TerRover Review

TerRover is an adorable physics-based platformer that you really want to like as soon as you first lay eyes on it. It's got a cute protagonist with lots of personality, an attractive and stylish look, and interesting platforming challenges. Unfortunately, it doesn't take long at all for frustration to set in when you start wrestling with the controls. Trying to maneuver your rover over even the simplest terrain is usually an exercise in annoyance. Expletives will be shouted. Controllers will be thrown. Sadly, at the end of the day TerRover is more frustrating than fun.

Rovers gonna rove, and that's just what you do in TerRover. Travelling from planet to planet (Ice Planet, Lava Planet...), your goal in each level is simply to get to the exit as quickly as possible. Traversing the tricky terrain in your almost-impossible-to-control rover is much, much easier said than done, though.

Along the way there are nuts and bolts to collect, some of which are hidden or in hard to reach places. There is a lot of replay value to TerRover if you happen to enjoy it, because the first time you play a level you'll just desperately be trying to reach the goal. Then you can return many times over to try and beat the par time, find all the items, and get the award for not dying. The problem, though, is that reaching the finish line can be so difficult, once you do it you may never want to try it again.

Speaking of dying: you'll do it a lot! Each level is thankfully generous with checkpoints so if you come into contact with spikes or dangerous plant life you won't be sent back too far. But every time your rover is destroyed a little ghost will be left at the place of death, reminding you of your failure. There will be times when the game looks like a graveyard, with tens of markers onscreen representing your many, many attempts to surpass the current obstacle.

The level select interface is confusing. Instead of progressing from planet to planet, you jump around the galaxy inexplicably. When returning to a game you may want to play some easier levels on the starting planet, only to find out the only level available is on the lava planet which appears to be level five. It's a bad sign when you have trouble getting into a game. Certain in-game features are bewildering, too. You can upgrade your rover with tools like a gun, but it took me quite some time to figure out how to use it because of the lack of explanation.

It's too bad TerRover ends up being a turnoff, because it really stands out for its art style and plucky little hero. Your rover has a face that will react to different situations. If you're just roving along he'll be as happy as a clam, but if he gets stuck in a tight space his expression will change to red anger (as will your own). The different planets you visit all have their own unique, bizarre vistas and foliage.

There are a few local multiplayer modes for up to four rovers so you can spread the frustration around. The Race mode is probably the most fun as four players make a mad dash for the finish line over ridiculously bumpy terrain. But then there is the Trial mode where two players each attempt to overcome one obstacle at a time. Too often, my opponent and I would just be stuck there for minutes and minutes wrestling with the controls.