Puzzle Platformers are always a bit of a mixed bag. Some of them lean a little too heavily into precision platforming, while others lean too far into obtuse puzzles. It is rare for a Puzzle-Platformer to achieve an engaging balance of both, but Unbound: Worlds Apart definitely tries. I would say it succeeds in a lot of ways as well, but…it has some problems.

In Unbound: Worlds Apart you play as Soli, a mage with the power to open portals to other worlds. Soli can utilize the unique properties of a single world, depending on where you are in the game, to solve puzzles and progress through a world ravaged by corruption. Soli’s goal is to stop the corruption and save the surviving mages.

I wouldn’t precisely call Unbound a Metroidvania, but there are elements of a Metroidvania in the game. For starters, you begin with just a jump ability and the ability to make a portal. Over time, you gain abilities such as double jump, wall jump, and more. The puzzles get more difficult as you progress as well, but each environment slowly feeds new mechanics and mastery of puzzle ideas to you, so it feels fair.

However, I wouldn’t call Unbound: Worlds Apart beginner-friendly. The platforming gets progressively difficult as you play, and for someone with slower reflexes, physical impairments, or a lower skill level, I could see Unbound being a bit frustrating. This is specifically true since Soli dies after a single hit, even in boss battles. The checkpoint system is fairly forgiving, but it is still a frustrating experience when you have to repeat a section over and over because you are dying due to a random spike or an incorrect button press.

While the environments are colorful, I felt a bit like the game overused certain things, such as spikes and hazardous liquids. It began to feel less like unique biomes and more like palette swaps of areas. There was the volcanic area with dark stone and crystal spikes, the wooded zone with wood and thorns, etc. I understand that in a game like this it can be difficult to diversify, but it wasn’t exactly visually compelling.

I liked a lot of the puzzle elements, and when the platforming doesn’t ask too much of the player, I think it is solid. There are some times where I think the developers got a little sadistic, but most of my deaths were my fault rather than unfairness on the game’s part. The controls are solid too, and despite a few minor frame-rate issues in certain spots, I think the Switch version plays very well.

Unbound: Worlds Apart is a great Puzzle Platformer for people who enjoy games like Ori and the Blind Forest or Celeste. However, it lacks the accessibility of games like Celeste, with occasional difficulty spikes in the platforming. It isn’t the best Puzzle-Platformer I’ve played, but it is definitely not the worst either.

A Nintendo Switch review copy of Unbound: Worlds Apart was provided by Alien Pixel Studios for this review.

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Unbound: Worlds Apart

$19.99 USD

7

Score

7.0/10

Pros

• Fun, Imaginative Puzzles
• Interesting Premise
• Smooth Controls

Cons

• Platforming Spikes in Difficulty
• Areas Feel Same-y Visually
• Instant Death on Hit
• Hard on People With Slow Reflexes/Arthritis