Above all else, Defunct sells itself on an exhilarating sense of speed matched with excellent level design and exploration. It’s rare to find a game where simply moving around is as fun as it is here. Of course the game’s short length might deter some, but it’s genuinely interesting to see a developer run with the idea of a momentum-based platformer and nail the core mechanics.
Despite its shortcomings, Defunct is still a mostly enjoyable little game. Though, it’s hard to determine if it has any real lasting appeal. Given its short playtime, if you do go through the trouble of exploring every level to the absolute maximum, you may be able to squeeze a handful more hours out of it. But, there really isn’t much to come back to after that. I’d say this is a game better picked up on sale if it ever drops below the $10 mark. Defunct is a fun distraction, but it’s hard to consider it to be any more than that.
With its unique focus on flow and gravity, what could have been a rather so-so post-apocalyptic adventure game is made into a virtual skate park and possibly perfects that genre without intending to be part of it!
The game is a lot of fun. I enjoyed the vast openness of it's puzzles and the gravity mechanic is one hell of a rush once you get accustomed to it. Although I wish there was at least something to collect at the various stalls, it was nice to not really no where I was going. Just that I was going. I guess that's all I really needed
Defunct is a fast-paced and exhilarating experience, let down in places by camera work and the non-intuitive handling that it can cause. It’s a very short game, so check it out if it hits up an eShop sale.
Running through different maps may sound like something fun. Sadly this is not the case of Defunct, something that makes it a game not very recommendable in the eShop. Its great lack of content is its biggest mistake.
Admito que no soy de terminar los juegos,pero si este Videojuego seria mas largo lo ubiera finalizado ahora porque ofrece una mecanica bastante buena,pero carece en el aspecto de explicar bien como funciona sacando eso es muy entretenido Graficos buenas,y todo eso muy Chevere felizito sus Creadores.
I want to note that this game actually struck me in such a way that I specifically made an account on Metacritic to tell everyone how wonderful I think it is.
While not technically, graphically, or narratively impressive (at times it does indeed feel like a tech demo more than anything) Defunct shines a light on what modern high-speed exploration games could play like (I'm looking at you, modern Sonic), and it is important to remember that this is developer Freshly Squeezed's first and only game to date. DetectiveDonut's review seems to hint at the connection with the Sonic franchise, and also mentions that this game shines with potential- something I can corroborate.
Not always executed perfectly, the gameplay mechanics need improvement and refinement but it is also worth mentioning that their theoretical simplicity is welcomed: each mechanic is easy to explain and easy to understand, even if not easy to execute (in the case of the Magnetize ability). At the end of the day, Defunct receives a positive-leaning 7/10 not because it is the most well-executed game out there, but because while it may or may not be derivative of the modern Sonic franchise, Sega is the one with a lot to learn from this simple Swedish-developed indie.
A bit pricey compared to the amount of content in the game, I would recommend picking this title up while it is on-sale (at the time of this review it goes for literal cents on the Nintendo Switch eShop), but if it doesn't appear that strong savings will be a possibility any time soon and you have the small amount of cash to spare, this extremely short game is worth experiencing nonetheless and Freshly Squeezed is certainly worth supporting so that we might see what comes from them next.
This feels like it should be the leaked, alpha stage of the game. There's some good ideas that would be fun to see done better and fleshed out. I liked the momentum you build up and how fun that could be compared to Sonic **** it just tripped and fell on its face. It's tedious and frustrating. Gave me Bubsy 3D vibes. Not worth a buy.
SummaryDefunct is an indie adventure game with a focus on flow, speed and an engaging world. You are a broken robot that accidentally falls out of a giant cargo ship onto a post-human Earth, now inhabited by robots. You have to get back to your ship before it’s too late!