If you’re a fan of Valve games, then you’re probably pretty loyal to their brand.  However, it never hurts to stray out there and find something equally inspired by their lunacy.  In this case, Warp, a game made by Trapdoor Interactive and published by Electronic Arts, the first of Microsoft’s four-game House Party group.  It definitely has its moments of lunacy, though some of them may be too much for amateur players to bear.

In the game, you play Zero, an alien with no nose, no mouth, and a resemblance similar to that of a “space bee”, if you will.  At the start, he’s captured by pesky humans, who proceed to run him through a series of embarrassing tests, leaving him mopey (even after devouring a grub, one of the in-game collectibles that can earn you an achievement).

However, he’s soon able to turn the tables on his captors when he re-discovers his ability to teleport, ala short range, from one place to another.  This enables him to go through walls and air ducts, and even warp into objects, where he can be moved around with cranes and conveyor belts.  Man, this lab is pretty damn industrial for being in the middle of nowhere.

Anyway, it’s when you discover Zero’s true, mildly disturbing talent that the so-called “Valve vibe” sets in.  He can not only warp his way into inanimate objects and make them explode, but also people.  That’s right – one minute an unsuspecting guard is keeping watch, and the next, Zero jumps inside of him and makes him explode into a gooey mess.  It’s one of the game’s high points, believe it or not.

Unfortunately, the rest of the game drags under the weight of its difficulty.  Trapdoor wanted to add challenges to this part platformer, part stealth game, so it not only tasks you to do some infuriating backtracking (bad even with a heads-up display) and switch flipping, but occasionally outrunning an enemy stronger than you and warping with utmost precision – almost impossible, especially in the game’s anger-inducing final stage, which you may never actually complete if you lack the necessary skills.  There is such a thing as progressive difficulty settings, where the game is supposed to “pick up the pace” as you go into it, but Trapdoor makes it a bit excessive here, which may turn off rookie players.

That’s too bad, because the gameplay is definitely inspired, and I like the addition of challenge rooms, where you can put your skills to the test against others through online leaderboards.  Some will still enjoy this, though, provided they aren’t screaming at the guy who continuously smashes into them with a door.

As I stated earlier, Warp is definitely inspired by some of Valve’s work, especially the Portal games.  The visuals are pretty good for a downloadable game, particularly Zero’s animations, the exploding humans (SPLAT!) and the décor of the lab, as vast as it is industrious.  The camera needs work at times, though, particularly when it comes to scoping out threats that may lie ahead.  At least the music is somewhat fitting for the subject, and the voicework is up to speed.

Should you pick up Warp for Xbox Live Arcade?  That really depends entirely on how much pressure you’re going to put on yourself as you play.  If you’re not prepared, you’re likely to explode with rage, almost in the way guards do in the game.  However, if you’re game, this may just be the type of game you want to jump into.

About the Author

Robert Workman

Senior Writer/Editor

Robert has years of experience in the video game industry, writing for such sites as AOL GameDaily, PlanetXbox360 and Comic Book Resources.  He can also outdrink you any day of the week.  And twice on Sunday.  Follow him at www.twitter.com/thedcd.