"Planet of the Eyes" Review

Starting with the "Limbo"  and "Inside" formula and adding in a dash of color and geometric pizzazz, "Planet of the Eyes" is a brutal side-scrolling puzzle platformer that murders you in gruesome ways time after time.

The name of the game is trial and error, as you leap blindly into one seemingly impassable death trap after another, only to restart, not your mistakes and ace the next go-round. Or the one after that. Or the fifth one after that.

Canadian developer Cococumber wears its Playdead influences proudly, but also shakes up the established formula with some environmental and lore enhancements, taking a less baffling route than its role model. Your robotic protagonist stumbles upon audio logs that solve some mysteries while opening up some others, and the haunting, melodic soundtrack paves your way into metaphysical oblivion.

Those hungering for a challenging platformer with branching paths and scores of unlockables to unearth will find treasure troves of what they're after in "Planet of the Eyes." An under-the-radar indie delight, it's a solid impulse pickup that could easily become an instant obsession.

Publisher provided review code.