to parts of a level. Later, the player gains the ability to do so at will, and that's when the game really opens up.

Flipping can happen so fast that the character will curve in mind bending ways, jumping off a moving platforming, twisting through the air, and landing on the top of what used to be the bottom of that platform. It is a concept that has been done before, but not often, and Constant C pulls it off well enough that it feels fresh.

Nor does the level design fail to support this physics fun. Invariably, level design complements the level twisting. While Constant C does have some fast and furious moments, twitchy challenges, platforming and level flipping that must be pulled off quickly and precisely, it is the puzzle nature of the levels that is the real challenge. Without fail, the player will run into real brain twisters. There are numerous moments when one has to sit and think about how to approach a complicated level.

Thankfully, the core gameplay is competent enough to never be a hindrance to the puzzling, and so the game itself feels rewarding.

The art and music don't fail to carry the experience, either. Though "indie" sized, Constant C has a likeable, unique cartoon art style. Characters have, well, "character." There is even a little story going on with some nicely done cut-scenes. It isn't major league stuff. The player won't be left in tears thanks to the Oscar worthy script, but it's fair enough work to feel compelling.

In fact, the cut-scene characters are so well drawn and interesting that one might wish the main game starred them rather than the somewhat bland robot. That is forgivable, though. Even the robots are interesting to look at. As are the levels. Again, not AAA quality, but good stuff.

As is the music. There are some neat techy poppy kind of tunes in Constant C, and they're definitely worth listening to exclusively, without any custom soundtracks playing in the background. In contrast, sound effects are fairly bland and uninteresting. Still, the overall presentation is fit to the fun aesthetic, and definitely hits above its indie weight class and price tag.