Reed Remastered [Xbox]

Developed by PXLink, and published by Ratalaika Games, Reed Remastered is a gorgeous puzzle platformer, where you play as Reed, an adorable chonk of a cat who must collect information cubes to recalibrate the digital world, and save it from being destroyed. There are 50 levels for you to explore, with a few of these having secrets to be found - and traps galore. Despite the threat of death from the variety of traps you’ll come across, the game retains an oddly calming, relaxing vibe.

Done in an absolutely gorgeous chunky pixel art style, Reed is one of the most aesthetically pleasing pixel games I’ve seen, with plenty of colour and adorably cute characters throughout. Characters, from mice to fish-guys, all have the same big-eyed, armless look to them (going against the general logo art!), and this really adds a unique feel, along with their cuteness. The music is very ambient and environmental, with an almost space-y, digital vibe to it, which is fitting. Jumping causes a little “boop” sound effect that is very typical of retro-styled games, yet its softness is endearing.

Controls feel great, with tight, responsive jumps that make dodging arrows and floor spikes feel smooth. There’s definitely a little bit of challenge here with some levels, but for the most part everything feels fairly laidback, and due to this you will easily complete it in under an hour (even with backtracking for the five secrets). At under a fiver on the Xbox Store, it’s not a terribly expensive game for what you get, by any means. But I do still wish you got a bit more out of it, as it can easily be finished in a single playthrough, with no need to ever return.

In the end, we decided to give Reed Remastered the Collecting Asylum rating of 8/10.

Have you played Reed Remastered yet? What did you think of it?
Let us know in the comments below!

- V x