ERSATZ review

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Ersatz is fun and a unique mix of precise platforming and music.
It's got a seriously good thumping soundtrack with some of the most difficult platforming
I've ever played.
This is one of those times where the trailer and steam page do not do a game justice.
I skipped over Ersatz and that was wrong.
So very wrong.
There's a certain game feel that doesn't come across in the trailer at all.
The thing is this game is hard.
Really super crazy hard.
At least if you want to finish with a low time.
The game is set up in a way that you can always finish, it's simple to pick up and play.
However, you can die so much it can really take a toll on your emotional well being.
I don't know how the developer did it but this game is equal parts frustrating and fun.
I mean that in the best possible way.
I don't want to stop playing but I'm so mad at myself for making so many stupid mistakes.
Everything is placed in a way that requires you to be super precise.
Slide a little too late and bam right as it ends you hit an enemy.
But I can't stop playing.
No matter how frustrated I get, I believe in myself!
I can get a really low time in the next run.
Everything feels possible and designed perfectly.
Everything is centered around how long it's taking you to complete the level.
Ersatz removes any tracking of high scores, lives, and continues.
Only the final time matters.
Because of this every one of your failures increases your time.
Ersatz gives you six hit points so there's some leniency but they can only be replenished
at a stone tablet.
Each health point you get back costs two seconds.
If you lose them all it costs twenty seconds so it's worth it to keep a full health bar.
That twenty-second penalty is tacked on to your current time which includes all the time
you wasted dying.
The stress to go as fast as possible builds up.
So you'll be able to finish the level but will you be satisfied with your time?
Hint: probably not.
The controls are super tight and give you a lot of control.
The moves are a dash, a slide, a sliding dash, and a stomp.
The dash is the most important since you'll be using it to kill enemies.
It also requires some strategy since you only get three charges.
It's interesting that Ersatz lets you use the dash so quickly after another one.
You can essentially chain three together very quickly to get three hits on a boss.
Where the tricky part comes in is that you can abort a dash early by doing the stomp.
This allows levels to be carefully constructed for perfect movement.
It requires you to move fast and precise.
Ersatz can have enemies lined up that require a dash, then stop, then slide, then dash.
With the limit on the dashes, there will be moments of downtime but that doesn't mean
the game is going to take it easy on you.
Some of these combos to get around a stage are quite difficult to pull off but that moment
of success makes it worth it.
The feeling of jumping off a wall and dashing into an enemy then stomping on three more
is awesome.
So for this game, you need a controller and know how to use it.
I really like how minimal Ersatz is.
Focusing on just the best time keeps it simple and to the point.
It also makes it obvious when you fail since the clock is always present.
The rank you can get is displayed next to it so you can watch your rank quickly sink
to the lowest.
Along the same lines, the game is explicit about adding that twenty seconds to your time
when you die.
As if I needed the reminder.
I've definitely gotten the clock up to forty minutes before giving up and taking a break.
However, with all the knowledge I gained from playing I was able to go back and complete
the level.
Also, note that Ersatz is very room based and if you die you'll only have to restart
the room.
Some of the rooms are longer than others but this is incredibly fair.
it doesn't demoralize me too much since most of my progress is saved.
That's how the game is possible to beat and learn all the stages.
I appreciate how the game respects my time and doesn't expect me to play from a save
point.
And you'll want to keep playing over and over to get the lowest time.
Replaying a level even shows you the difference in time for each screen.
Handy but also drives me freaking nuts as I see my current time get further and further
behind my best time.
It's a nice touch though to put in time splits.
The music of Ersatz is great.
Each level gets its own track and you're basically playing to the rhythm in some places.
Or maybe the rhythm is playing to you.
Not sure.
The audio definitely helps though and the fact that enemies shoot to the beat makes
it a lot easier to anticipate what's going to happen.
As I said in the intro I think the look of the game isn't clear how it's going to
play.
The art is a simple style that I think turns people away.
I'm guilty of thinking the same.
I think it's more important to say that the art and color choices make it very clear
where the enemies are.
In this type of game that's much more important.
Ersatz has a unique style which I always enjoy and that's more important.
My one issue with Ersatz is that there are a few places that respawning will hurt you
before you can move.
During the countdown, the level can still affect you.
For example, if you spawn on a moving platform it will move you right into a hole before
you can do anything.
That starts you off with one less health and in a game like this, that's not really acceptable.
I'm sure as soon as people start playing it and get the bug reports in the developer
will fix them.
The replay value for Ersatz is huge since you can only get better at the game the more
you play.
There are eight levels to play but there are different playstyles to unlock.
To tell you the truth I haven't been able to complete the main game yet and these playstyles
do not unlock until you finish the game.
They are there though and have their own time for you to try and whittle down.
Overall for a game by a one person this one of the most polished games I've ever played.
It has a great balance between difficult and possible that doesn't let you put it down.
I love how focused the game is on doing one thing really well, making you get the lowest
time possible.
I have high hopes that Ersatz will find its audience and if you have any interest in these
types of games this is something you need to pick up.
For everyone I would suggest you try the demo, it's free and I think you'll find something
really enjoyable.
Thanks for watching.
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ERSATZ review

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