A 10 Seconds To Win review in 10 seconds: not as fast as you think.
The concept is there: run an obstacle course in less than 10 seconds and then move on to the next course. Rinse, repeat, and dry your hair. Yes, the character moves fast and does what it says on the label: you will complete a stage within the time limit. Eventually.
When you begin the first few levels in 10 Seconds To Win, you’ll be forgiven for being cocky and impatient. Is this going to be this easy throughout? Obviously not. This isn’t one of Eastasiasoft’s quick-fire games completable in a couple of hours, nor is it anything like their upcoming 40+ hour story, Rainbow Moon.
10 Seconds To Win PS5 Review
After the initial jumping about, a dash is introduced in a half-arsed approach – via a signpost. This didn’t make sense at first as it looked like a dash to run and perform long jumps. Instead, it’s a directional dash with a limited function that propels you up, across and diagonally, and this proves to be a tricky mechanic to master, shy of button-mashing and hoping for the best.
Unlike 10 Second Run RETURNS, the presentation here is a bit fuller, cuddlier, and presentable. The music offers no urgency, which is neither good nor bad. On the good side, you don’t have a hectic beat forcing you to make errors and raise your anxiety levels. On the bad side, other than beating the obvious timer, that lack of urgency hardly fires you up.
That said, the frequent trophies to keep you on track are motivational, besides the natural desire to get as far as possible/finish it. 10 Seconds To Win is like Super Meatboy without the gore, and, alas, without the pinpoint precision.
Wall Banger
Your little chap can bounce off walls, which is a cool feature that allows you to time your runs properly, aside from occasionally getting ‘stuck’ and wasting time trying to bounce to the correct height until BOOM! Time’s run out. That’s on you; it’s a skill issue.
My beef with 10 Seconds To Win is the inaccuracy of landings and the slight momentum when moving. Timing a landing after a dash is already challenging when avoiding spikes and moving blades – more so when the aftertouch is a little off.
10 Seconds To Win Review Summary
Will this be your go-to action platformer for some time to come? Perhaps not, as 10 Seconds To Win isn’t feature-packed, nor does it have the same precision as similar titles. Though it would have been nice for a bit more urgency other than the impending 10-second timer, it’s still a fun game once you master the dash and landings. Just be quick about it.
