I’d been watching MOTORSLICE with nice anticipation for awhile now. Was watching MOYA HORROR’s and HauntedPS1’s EEK3 2025 indie recreation showcase dwell in January 2025, and largely marveling on the variety of rad as heck indie horror video games that had — and have been — popping out on the time. Night time of the Client, The Remake of the Finish of the Biggest RPG of All Time, which isn’t fairly out but, however shall be quickly, Sorry We’re Closed and Judero, the final two are at present obtainable on PSN, and I nonetheless adore Sorry We’re Closed. I nonetheless haven’t but performed Judero sadly, nevertheless it additionally appears to be like completely fascinating. Then, after the trailer for a recreation the place you play as a crow, a very placing trailer struck. A younger girl in a jumpsuit, working throughout a desert with a chainsaw, main into her being attacked by a human sized excavator — and going from there.
It’s now Could of 2026, a… lot has modified since then, to say the least, however my curiosity in and curiosity about MOTORSLICE was a kind of small issues that maintained. So, once I received the prospect to offer it a better look, and the prospect to professionally have a look at and evaluate it in a scene the place smaller titles are getting greater pictures? So, as we take that nearer look, what precisely do we’ve right here? That’s… a little bit of a tricky factor describe, so apologies if I am going on a little bit of a ramble right here. As normal, in the midst of this evaluate, I’ll attempt to restrict any visible spoilers to the primary few chapters, so, let’s limber up and get on this journey, we could?
The Beating Solar, A Beating Coronary heart
The story, as it’s, begins with a communication between our playable character, P, and an individual who appears to be her handler, G. It’s a easy premise; P goes into what’s deemed, and, as shall be readily noticeable upon seeing it, a megastructure. A megastructure’s mainly a large constructing advanced, if that title didn’t make it apparent. P’s activity is straightforward, to destroy each machine within the construction in noticeable vibrant yellow textual content, and that “failure is forbidden.” Shortly after, the digital camera drone that G despatched alongside along with her malfunctions, and also you, because the participant, don’t have entry to the complete vary of the digital camera because of environmental points, with the orb formed digital camera drone quite rapidly getting gunked up.
This, essentially, results in P needing to restore the drone, which shall be known as Orbie from this level ahead. You’ll get a reboot from Orbie’s perspective with a… frankly worrying variety of unfixed errors, locked features, and the word that Orbie is managed by an autonomous AI, which simply so occurs to have the participant’s title. So far as you already know, on the very least. There’s a bit extra speaking on P’s half, earlier than we get into the sport correct and get used to the digital camera, which you management as you’ll anticipate with the suitable analog stick.
Oh, and earlier than we get into the right gameplay, that’ll be within the subsequent part, I’ll word a couple of issues. P is voiced by Kira Buckland, a reputation that, in the event you’ve performed any variety of video games up to now 21 years, you’ll know. Buckland has been in lots over time, I first heard her within the sci-fi horror title the white chamber for the PC, to what’s in all probability their most well-known work as 2B in Nier: Automata, and as Queen Dizzy in Responsible Gear Attempt. A Buckland voiced character is mostly an indication that you simply’re in line for one thing that’s on the very least quite attention-grabbing. Usually.
A Twitch, A Sprint
The sport itself begins the tutorial correctly after P fixes up Orbie, and within the subsequent couple of minutes you’re going to get a reasonably fast impediment course of how the sport goes to work. From the moment you’re given the power to direct P, you’re given numerous freedom by way of motion, with each her and the digital camera. The digital camera begins in “floaty” mode, and in the event you’ve not been having gentle points together with your controller’s proper analog stick having stick drift, like I’ve been not too long ago, it’s as fluid and cell as P’s motion. When you have been, it nonetheless is, however that responsiveness could be a bit bit too fluid, because of technical points that aren’t the sport’s fault. If you’re, there are two completely different Contemplating what her job requires her to do, and what she’s going to come across all through this journey, that could be a very, superb factor.
MOTORSLICE is essentially a parkour platformer, ala the PS2 Prince of Persia releases or Mirror’s Edge, with barely extra of a give attention to how harmful P’s total existence is, and the surroundings that our lead traverses isn’t precisely hospitable to her. One of many first stuff you study to do is the “clean touchdown,” which is her bracing herself as she falls. This… is one thing she goes to be doing an honest bit all through the sport as a part of the principle conceit. There isn’t precisely harm on this recreation, for P, not less than. P can die actually, actually simply and messily on a missed leap, in any of the terrain hazards you possibly can come throughout, or within the fight that there’s fairly an honest little bit of. To not the Tomb Raider reboot ranges that Lara may, lots faster, within the pretty literal “blink and also you’ll miss it” sense.
Fascinating factor about that, nevertheless, is that assertion applies fairly readily to what you’re going to be going up towards as effectively. As a result of P, curiously, has a chainsaw, and she or he’s actually, actually good at utilizing it, each within the platforming sections — you’re going to be utilizing your chainsaw to chop by means of pipes and grind up and alongside partitions lots and it doesn’t get previous for the participant, or this participant, not less than — and within the aforementioned fight. You’re gonna be utilizing it towards various kinds of machines, a substantial quantity of it being some type of development gear in some kind or one other, from the primary enemy you discover being a human-sized excavator, to the flying energy saws that fireside their saws at P. These she will be able to parry and fling again at them, and that’s not together with some completely huge Shadow of the Coloss-esque bosses on the finish of a given chapter.
A Murmur, A Sudden Sound
Quite a lot of the story is environmental, however you do get considerably common moments all through every stage the place P takes a break and talks to Orbie. Slice of life segments, because it have been. The sport itself made that joke earlier than me and that’s the one purpose that’s not the title of this evaluate, not about to steal it’s movement, because it have been. Usually nothing too large, this can be a job and mercy is aware of what occurs if breaks go on too lengthy on stated job, however little moments to get a really feel for her P(ersonality). You usually get one or two selections of what Orbie can “say,” however, Orbie being an autonomous AI, she tends to not pay a lot heed. Nor ought to she, actually. Particularly contemplating sure behaviors from Orbie throughout these.
As such, a great deal of what you’ll get is from what you see as you climb the megastructure, how P reacts to stimuli and the way this whole ordeal is seen by means of her megalophobia. I can’t element that additional, however contemplating the premise of the sport chances are you’ll be having some ideas as to how this whole state of affairs feels to her with that extra bit of knowledge. I discussed that I first noticed this recreation at EEK3, a largely horror recreation targeted indie showcase, and you may really feel that. The megastructure is imposing, and the darkish hallways and crimson doorways which may have issues behind them add to a constant stress all through. I glanced down after a couple of particular sections and my palms have been legit sweating and I hadn’t seen whereas they have been happening.
A very good a part of it’s that this could be a quite troublesome recreation, if that reference to Prince of Persia earlier didn’t make that abundantly clear. Usually not unfairly so, though I can see and suspect folks will see components of this being trial and error, like they don’t have unbelievable management over each P’s and Orbie’s motion, to see within the second and look forward on the state of affairs. Additionally to take selfies with P, the directional buttons allow you to do this at most occasions, probably any however self-preservation took precedence at lot of the time so I didn’t truly strive in increased stress conditions. Simply be aware to not by accident blind P with the flashlight, it’s helpful for the darkish tunnels, however she doesn’t respect it being directed in the direction of her.
It’s usually a reasonably quiet, atmospheric recreation with simply the wind, P’s respiratory and numerous mechanical whirring sounds of varied levels of hostility, however when tenser conditions — usually within the fight areas and boss battles — ensue, London-based DnB/Jungle producer/composer Pizza Hotline‘s music makes the state of affairs really feel… attention-grabbing. You are feeling very, very a lot within the second, fittingly for P’s ongoing deal as a gal towards the machines, if that is smart?
A Second To Breathe
So, general, what do I believe? Effectively, contemplating I’m not the most important fan of 3D platformers or platformers generally, as a non-PSXE-related private return to Castlevania: Rondo of Blood and Shovel Knight left me a bit chilly, even acknowledging their each being actually good video games and adoring their respective aesthetics and music, simply usually not being my kinda factor? I truthfully loved my time with it!
I didn’t point out it earlier, however the low-poly artwork type is sort of pretty, and I personally suppose it provides to the texture of a largely barren and deserted panorama, with the occasional spots of magnificence. Principally somewhat bit after a boss, there’s a sq. circle with shade, greenery and a bench. This does call to mind sure spots in different titles, or it did to me, not less than, and may rouse suspicions of what MOTORSLICE is resulting in in the long run. Who am I to say although? I’m not the kind to spoil issues, particularly once I do need folks to offer the sport a strive if they’ve the prospect to.
When the gameplay clicks, and it does lots, you’ll be schmoovin’ alongside, avoiding and coping with the numerous risks all through. There are some slower areas, with it being a reasonably linear title, and it having a reasonably good sense of pacing, when to decelerate and pace up. I did have some areas the place I used to be caught for a bit, however these have been largely my being cussed, refusing to study and both not wanting round or repeatedly throwing myself towards the wall. Or into the mines. Or into the gears being I mistimed or misaligned a leap. It may be a irritating title, however my normal assumption is that I needs to be pissed off with myself in these conditions and never blame the sport except it’s one thing egregiously painful that couldn’t be defined by my being dense.
I believe Luqui and Saiki at Common Studio did one thing fairly dang cool right here, and Prime Hat Studios — for his or her half — are doing a reasonably dang good job of discovering and giving small devs pictures at getting attention-grabbing video games on the market. that is one thing that I’m at all times grateful for, particularly since they’re not less than partially liable for one in all my favourite video games of final yr, Labyrinth of the Demon King, making it onto “cabinets.” They’ve additionally printed and are publishing fairly a couple of titles, all of which look fairly distinctive. In the intervening time, nevertheless, MOTORSLICE is a reasonably dang attention-grabbing parkour platformer, and I’d genuinely counsel checking it out!
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