Avoid - Sensory Overload (PC) Review

Due to its arcade sensibilities, the ropes of Avoid - Sensory Overload are extremely easy to get the hang of. You race on a vertical, tiled highway, which gets built while you do so, and the purpose is to avoid whatever obstacles appear in the way, whilst picking up power-ups that range from score multipliers, to items that help the spaceship with its quest to reach the finishing line, be it temporary energy shields, buttons that lower all visible blocks, buttons that fill all gaps in the road ahead, and so on and forth.

The whole thing is divided between four separate "chapters" with each one being harder than the one before it, and with each chapter offering eight levels to complete, plus a couple of different difficulty settings to choose from. Each chapter has a different look and music track, but to be perfectly honest, this looks dull no matter the level chosen. Sure, some might prefer the "Coloured Disco Floor" over the… "Minimalist Wireframe Mode," or whatever, but in the end this lacks that extra something that would make it stand out. As for the music… turn it off. The OST at hand is one of the most repetitive and uninspiring pieces of EDM ever crafted.

Unfortunately, the real dull part is the gameplay itself. For starters, don't expect any 'Sensory Overload.' Ever played one of those hyper-fast endless runners that get faster and faster the longer you remain alive? Well, this also gets faster and faster, yet somehow, it always feels mind-numbingly slow. Also, speaking of endless runners, this could definitely benefit for being one as well, instead of having a bunch of same-y, and tiny levels that end way too soon. Most importantly, however, the game mechanics at hand just aren't that exciting. Levels are way too simple and repetitive. In fact, if it weren't for the way this controls, the whole experience would be a walk in the park.

Avoid - Sensory Overload is very challenging, but not for the reason it should be. The levels are very easy to read, and the obstacles are a piece of cake to avoid - theoretically. In practice, the ship's sensitivity to your button presses is so high that pressing a direction always sends you a bit further than you should. Apart from being frustrating, this also feels a weird design choice. The highway is divided between lanes, therefore it would make much more sense for the ship to "snap" onto them, and just move from lane to lane. Make no mistake, though. While this would definitely decrease the aggravation, it wouldn't exactly raise the fun factor.