Shift 3

By: Derek Yu

On: July 22nd, 2008

Shift 3

There’s a new Shift game out! In Shift the primary mechanic is being able to switch from black to white, turning platforms and walls into walkable space and so forth. Conceptually, the game bears more than a passing resemblance to Portal and Negative Space/Yin Yang, but… maybe we shouldn’t even go there! It’s a fun, mind-bending game that stands on its own merit.

Whereas in the previous games you progressed linearly from room-to-room, Shift 3 lets you go back and forth. And your actions in some rooms will affect other rooms. This game also delves into the story a bit more, provided that you take the time to read the clues!

(Source: Alex Meerkat, via Razor, Placenta, Shopping Cart <3)

TIGdb: Entry for Shift 3

  • First

    Sounds like fun, gonna have to pick it up

  • Reaver

    Am I the only one that doesn’t like it as much as the first two?

  • Jim

    I like it just as much as Shift 2, but it doesn’t have the same “feeling” as the first two games – there’s still the good old omnipresent voice, but it’s not out to get you – it’s not a GLaDOS ripoff anymore, it’s just some tutorial messages, which makes the game’s story a lot less interesting.

    The improvements to the basic gameplay formula are top-notch, though – seriously excellent changes. It’s almost Metroidvania-ish, though a lot simpler, obviously.

    It’s also the first of these games I bothered to get all the trophies for. Don’t bother, btw, you don’t actually unlock the classic character.

    And the “secret character” is Fancy Lad. Which is actually kinda neat, even though I disliked Fancy Pants Adventure.

  • Julius

    I rather play Halo

  • squidi

    You should not have anything with a 3 in the title within six months of the original. Shift is a one trick pony and it will remain so until the author actually spends the time and effort needed to take it to the next level.

    With each successive Shift game, I become more and more convinced that the author didn’t come up with the idea himself – if he had, there’d be a lot more to the sequels than more of the same.

  • haowan

    yeah yeah. you’re just jealous.

  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantastic_Four The Human Torch

    Flame ON!

  • Gutter

    Wait squidi… Isn’t it one of your mechanics?

    “This one has never been replicated, nor likely ever will be.” Awwwww

    /I’m kidding. It’s obvious where he took the idea

  • http://bluemechaoxide.net Mix

    Agreed Gutter.

    http://www.squidi.net/three/entry.php?id=1

    I can’t find the exact quote, but squidi was a bit pissed that Nitrome stole (according to him) his ideas.

  • Trotim

    I think squidi has a point though – if he had come up with an idea like this he’d probably have had many more interesting ideas in the meantime. =/

  • Radix

    I think he has a point about the two sequels in three months thing, too. Flash authors in particular seem to do this a lot (as opposed to just a v1.1 “now with more levels!” release), I guess because they see it as a badge of legitimacy or a cheap promotional thing.
    I was playing a quite popular flash game recently with a “2” in the title that turned out to be nothing more than a slight graphical touch-up of the original. It loses meaning.

  • http://www.eurogamer.de Robert

    Mmmh, placenta :9

  • http://www.rockpapershotgun.com Alec Meer

    Why I oughta…

  • squidi

    All I’m saying is that Shift is not growing into anything special because A) the author isn’t spending the time and effort into growing it and B) the author doesn’t actually have any idea how to do it in the first place.

    Shift has grown in very minor, very obvious ways which gets old. A lot less websites are going to link to Shift 4 than did Shift 3, and by the time Shift 8 rolls around in a year’s time, nobody will even remotely care. As I have a personal interest in the concept behind Shift, I find this to be a pretty shameful end to a really great idea.

  • Gutter

    Oh noee, I just saw the Nitrome thread. I didn’t know squidi’s page before last week, but when I found it I spend 6 hours stealing … erm… reading it

    But he does have a point, even though I now realize that it is a point that has months in the making :)

    Nice work though squidi. It’s uncanny how much your approach to procedural techniques are close to mine… I was happy to see that our “locked doors algorithm” for roguelike was completely different though (yours is more elegant). It’s a wonder that no roguelike have some though…

    Anyway :)

  • Derek

    squidi, do you have any interest in developing your ideas into actual games? I feel like that would save you a lot of heartache (not to mention taking away a lot of ammunition from your detractors).

  • http://cultured.easternity.com Ben

    I’ve been a fan of the 300 series for awhile now. The better way to approach this, Squidi, would be to actually support the game’s development, even if the author won’t give you credit (since on your site now you aren’t requiring any kind of strings). Your ideas have already had a lot of impact in the community, so you might as well appear to be behind the betterment of the industry due to your ideas rather than the lone fighter against development of your ideas.

    No game is ever perfect. I remember playing one of the first iteration’s of Shift and although the gameplay didn’t hook me, I was very impressed that somebody took your idea to not only development, but production. Pretty cool. Plus, it was a cool idea and could be a really fun game if implemented multi-player (Because’s it Fay, anyone?).

  • http://mooktown.blogspot.com/ papamook

    how the frak do I get the star note? I was jettisoned into space which was nice :)

  • http://mooktown.blogspot.com/ papamook

    nevermind.. :D

  • squidi

    Whether I have interest in developing my ideas is a tough question to answer. The short answer is no. I have no interest in the actual process of game development. None. I don’t even really care if people take my ideas and implement them (though I admit it is frustrating when they treat me as insignificant). I guess I’m just not much of a game developer. Heck, even the internet drama queen thing is getting old.

    But I am a writer, and I’ve still got multiple writing projects on my plate that I’m eager to get back to. I may try my hand at making an adventure game one day. That would be fun, I think.