No Time to Explain
OpenCritic Rating
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for No Time to Explain
There are redeeming qualities in No Time to Explain, such as the music and some of the character designs, but the rest of it doesn't translate well to console. The controls are sluggish and impractical while the majority of the visuals could use some more oomph too. At the end of the day, if you are not a DIE HARD (caps for emphasis) fan of retro type games, I think you'd best stay away from this title as the negatives outweigh the positives.
No Time to Explain is going to be a love-it-or-hate-it type title for most people because it is unapologetically difficult. If you enjoy those ultra difficult games and the challenge they provide, you'll love this. Otherwise you just won't. When I started the game I was frustrated by the frequent deaths and seeming lack of direction. As I played on, however, my attitude changed. The laser gun being used as a mode of transport is generally fine, but sometimes it's a little finicky, and this can lead to undue frustration in an area where precision is really required. As you stick with it, you learn how to better finesse the use of the laser beam and get that feeling of satisfaction for completing something difficult that many games don't supply. If the thought of dying frequently is a turn off for you, the game will only prove to be frustrating. If you enjoy games that bring the difficulty, this is a top-level game for you to grab and brag to all your friends about once you complete it.
While not going to blow anyone's socks off, No Time to Explain is an ok game. The platfoming using the laser beam can get frustrating, especially after realizing it revolves more around dumb luck rather than pure skill. There are some unique things to be seen here, but I would highly recommend a price drop at least.
While there are certain aspects of the game that could've used polishing, No Time To Explain remains a quirky, humorous, adventurous platformer that's built for the old-school at heart. It'll give you your money's worth, provided you have the patience to see it through to the end. Here's hoping you do – the future needs you. "DOIN' IT!"
Lacking the personality and precision of its platforming contemporaries, No Time To Explain is a brutally unfair and embarrassingly humorless entry into the genre.
Remaking a game that is inherently flawed has to be an incredible challenge and tinyBuild did the best it possibly could. While its physics are largely suspect, its pacing ranges from great to dreadful and its boss battles are universally poor, the new version of No Time to Explain could potentially warrant a playthrough from someone looking for something inherently stupid (with this last word being used in the most endearing way possible).
In the end, No Time to Explain is hurt by inconsistency. The laser gun physics produce platforming that relies on luck more than skill, and the boss fight pacing, with the limited lives in tow, sucks away some of the joy you'd get from the battles. That's a shame since there are some pretty good puzzles present, and the sections where you don't use the laser gun are very enjoyable. If you're really craving the Super Meat Boy caliber of difficult platforming, you might want to give the demo a shot before committing to No Time to Explain.
No Time To Explain Remastered definitely improves upon the original and makes for a better experience overall. The laser rifle/jetpack mechanic is still fun and its dialog is still hilarious. However, some of the levels and platforming require a huge amount of trial-and-error before getting through and this certainly weighs the game down. Even so, provided you have the skills or friends to play in the co-op mode, you can have quite a bit of fun with this title.
