T.E.C. 3001

Developer: Phoenix Game Studio | Publisher: BulkyPix | Release Date: 2014 | Genre: Action / Indie / Racing | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

Thanks to an energy deficiency in the future, humanity sends a cutting-edge robot into virtual space to collect batteries. As the T.E.C 3001, which incidentally stands for Tesla Energy Collector, it is your mission to collect energy leftovers to fix things. In case this sounds somewhat confusing, fear not, as it basically means you have to run really fast through some virtual-reality-style levels while collecting a certain amount of batteries before you reach the exit.

T.E.C 3001 was originally an iOS and Xbox 360 Indie title, but it finally made its way to PC in 2014. Developed by a small team from Serbia, the game takes a very basic concept and adds a few twists along with plenty of speed to create an adrenaline-pumping experience. If you have never played these types of “Endless Runner” games, your character is constantly moving forward, usually at breakneck speeds, and it is your job to steer him through the obstacle course that lies between you and the exit. To survive, you must jump, double-jump, slide, and perform a speed boost, usually with a split second to decide which is appropriate for the upcoming obstacle. A certain amount of trial and error is involved, as some obstacles are almost impossible to dodge unless you already know they are coming. Thankfully, levels are short, and there is usually a generous assortment of checkpoints to ease the frustration.

The game has 41 campaign levels to test your reflexes and the challenge gradually increases to the point where you will be scared to blink in case you miss an obstacle and come to a crashing end. There is also an endless mode, which challenges you to run as far and fast as possible before succumbing to the speed and obstructions. The split-screen multi-player mode provides local fun, but unfortunately, you cannot challenge your friends online. In case all of this doesn’t sound like enough value for money, the game has also been updated after release with 12 new Free Run bonus levels which you can access after completing the campaign. Considering the game’s low price, this is quite a bit of content, and kudos to Phoenix Game Studio for not inflating the price just because they added some Steam achievements and trading cards for the PC release.

T.E.C. 3001 is definitely not a game for players with poor reflexes. As we mentioned earlier, the game runs at breakneck speeds, and you must constantly make split-second decisions to stay on the course. Your robot, which looks like a Terminator, interestingly enough, has to run across narrow pathways suspended in the air, so one wrong move will send it plummeting to its doom. Frequent gaps and branching pathways will also keep you on your toes, and some levels pack some very interesting elements, like requiring you to turn around and run in the opposite direction when you reach the end of the level. The game can also be quite sadistic at times, with paths that literally require you to jump off and back on when encountering obstacles that block your way completely. It is obviously quite challenging but gratifying when you get it right.

The visuals are fairly basic, but considering the speed at which the game runs, this isn’t really an issue. Everything has that TRON meets the Matrix style glow going on, and running through certain gates changes the color scheme of the level, which is a cool touch. The music is quite fitting, with some suitably electronic-sounding songs, but nothing that we would call particularly memorable. As the game has a few more moves to master than your typical Endless Runner, the controls take a while before they feel intuitive. The play style also switches between levels at times, so you can freely move around the track on one level, while on the next, you only have to maneuver between three set lanes. There are even levels that play out like a rhythm-action title and require you to press the right button when over certain floor tiles to increase your speed and reach the exit in time. Eventually, you will encounter floor tiles that fling you into the air or sections where you have to glide, so something new is always happening to keep your things from becoming stale.

T.E.C 3001 is a challenging and addictive game with a price low enough to make it an impulse buy. Unfortunately, there is no level editor or workshop support to extend the game’s longevity, as the developers simply didn’t have the funds to include these features. Nevertheless, this is one of those games that can quickly hook you and keep you busy for much longer than anticipated. If you enjoy games like Race The Sun and Avoid – Sensory Overload, you should really check out T.E.C 3001.

*Review originally published April 2014. Since the publication of this review T.E.C has been unlisted on the Steam store and can no longer be purchased.