UNABLES PlayStation 4 Indie Video Game Review

When I am looking for new video games to try out, one of the first things I tend to look at are games that have unique premises. Being unique doesn’t guarantee that a game will be good. It can be a factor that makes a game stand out though. I appreciate developers that try something new instead of just creating another cookie cutter game. This is what initially intrigued me about UNABLES. Instead of controlling a character, you control the environment itself in order to complete challenges and solve puzzles. This seemed like a unique idea that I wanted to check out. UNABLES is unlike any game that I have played recently which leads to a fun game even if it is on the short side.

UNABLES takes place in a world where everyone is really lazy. Things are so bad that people aren’t even willing to do simple tasks anymore. This is where you come into play. You have the ability to control the world itself to force the characters to actually do what needs to be done. The game has two different control schemes. You can either use motion controls or use analog sticks to control the world.

Basically each of the levels consist of having to complete a number of tasks. This mostly involves moving one or more characters to specific areas or objects in the environment. Since the characters are too lazy to do this themselves, you need to give them a little nudge. You can twist and turn the world in any direction including flipping it upside down. This allows you to use gravity and momentum to get the characters where they need to go. Most levels also have a special ability which you can activate with the press of a button. You will receive stars based on how many of the points of interest are hit before time runs out.

When I first saw UNABLES, its premise is what intrigued me the most. I always appreciate when a game tries to do something unique. There are a lot of new video games released each day. It is hard to standout in such a crowded industry. Being unique doesn’t guarantee that a game will be good, but it does help make it feel like a unique experience. It is always refreshing to try something different instead of playing the same game with only minor changes.

In regards to its uniqueness, UNABLES clearly stands out. I play a lot of indie games, many of which have had unique premises. Despite this I can’t recall playing a game quite like UNABLES. The premise behind the game is kind of silly, but it does lead to a unique experience. While it does have some issues which I will address later, I genuinely enjoyed playing the game. The game can get pretty chaotic at times, but it is fun manipulating the environment to get characters where they need to go. At times it may seem kind of random, but there is an actual skill to using the environment. As you play the game you get better at moving characters around.

I think one of the game’s greatest strengths is that it is actually quite straightforward and easy to play. You basically either use an analog stick or motion controls to control the world itself. To control the camera you will use the other analog stick. Otherwise there is a button that controls the special ability and that is all there is. You basically can learn everything you need in around a minute. This means that you can quickly pick it up. Anyone even someone who doesn’t play many video games should have no trouble playing it. Having tried both control schemes, I actually preferred the motion controls even though I am not usually the biggest fan of motion controls. The analog sticks work perfectly fine as well for those that do not like motion controls.

I would divide UNABLES levels into two general categories. I would say that a majority of the levels involve you just trying to move your character around and having them touch the areas/objects highlighted in the level as quickly. These levels are quite straightforward, but can be pretty chaotic as objects fly everywhere.

The other group of levels involve some puzzle solving. The main mechanic of moving the characters around by turning the world itself doesn’t change. This is combined though with the fact that you need to solve puzzles. The puzzles are pretty straightforward as they usually involve figuring out the right order in which to interact with the objects. You can figure out the puzzles through trial and error, but there is some logic to them as well.

Of the two types of levels, I definitely preferred the levels that had more of a puzzle element to them. The other levels are fine, and are still enjoyable. The problem is that they can sometimes just feel like a frantic exercise of moving objects around the stage to get the character to touch them all before you run out of time. There really isn’t a whole lot of thought put into beating these levels. You need to be good at using the environment to move the character around. At times it feels kind of random whether you will succeed or not. These levels are still fun, but they don’t really highlight the game’s greatest strengths.

Meanwhile the more puzzle-centric levels feel more substantial. These were actually some of the more difficult levels as they require you to both be good with the mechanics, but also figure out the right process to complete them in time. I wish the game relied a little more on these type of levels as they were the most enjoyable. They felt less random, and felt more like a level than just a bunch of random objects that you needed to run into. The game would have benefited from a greater emphasis on these type of levels.

While the gameplay is pretty fun, there were a couple issues. Probably the biggest is that it is sometimes kind of hard to tell what you are supposed to do at any given time. There are a set of images in the bottom right corner which give you hints on what you still need to complete. Sometimes these are helpful, but other times you just need to guess what you are supposed to do next. Occasionally items and characters will also get stuck in the environment. You can usually get them out by flipping the world completely upside down. There will be times when a key element gets stuck though and there is nothing you can do outside of restarting the level. This isn’t a huge deal as you likely will lose less than a minute’s worth of progress.

Lets move onto the game’s story, environment, and other elements. I had some mixed feelings about this part of the game. There are a lot of things to like. While each of the worlds are pretty small, I think the graphical style really works for the game. They are pretty different as well. I also appreciate that the game utilizes voice acting instead of just written text. I think the voice actor is pretty good. The story doesn’t play a huge role in the game. Outside of everything just being really lazy, there isn’t a connecting story between all of the levels. The humor is pretty hit or miss. There are some funny lines, but others were more groan-worthy than something that I would laugh at. 

This biggest issue that I had with the overall atmosphere is mostly that the voice acting can get repetitive rather quickly. Basically whenever you interact with one of the given objects in the world, you get a little bit of narration which usually consists of an attempt at humor. Some of these are funny, but others are kind of lame. As you might interact with several of the objects right after one another, this sometimes leads to one line playing over/interrupting another line. When the game gets really chaotic it can sometimes sounds like a random bunch of words as it becomes hard to follow any individual joke. When you have to repeat levels, these lines can get repetitive rather quickly if you have to hear them a bunch.

I will say that UNABLES is a short experience. It has fifteen levels. These levels are quite short. In the hard mode you are only given 60 seconds to beat the levels. Some levels took a few tries to get three stars on, and others I beat on my first attempt. Ultimately I was able to beat the game getting three stars in every level and receiving the platinum trophy in around two hours. While I could see coming back to the game at some point in the future, I can’t say that it has a lot of replay value.

Ultimately I enjoyed UNABLES even though I think it could have been better in some areas. The premise is truly unique and probably the game’s greatest strength. The gameplay isn’t going to be for everyone, but I thought it was quite fun. It is unique unlike anything that I have played recently. The controls are simple and easy to pick up. The gameplay is genuinely quite fun as well especially in the levels that are more puzzle-like.

I wish there was a little more emphasis on the puzzle-like levels though as too many levels feel kind of random where you just need to move the characters around enough before they finally collide into the objects that they need to touch. The story is decent even though the narrator can get a little annoying after a while as they repeat the same lines over and over again. Probably the biggest complaint I have with the game is just that it is short. I fully completed the game in around two hours. I think it could have been longer as there is more the game could have done with the premise.

My recommendation comes down to your thoughts on the premise and the length of the game. If the premise doesn’t really interest you, I don’t think the game will be for you. If the premise seems interesting and you don’t mind short games, I think you will enjoy UNABLES and should consider picking it up.