A platformer that'll challenge your muscle memory to the extreme!

Some call Geometry Dash the "Dark Souls" of platformers (a term that has lost all meaning at this stage) but not precisely for its atmosphere or graphics. Instead, just like Dark Souls, It's a peculiarly unforgiving game but not entirely unfair. For this, among other reasons, It'll go down in history as one of the most epic platformers of the last decade.

Its premise is fairly simple and, dare I say, minimalistic. You don't play as a flashy warrior or a vampire slayer with a whip. You play as, well, a geometric object! Though not just any geometric object, but one with the peculiar ability to transform into vehicles on a whim. RobTop - short for Robert Topala (the name of its sole developer) - was inspired by the overwhelming success of Floppy Bird, a game that, in its utter simplicity (and almost inexplicable appeal), became a significant milestone in the history of indie gaming.

However, contrary to Flappy Birds, Geometry Dash was a game centered on learning patterns, just like how we learn to dance or play a musical instrument. You have to develop a sense of rhythm to advance through the levels. The music itself was composed in such a way that the rhythm matched the actions on the screen. This was, to say the least, a brilliant attempt at gameplay/soundtrack integration!

The sensation I got every time I landed a jump in tandem with the beat was beyond cathartic, and it almost felt like I was creating the music as I went. Few games achieve this level of intricacy in gameplay mechanics, which is why Geometry Dash fared so well with such an austere budget.

On another note, this game is, at times, criticized for being trial-and-error. In all honesty, it kinda is! After all, with muscle memory being one of the game's most essential aspects, you're virtually bound to fail at some point because you have not "acquired it" yet.

Nevertheless, many critically-acclaimed games in the past have been like this, and, to be fair, struggling to beat a game on your first try is a totally normal phenomenon. To the game’s credit, it helps you train your retentiveness so that, after two or three attempts, your odds of beating a level become much higher.

In terms of visuals, this game was not exactly a powerhouse graphics-wise, but it still looked flashy within the boundaries of the minimalistic framework that RobTop set out. Add the smooth framerate, and you're in for quite an ocular treat.

Although Geometry Dash capitalized on repetition in the most addictive way imaginable, the way the colors shifted in the background and how all the distinct animated props and creatures appear along your path also helped freshen the experience.

In addition, your "icon" (initially the cube) can transform into up to seven vehicles that behave in various ways. One of them is a flying contraption (a rocket, to be more precise) that moves in a similar fashion to the Flappy Birds character. When maneuvering the rocket, you ought to keep it from crashing by adjusting its height as it flies.

Perchance the most exciting feature of this game is the level creator. As the name might give out, users can craft their own levels and upload them to the server so that other users may try them out. To upload your custom level, you must pass it first so that it can get "verified". It's a neat function I wished other games could incorporate, just like how some developers add mod support into their launches.

Despite RobTop's long absence and apparent abandonment of the project, Geometry Dash still thrives thanks to its loyal community. To this day, it is among the best platformers you can find across all platforms (no pun intended), and it's a shame that its spinoffs have largely failed to live up to the expectations set out by the original. If you crave a game that's much more than a mere time-killer, Geometry Dash should fit you well.

Have you played Geometry Dash yet? Dash over to the comments section to relate your experience with this superb game!