The Therapist Gamer

Metrico is mostly a puzzle game, but has some platforming elements as well.  The twist is that the platforms are manipulated by various metrics, such as how many times you've jumped or even what colors are in the real-world room!  

 

The puzzles start out fairly simple and of course get progressively more difficult.  For example, perhaps you can't reach a ledge but the platform you're standing on rises based on the number of times you've jumped.  Ergo, if you keep jumping then the platform you're on will rise and you can then reach the ledge.  More complex puzzles might require you to shoot an enemy with precise timing before purposely dying and then moving only a certain distance without jumping.  

 

The game is not terribly long which is probably for the best because the puzzles start to become quite brain-busting.  Towards the end the skill and puzzle solving required to advance began to get a bit too much for me, though I did feel good about myself when I finally got passed them.  

 

The art style of the game is pretty cool, with the designers opting for a simplified, streamlined look that matches the games analytic motif.  

 

There were some things about the game that just about drove me crazy, however.  The main problem was that at one point you gain the ability to shoot little dots.  You do this by selecting the angle of your shot by sliding your finger up and down the front touch screen, and then tapping the rear touch pad to shoot.  At times you need to perform this contortion while holding the Vita both sideways and tilted down or up.  If you can imagine holding your Vita in such an awkward way and then being required to shoot at precisely timed targets . . . you might get an idea of why the game can get frustrating.  I thought it was novel to try to use all of the Vita's controls, but it was just too much.  Some of the later puzzles also require you to find a blue, yellow, or red object and point the Vita's rear camera at it.  Again, a novel idea but pretty tedious in a platform puzzler.  What if there's no red in the room?  I have to go to another room to keep playing?  C'mon.  Why?

 

Overall, I'm glad I played Metrico and hope the developers can iron out these issues for similar content, because in general the ideas were great!