REVIEW: ‘Telebbit’ Pushes Its Gameplay One Step Too Far (PC)

Telebbit, developed by Ikina Games and published by Hyper Real, tasks players with navigating six stages of grueling platformer gameplay as they guide the titular protagonist on a quest for revenge. The game pushes players to their limits with an ever-growing list of challenges, often trying a little too hard to be too difficult.

Difficult gameplay can have one of two effects. It can either reward players for a hard-earned success or punish them for a struggling failure. What divides the one from the other is a matter of implementation. Honest defeats where the player sees what went wrong and understands how to fix it yield memorable triumphs. The defeats can turn sour when the player feels like the game put them in untenable situations or unfairly strips them of hard-earned progress. And while there are some strong moments of the former in Telebbit, the latter arises far too frequently, marring the experience.

The broad strokes of the game are simple. Guide Telebbit, a rabbit who, after being ruthlessly experimented on by humans, has a microchip in his brain that enhances his mental abilities. This allows him to operate a teleportation gun through an underground human settlement until he can take his revenge on the Overhuman. The settlement is divided into six stages, each split into two sub-areas of anywhere from ten to sixteen rooms.

Each room typically has two or three puzzles to navigate to clear it. Dying at in any of the puzzles sends the player back to the start of the room, forcing them to often play challenges they’ve already completed again. This is especially frustrating given the tendency of the game to start rooms with the most significant puzzle within it. After dying multiple times to just barely squeeze through a section, dying and being sent back to struggle again feels infuriating. Especially given the nature of many of these challenges.

Most of the puzzles in Telebbit are multi-step processes that frequently give the player no time to pause during execution. Bouncing from spot to spot, having to teleport one way, then the other, bounce over hazardous terrain with a laser. At the same time, enemies or obstacles move through the space, which is almost impossible to plan for adequately.

The coordination and timing a player needs to ever feel confident in overcoming the hardest challenges in each area are traits the vast majority of potential players will not have. There are numerous times when, after failing to strategically time jumps and twists through a mind-bending obstacle course, it feels easier to just go for it in a way that avoids the first threat and hope the rest of the shifting obstacles don’t hit you. There are too many moving pieces to keep track of.

So much of this frustration comes from the overabundance of elements in a single puzzle. It frequently feels like the last obstacle or twist was unnecessary. Without it, the task would still be challenging, requiring multiple attempts to overcome it. But with that last piece, it feels simply unfair. All of these moving parts are layered on top of pixel-perfect jumping requirements. This is where the game delivers. When not overloaded with moving parts, the game’s controls allow the player to challenge the demanding jumping with great precision.

Another way that the game feels more punishing than challenging is in its save system. The game will only save progress at the end of an area or sub-area. So, if you’re in room ten of fifteen and need a break or run out of time before life calls you away, you will lose a bunch of progress.

The visual presentation does a solid job of delivering classic pixel-style art. Each section stands out against the others, providing its tone and atmosphere. All these elements also clearly stand out against each other within their own areas. It never feels like you died because a screen was too busy or an element wasn’t clearly marked.

Overall, the sound design also works well, giving Telebbit an audio presentation that fits with the pixel art. Much like the visuals, each audio element felt unique, helping me be mindful of what traps or hazards were moving about. The one spot where the game would’ve been better off if it hadn’t been quite as authentic in its retro audio is with its fire. Late in the game, flamethrowers show up, throwing beams of flame out to torch unwary players. The mute had to be used on some levels where the cheesy gushing sound became unbearable to hear one more time.

The story that pops up between each stage of the game is a mixed bag. There are some pointed moments where the unpleasant elements of human nature are examined with reasonable effect for the time given. This commentary, while nothing new, is successful in helping players sympathize with the protagonist despite Telebbit’s efforts to be thoroughly offputting.

Where the character fails isn’t in his motives or goals but in how he deals with those around him. Having been experimented on and tortured, he has every right to be angry. However, that’s as deep as the character gets. The player isn’t shown pain or trauma, just anger. This leads the protagonist to be indifferent to those around him, even other creatures it feels like he should want to save. Rather than care about anything other than his vengeance, the character is allowed to languish as a two-dimensional cutout the narrative wants us to care about, but it never really lands.

Telebbit ultimately tries too hard to deliver its challenging gameplay. Like a dish with one too many spices, the game’s challenges overwhelm the delivery, leaving it as less than it could’ve been. If you are looking for a truly punishing challenge, even if it sometimes feels unfair, this game may provide some enjoyment. For most, however, overstuffed platforming puzzles will bring far too much frustration to enjoy.

Telebbit is available now on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.