PS3 Xbox 360

Magrunner: Dark Pulse

ShooterPuzzleAdventureIndie

Space needed: About 1.3 GB
Time to beat: about 9.2 hours
Plays offline: Yes

Overview

Magrunner: Dark Pulse is a puzzle game developed by Frogwares. It was released as a downloadable title on Microsoft Windows on 20 June 2013, PlayStation Network on 23 October 2013, and Xbox Live Arcade on 25 October 2013. Magrunner: Dark Pulse is set in a cyberpunk reimagining of H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos.

Magrunner: Dark Pulse is a first-person action puzzle game. Using Magtech glove, the player can power any other Magtech objects with different, colored charges: either green/blue or red. Objects charged with the same color will attract each other, while objects charged with different colors will repel each other. The developer has intentionally changed the real physics approach of conventional bipolarity of Magnets when the similar colors repel each other to expand game mechanics. Interacting with three or more objects simultaneously proves the necessity of this change.

The story begins as Xander, the CEO of Gruckezber Corporation, who is interviewed on 3D television as he announces the start of the contest using the corporation's magnetic technology, and that several contestants, known as "magrunners" will compete for the prize.

The first working on the game was started in 2011 by the members of Frogwares studio. After a year of development, the story was written, 25 levels built with Unreal Engine were completed, and design specifications for all 40 levels were ready. On 2 July 2012, 3 AM Games started a crowdfunding campaign in collaboration with GamesPlanet, a digital European gaming platform and Ulule, a European crowdfunding site, aiming to gather €100,000 to finish the game and to add Player vs Player mode and five additional maps for the PVP gameplay. The game was successfully funded on 17 August 2012 but the PvP idea was abandoned.

Magrunner: Dark Pulse received mixed reviews on Metacritic. GameSpot said the game had great horror ambiance and fun challenges, but they called the story too serious for its own good. IGN said that the game was challenging but had a boring storyline and under-baked horror. Destructoid called the game gorgeous but frustrating at times.