ChromaGun Reviews
If you fancy something a little different, want to grab a shed load of Gamerscore and find yourself constantly harking back to the days of Portal, then this is the one for you.
Chromagun is a solid and entertaining puzzle game in the style of Portal. Some of the riddle can really shine but the game suffers from technical problems and an unbalanced difficulty.
Review in German | Read full review
In short, it has to be said that Chroma Gun is an enjoyable title, which will surely satisfy many. However, it simply feels out-of-time in today’s market, as its overall quality is subpar in comparison to other indie titles which came out earlier this year, or even years prior. It simply feels dated, and in many ways, out of place.
Chromagun wears its influences on its sleeve but fails to recreate the magic of its forebears.
Overall, I think ChromaGun is a solid title that has a fairly unique presence on the eShop at this moment. If you’re into Portal or something like Q.U.B.E. then you’ll probably get along just swell with this one. It’s a simple concept that does make you think and it’s satisfying solving the sometimes difficult puzzles. On the other hand, the steep price will, and should, make you think twice when it’s available on other platforms more affordably. You can also claim they haven’t done enough to scale the game up visually for the Switch. In that regard, ChromaGun gets a decent seven out of 10. If the price is cut down in the future then you could consider adding a half or one to this score, but as it stands, that’s my feeling on ChromaGun.
While unique and interesting in concept, ChromaGun falls flat in execution owing to numerous flaws with its gameplay and presentation.
ChromaGun seems to try and be like Portal, but when it tries to be a unique experience it mostly succeeds, and is a worthy addition to any puzzle enthusiasts library.
Pixel Maniacs’ effort might share an awful lot in common with Valve’s Portal series but those parallels are only skin deep. At its core, ChromaGun takes something as simple as colours (something we’re all familiar with) to craft an inventive puzzler unlike anything currently on Switch. Outside its short runtime and sometimes frustrating difficulty, ChromaGun is still a smart and entertaining challenge perfect for those that like their brain being truly tested.
In the end ChromaGun is an interesting perspective (quite literally) on a puzzle game and offers a series of clever challenges that will test your planning and patience. If you’re able to appreciate the details of presentation for what they are rather than perhaps what they were aimed to be that will also help greatly. While it isn’t quite on target, for puzzle fans looking for some variety it delivers something unique on the Switch.
If, like me, you like this sort of thing, you’ll sort of like ChromaGun. The game’s inspirations are obvious, and although its puzzle credentials are well earned, it ultimately feels inconsequential. ChromaGun has just received a free demo on Switch, which is handy, as it’s the perfect example of something to try before you buy.
Despite having some enjoyable puzzles, the choppy performance and sterile world make ChromaGun a far cry from the genius that is Portal.
ChromaGun is a fun and challenging game, and these characteristics make it very enjoyable and should satisfy fans of puzzle games. The lack of more content and its weak performance on the PlayStation 4 disturb it, but it's still a good game.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
In trying to be a new Portal not just mechanically but in tone, style, presentation, humour, and narrative as well, ChromaGun sets itself up for a comparison that could never end well for it. It constantly reminds you that you're not playing Portal by highlighting all the ways that it falls short of Valve's beloved puzzler. ChromaGun came at the king, and it missed.
We enjoyed our time with the game thanks to its interesting premise and its colorful puzzles, but do feel that at times it is a bit harsh with players. You will be punished for your mistakes, so be ready for that! This is a solid first effort, and we look forward to seeing what the team can do with the premise if they get to work on a sequel.
ChromaGun is a fun and challenging first person puzzle game that achieves what it set out to be. The game constantly kept challenging me to think in new ways on how to mix the colors and use what I had at my disposal in order to reach my goal. I wasn't fond of having to replay portions though every time I made a mistake and I made a lot as a got further and further into the game. If you can look past that and are a fan of puzzle games ChromaGun is a must play in my opinion.
ChromaGun has to place you at the whim of a crazy, pseudo-friendly corporation because that's what Portal did. ChromaGun's underlying mechanic is delightful and extremely interesting, unfortunately rather than building a game around that mechanic, developer Pixel Maniacs opted instead to shove it unceremoniously into a pre-existing game. There is some fun to be had here, but not nearly as much as there ought to be.
Overall, ChromaGun is an interesting take on a genre that seems to always be brimming with fresh content. While some segments can be repetitive or frustrating, the overall experience shies away from too much rote repetition. The $14.99 price on Steam may be just a touch high for the rough 4-5 hours of gameplay, but not pushing too far given the overall quality.
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then ChromaGun is one of the most lovingly crafted manifestos I've ever seen. It effortlessly parallels the world of Portal, while injecting more than enough originality to be able to stand on its own. It may not quite meet the gold standard that was established by Valve's masterpiece, but I can't help but wonder how much more impressive it might have felt, if ChromaGun had actually pre-dated Portal. While certainly not reinventing the wheel, this is an experience that will surely satiate any puzzle fiend, searching for a more colorful way to embrace their inner tester.
ChromaGun is the absolute standard of a puzzle game done right. While it's not on the same level as Portal 2 or The Witness, it is an absolutely solid puzzle game. It's fun, it's challenging, and it's not frustrating, which is something that a lot of puzzle game's do wrong. It is an absolutely terrific piece of art that deserves to be played by anyone that even remotely enjoys puzzle games. At $14.99, you'll be getting the game for a steal, and I would absolutely recommend it at that price. While the game may fall a bit short in the story and replayability department, there is no denying that ChromaGun is one of the finer games in pool of bad puzzle games.