Indie Review: No Time To Explain

No Time To Explain, created by TinyBuildGames, is an indie game about Time Paradoxes, Jetpack Guns and Ribs in People's Eyes. If that doesn't make sense, then read the full review.

• Name: No Time To Explain
• Genre: Action, Adventure, Platformer
• Players: 1
• Multiplayer: N/A
• Platforms: PC
• Developer: TinyBuildGames
• Publisher: TinyBuildGames
• Price: $9.99 (approximately R90)
• Reviewed On: PC

No Time To Explain, created by TinyBuildGames, is an indie comedy platforming game about Time Paradoxes, Jetpack Guns and Ribs in People’s Eyes. I’m sure that doesn’t give you a whole lot to go on, but the story of the game is deliberately nonsense and it’s just amazing that way. Right from the start, you’ll know that this game is both hilarious and completely bonkers. And it’s almost impossible not to love it from the very first moment. Forget what you know about reality and forget what you know about life in general and the rules it lives by, because No Time To Explain doesn’t have time for making sense. The number one thing on its list of priorities is giving you a damn good time, and it’s incredible at doing exactly this. If only my job was as easy as telling you to stop reading and buy this game now. But I have a review to get to, so let’s go in-depth with the game and talk about what makes it great.

The story is completely nuts. I really don’t want to give anything away because it’s just so hilarious, crazy and unpredictable that you just need to experience it all for yourself. All I’ll say is that at the beginning of the game, your character is happily dancing around the house when the wall behind him suddenly explodes and out jumps a weirdly dressed version of you. He proceeds to announce that he is you from the future before abruptly getting eaten by a large crab and dropping his weapon. You, in your infinite wisdom, decide to pick it up and chase after him. That’s all I’ll be saying. Perhaps now you have a clearer idea of why this game is about time paradoxes, jetpack guns and ribs in people’s eyes. It’s extremely quirky, and even the voice acting is a highlight that really captures the comedy.

The game is a platformer at heart, but it incorporates a variety of elements that keep it constantly fresh and exciting. In the game you’re given a Jetpack Gun, a cannon that fires a gigantic blue energy blast which can kill enemies and propel you off the ground and across the air. This forms the basis of how the platforming works. But instead of focusing on just platforming alone, the game mixes it up by turning itself into an arcade shooter during its various, fantastic boss battles. Then it gets spiced up even further when you get given a Shotgun, and you’ll use its recoil to rocket your little character around. This game is just extremely creative with its gameplay and concepts, and there’s tons of variety on offer here. The moment you start wanting something new, the game gladly gives it to you. It draws from multiple genres of games to deliver a surprisingly coherent and exciting action-packed experience.

This game is just insanely fun. The gameplay is incredibly good and entertaining. It’s a roller-coaster ride that you really won’t want to end. I don’t want to give much away of the game, but since the screenshots are a bit revealing, I will confirm that yes the future version of you does get eaten by a shark out of water, and yes you do fight a robot dinosaur and yes you do encounter a talking muffin. Beyond that I will say that a sure highlight of the game, of which there are many, is the excellent platforming and level design. Each level is unique, and bring new things to the table, whether it be methods of platforming or boss battles or different scenarios. All possible frustration involved in failure is practically non-existent due to the great checkpoint system, which always puts you just a few seconds back when you die. This is clearly to ensure that the focus is always on fun and not skill or a challenge.

Sure, there are a number of sequences in the game that require inventive thought and pitch-perfect execution, but failure never really results in frustration. At the most it could be a little annoyance, but then you’ll nail the section you were struggling on and be back having a blast in no time at all. One thing I absolutely loved about the game were the unlockable hats. Scattered throughout every level, there are glowing hat icons that add head-gear to your collection, of which there are sixty in total. At any time in the game, whenever you feel like a change, you can simply press escape and change your hat. You get normal ones like a pirate hat and skull cap, and more crazy ones like a burger or a pyramid to replace your head. I liked the fact that you don’t need to look seriously hard to find these hats in levels, and even if you aren’t actively searching, you’ll still come across a handful of them. Some can be challenging to get and may take a few attempts, but for the most part they’re very reachable.

At this point in time the game is complete with two seasons, but there exists the possibility of more being added. However, don’t worry because the game’s story does have an ending. Furthermore, there are a variety of sponsored and user-made levels available to play in both seasons one and two, which adds value to the game. In total, a complete playthrough could take you more than eight hours. That said though, it’s been a long while since I felt genuinely sad that a game I was playing ended. No Time To Explain was just such an original and crazy fun ride, and I was having such a blast with it, that I had to drown my sorrows with chocolate when I saw the end credits. This is when you know you’ve struck gold with a game, and few things make me happier than a game I just don’t want to stop playing.

The game has an awesome visual style that’s cartoony and really colourful. It’s exciting, vibrant, action-packed and has plenty of variety in settings. The cutscenes give you the impression that you’re watching one of those humourous flash movies, and it suits the style of the game perfectly. The only minor complaints I have are of a few visual and general bugs. A few times getting lit on fire caused my hat to flash in and out of existence, and one time I fell through the floor. But that’s about it. Hardly anything to get upset about. There were some frame rate drops, although these were really rare, and there was only one level in the entire game that performance notably dipped a bit. Other than that, it was smooth sailing. I have to commend the great music, which I really enjoyed listening to, as it gave the game a very unique style. There’s also the fact that the space bar is used to dance, and funnily enough it always seems to be in tune with the music. Even better, you can keep playing while dancing.

No Time To Explain is a brilliant creation, and it’s absolutely one of the most creative, entertaining, wacky, funny and downright awesome games I’ve ever played. This game is a sure reminder of exactly why I love and continue to play indie games. Going a step further, it’s a new entry in my personal list of favourite games, where it now stands proudly and completely deserving. As clearly as I can put it, everyone should play this game. Don’t hesitate to buy it, because you definitely won’t regret it.

Name: Azhar Amien
Location: Cape Town
Position: Editor, Reviews

Azhar has published 2511 posts. Read all of Azhar's posts.

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