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Funky Lab Rat review

After I had spent several hours guiding this lab rat through Hydravision's PSN game I finally discovered, thanks to a dictionary, why it was funky. Is it because few lab rats actually break out and traverse an elaborate series of platforms in order to find freedom? Maybe it's because few lab rats own a torch that, when shone on a cloud of smoke reveals a floating pill underneath? Or possibly it's because few lab rats possess the ability to pause or even travel backwards in time? It turns out these are all reasons that the rodent in Funky Lab Rat is funky; this is a rat which can certainly seen to be "offbeat, unconventional or eccentric". (Source)

In fact, Funky Lab Rat itself can be seen to be offbeat, unconventional and eccentric, and these are all great features for a downloadable game wanting to stand out from the crowd. Its blend of time-manipulation, puzzles and platforms has been seen before in the likes of Braid, but the exact composition of all three elements is certainly different. Each level is a puzzle; a mystery to solve, often with multiple approaches. The primary aim is to reach an exit, which will require you to overcome a variety of obstacles along the way. Unlike similar titles in the genre, Funky Lab Rat places a much heavier emphasis on your platforming ability; you simply won't make it to the end of the later levels if you aren't very good at getting the rat to jump at the right time and to the right place.

The puzzle element comes from the time manipulation abilities that your rat, rather curiously, possesses. While jumping to the end requires careful navigation of the various platforms, often these platforms won't be in the right place until you move them there. On each level you are able to pause time and move certain blocks into any position you like to create a route to the exit. On many of the more difficult challenges this ability has to be used in cunning ways, as you'll need to pause time with our rodent hero in mid-air, allowing you to reconfigure the platforms underneath him. To reduce the frustration that comes with platforming you also get the ability to rewind time at any moment for as many times as you like. Rather than being a cheat, it's actually essential to getting some of the time-critical jumps right. There is one important limitation; you can't rewind back to before a pause. So if you pause at the wrong time, it's probably going to require you to restart the level, an irritation I incurred all too often. It shouldn't, however, detract from the fact that Funky Lab Rat is a very enjoyable game, and the frustrations are generally 'par for the course' with puzzle elements. The challenges are well paced, and introduce new mechanics gradually.

As if the aim of getting to the exit wasn't enough, you also have to collect floating pills along the way. These are shrouded in clouds that can be removed if you direct the beam of your torch on to them. Don't ask questions about why this is the case, simply focus on getting the pills as they are essential to progress. New worlds are unlocked when you reach the required number of pills, and medals are awarded based on how many of the total pills on a level you collected. There are 10 worlds overall, in addition to a devilishly difficult level which seeks to combine all the skills you've picked up earlier in the game. The time it will take you to complete this level will vary considerably depending on your ability to perform the jumps and time-bending maneuvers the game requires of you, but it should be at least a few hours.

The visual style of Funky Lab Rat is certainly quirky, but its looks may not make it an immediate draw for the wider audience, and this rather fun PSN game probably isn't getting the exposure it should do. However, the graphics are bright, colourful and clear, and the tone of the game is suitably light-hearted, which is a relief when the pressure gets to you. The music is often repeated, but not overly repetitive, and also fits the tone.

One key part of the game that has not been discussed is its PlayStation Move support. Both Move and Xbox Kinect have been successful towards the end of last year, but both are still lacking a killer game line-up. There's some good titles already, but 2011 needs to deliver exciting new offerings for both motion-controlled peripherals. The Move has one key advantage in this area at the moment; PSN games. And that's where Funky Lab Rat comes in. Priced at just £5.49 it serves as a good showcase for Sony, demonstrating a good use of the technology, and the ability to do so without resorting to another £40 party/fitness/sports/dance game. Our time-bending rat is controlled directly using either a DualShock, or better still, a Navigation controller, with jumping and time controls all assigned to buttons. The motion elements control the aforementioned torch, which is directed by your positioning of the Move controller, and platforms can be picked up and moved about while time is paused by aiming the Move controller at the screen. Although it is not essential to use Move to play Funky Lab Rat, it is a much better way to play, and there are not many games for which that can be said.

Funky Lab Rat is an original and very enjoyable, but sometimes overly tough action-puzzle game. Its platforming is not quite perfect, particularly in the timing department, leading to some extra frustration, but these missteps are rare. The game draws you in with its challenges and general quirkyness, as well as its excellent use of the time-control mechanics. And that's before you get to its great use of PlayStation Move, it's an excellent showcase of the motion control technology.

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