Scaler

"Scaler is a budget platformer worthy of its low price."

Scaler is a budget platformer that, while not being one of the best platformers out there, is certainly worth the money.

Graphics 7/10

The graphics in this game aren't terrible, but they do leave a bit to be desired. They aren't spectacular, but they're good enough for a budget game. The backgrounds are probably the best looking thing in the game. The few characters in the game don't look bad, but they could be easily improved upon. However, with this being a budget title, the graphics are good for what you pay for them. Despite the good looks of the backgrounds, all of the levels seem very similar, which reduced the overall score of the graphics.

Gameplay 6/10

The gameplay is similar to nearly every other platformer. You travel through a variety of levels, collecting a certain object in order to beat the game. In Scaler, you have to collect eggs. The levels in the game usually contain a few eggs that you must collect in order to advance onto the next level. Each level has a certain egg number requirement. You can collect the eggs from any of the other levels in order to move on. You can also collect Crystal Gems to attempt to get a different ending in the game.

To help Scaler through the levels, there are a variety of other creatures for Scaler to transform into. However, none of Scaler's transformations are particularly useful. They may be used to get through a certain part of the level, but it is much more fun to simply play as Scaler himself. Most of the transformations are only useful in one level, and even when you are using them, they aren't even very fun to use.

You can buy upgrades from a man named Leon. You have to collect Klokkies in order to buy upgrades. The upgrades aren't particularly useful either, but you need some of them to advance past certain parts of levels.

The best part of the gameplay is the vine riding. It is very similar to the grinding in Sonic Adventure 2. However, the vine riding can get cheap and you may die very easily due to the high speeds. You will probably be dying a lot in this game, and when you do, the game will randomly restart you at another place in the level.

Some of the levels and bosses are tough and can sometimes be a bit unfair. In every level, there is a part where Scaler is trapped in a circular arena against a constant flow of baddies. This happens several times throughout each level and can get annoying.

As with any platformer, there are always cheap deaths. There are enemies that can kill you in one hit, and if you make a mistake while jumping, you can fall and die, forcing you to restart at a random location. The game is also relatively short unless you attempt to collect all of the Crystal Gems, which in my opinion, is not worth your time doing.

Sound 7/10

The music in the game is good. It isn't anything special, but it fits the different worlds that Scaler travels to nicely. The voiceovers, however, are rather bad, and the dialogue is corny.

Story 4/10

The story in this game is rather non-existent. Not much is explained throughout the game. The beginning and the end are really the only parts of the game that explain the story besides the instruction manual.

Fun 8/10

Despite its flaws, Scaler is a fun game. I'm not quite sure what it is about this game, but it's genuinely fun. It's like most other plat formers that you will find, but for the budget price, it may be worth picking up if you or someone you know enjoys playing platformers. Overall, I give Scaler a 7/10.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 04/18/06