Review of Timemelters

Take the evening to play with each other.

Timemelters
Platform: PC
Developer: Autoexec Games
Publisher: Autoexec Games
Release date: February 28th, 2024
Price: $19.99
Availability: Steam

Whether it’s controlling the speed of battle in SUPERHOT, slowing down the environment in Max Payne, or even turning back time in Timeshift, being able to manipulate time in a game may make you feel like a badass. You take on the role of Teagan, a young lady who is suspected of being a witch in Autoexec Games’ Timemelters. Her abilities beyond the traditional spellcaster, which is pleasing.

The accusing villagers are set to be mauled by a horde of monsters as she is about to be roasted at the stake. Teagan wakes up to discover that the consciousness of the woman next to her, who was convicted, is now inside her skull. The benefit is that you learn about your newly acquired temporal talents from this condemned witch.

Me, Me, and Me Slaying the Gang

In the Timemelters campaign, you will face off against waves of adversaries who will rush to your location. You can set a variety of traps to counteract these strikes. Some might just change their enemies’ paths. However, some skills transform trees into imposing allies that can trap a few enemies with their long limps. Timemelters functions essentially as a tower defense game in which you set traps and fire lightning bolts to gradually reduce the size of an oncoming mob. The distinction is that Teagan can be killed with a single blow in this instance.

However, your game won’t finish instantly when you die. Rather, time is undulated, and Teagan’s deeds generate an Echo. In essence, that implies that as a fresh Teagen joins the fight, you’ll see a transparent Teagan clone mimicking your actions. And so on, until you either manage to destroy every adversary or run out of Echoes. Battlegrounds may appear as crowded as a standard multiplayer action game in terms of execution, but every player is copying your moves. Timemelters gives players an abundance of tools, since Teagan can create her own teleportation locations.

Placing “I” before “Team”

In practice, those answers influence the puzzles in the game. Figuring out how to use the appropriate combination of abilities is a common stage. The only way to attack an early boss is from behind. To assault the enemy’s exposed side, you will therefore need one Teagan Echo to draw their attention and another Teagen to sweep around them. Naturally, that’s one of Timemelters’ most straightforward encounters. These, of course, get harder and harder.

You’ll need to use every talent in your repertoire with extreme accuracy later on. Therefore, enjoyment requires an appreciation of the trial-and-error gameplay approach. Indeed, there are a few annoying difficulty spikes during the game, despite the 40 extra challenge stages. In the unlikely event that you run into trouble, the game’s menu contains some very helpful suggestions. Nevertheless, if you occasionally struggle with unseen environmental restrictions, the advice won’t be useful.

Large Concepts on a Tight Budget

However, other parts also show a good deal of the same inventiveness that went into Timemelters’ level design. For those who are interested in learning more about Teagan and her universe, the game provides engaging narrative. Indeed, it’s evident from the lifeless character models that Melters is working with a very small development budget. However, this is interesting, providing just enough background information to keep you engaged.

However, the game has an option that reduces the amount of storyline if you’re just interested in the strategic action. The cooperative version of the game also offers this form of accommodation; it modifies some game events to allow an online partner to assume control of Teagan’s sibling. The intriguing element is that Timemelters requires partners to think and act as a true team because it plays quite differently when played with another person. Autoexec Games clearly put some thought into this feature because they encourage gamers to try it by providing a friend pass.

In summary

Not all genre amalgams live up to the expectations of the developer. Too often, the combo tastes like an overly spiced cuisine that you enjoy eating the first bite of but find it tedious to finish. Timemelters essentially avoids that problem by coming up with fresh approaches to combine action, strategy, and light puzzles into a fun experience that you’ll probably enjoy. In an ideal world, there would be fewer dull blockbusters and more creative indies like this one.

Timemelters was played on a PC using a review code that the publisher sent over.

Review Overview

Gameplay – 80%

Controls – 70%

Aesthetics – 75%

Content – 80%

Accessibility – 75%

Value – 80%

77%

GOOD!

Summary : Timemelters feel unique since they are both a spell-slinging sorceress and a combat planner on the front lines. Yes, it’s not flawless, and there will occasionally be a surge in difficulty that could temporarily ruin your fun. However, the idea of layering several copies of your activities compensates for any imperfections.