Super Hexagon Review – Frantic, fast, HARD

Our rating:

By: Terry Cavanagh

Version #: release_version

Date Released: 2012-10-05

Developer: Super Hexagon Support

Price: 0.99

User Rating:

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There are games that people would classify as difficult. These are games that take months of dedication to master and fall into one of two categories. One is games that are hard because they are poorly made. I’m not saying they are not fun, just that the gameplay is so sloppy and the precision require to performs task so great, that it takes a zen-like mastery of the game to win. As a child we would call these games nintendo hard after the large number of poorly written, but fun games for the Nintendo. On the other end of the scale we have games that are just designed to be hard. Sometimes a developer feels the game does not offer enough challenge because, after thousands of hours of play testing, they are able to waltz through the game like it was child’s play. Whatever the reason, the solution to the game is within the grasp of the player, if they have the skill to beat it.

Super Hexagon falls squarely in the later category. The game is smooth and with tight controls, and yet this game is unequivocally the most difficult game I have ever played on the iOS. The sheer intensity of this game matched with the hypnotics use of movement, color, and sound means that most people will last mere seconds even on the easiest difficulty (which starts at hard). I have handed this game to so many people to see their reaction and not one person felt this game was even remotely winnable. They would play and die over and over again until i asked for my phone back. The important thing to point out is that I had to ask for it back. This game has masochistic addiction to it that keeps the player tapping the Game Over screen wanting more. With such short games, you can knock out dozens of attempts in a matter of minutes.

Super Hexagon is brilliant in its simplicity. You are a triangle that rotates around a hexagon trying to avoid the various encompassing shapes that are headed your way from all sides. There is always a way out, but it is usually hard to get to in time if you are not looking ahead. This is made more difficult as the entire world rotates around, the colors change and pulsate like a bad acid trip, and the techno music all aim to distract you from your task.

Super hexagon will appeal to anyone who likes in your face arcade games where the odds are stacked against you. The concentration and skill you need to finish a mode is so hard earned that you feel great the first time you last ten seconds. While this game has characteristics of other casual games, I would not compare it to slower, more pedestrian games. Super Hexagon is only for the most hard core of gamers. I hope you bring your A game, or else it will be game over.