Thank you Ratalaika for sending us this game to review!

Reed 2 is a platformer game developed by PXLink and Ratalaika Games. The player plays as a cute creature named Reed, and apparently, his world is in great danger. The supercomputer who was acquainted with Reed failed to complete a vital reboot operation that could have saved them all, so the hope is that Reed will be able to deliver a backup flash drive to the “developer” so he can restore the world. Upon giving him that message, the supercomputer burst into flames. A door on the other side of the room then opens, and the first level begins.

There are 50 levels in the game, each and every one frustratingly irritating in its own way. The levels are separated by brown doors that can only be passed through if the player collects all three golden cubes that are scattered in the level. Each spinning golden cube is usually surrounded by either spikes, turrets, sawblades, or all three, making completion of the level very difficult. Basically, in order to complete each level, the player must collect each golden cube in the level and reach the door safely. If he or she makes contact with any spikes or sawblades, all progress in that level is lost, and the golden cubes must all be collected again, because it only takes one mistake to kill Reed.

The controls are rather simple: You can use either the left or right stick or the d-pad on the device to move left or right in the level. B is used to jump, and you can press it again while in the air to jump again in the air, making a double-jump. The plus on the Nintendo Switch is used to pause the game and/or access the menu, from which you can adjust the background noise and how loud it is compared to the sound effects as Reed walks and jumps.

The visuals in this game are not particularly special, but neither are they notably low-quality. You could say they are mediocre, I suppose. One thing I did notice, though, besides the obvious fact that the graphics are all pixelated to an extent, is that the developer implemented effects in the game so that sometimes it appears as though a glitch occurred, which, of course, was intended, and even contributes to the notion that Reed’s world needs repairing, further emphasizing the importance of delivering the flash drive to the developer figure in the game.

As for the sound in the game, I can’t compliment it as much. I would like to talk about the music in this game, but unfortunately there is none. In its place are ambient eerie sounds that play as the player completes the levels. I do suppose it contributes to the theme of the game, and, as I said earlier, the notion that the world Reed lives in is desperately in need of redemption. Other than that, though, I can’t really say much about the sounds in the game besides the fact that the sound effects are okay.

With all that said, I do hope you have a good idea of what Reed 2 is like. Since no significant moral issues exist in this title, I can safely recommend it to anyone looking for a challenging platformer – with the warning that “rage-quits” may occur as a common side effect. Other than that, though, I think it’s safe to say I liked this game and have enjoyed (to an extent) all of the forty-nine out of fifty levels I experienced of Reed 2.