Grade: A-
Meditative Bullet Hell
Released in 2016 by indie developer Zeke Virant, Soft Body is a 2D puzzle action game that somewhat defies description. You can play as two objects simultaneously, one with your left hand and one with your right. The left side can “paint” things, while the right can “push” them. When the two parts are together, you can destroy some of the enemies you are up against. Some levels require your left hand to be dodging or moving while your right hand is off doing something else. As a drummer and piano player, I find splitting my brain in twain for separate tasks a fun challenge, but others might feel differently.
Generally, the point of the game is to avoid all sorts of crazy flying hazards while completing the task in front of you.
Level Samples
Some samples from my favorite levels can tell you better about this game. First, level 1-15, Big/Two snakes. You start and think you’ve done well but then get presented with a completely new mechanic you have to figure out on the fly, with snake monsters floating lazily across the screen.
Another one is the “Triangle Prince,” level 2-11. This one has three phases to it.
Gameplay ramps up and down in difficulty through the worlds.
The gameplay starts very simple but quickly escalates. Soft Body isn’t a game I could beat, and the third world stopped me cold. At a certain point, the mechanics don’t seem “fair,” when you die, the level resets, and you get put back to the beginning of the level. My patience gave out on me after a certain point.
But from where my reflexes could get to, the new mechanics and levels constantly and pleasantly surprised me. At the end of each major area, you also were presented with an “art” experience after a boss battle that transitioned you into the next world. This gave you a sense of satisfaction to sit back and relax for a minute after pushing through the seemingly impossible.
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