This Monday I’m happy to be highlighting one of the most innovative flash games I’ve seen in a long time.
Developed by Armor Games, Shift 2 is a simple puzzle platformer with an ingenious twist. The player has the ability to press the [shift] key on his or her computer and flip his character through the floor while turning the black and white world upside down. The entire level switches around. Black space, which meant impassable just a moment ago, is now clear and white has made the opposite switch, turning previously insurmountable walls into easily vaulted gaps.
This simple twist (pun intended? maybe…) is just enough to turn what would otherwise be an unremarkable game into something incredibly fun to play. It takes the simple platformer and endows it with a strong puzzle element as you “shift” and flip your way through level after level trying to reach the exit door.
The original Shift was a solid first step toward a quality game, but felt incomplete. Level design was relatively simple, and the game was far more platform than puzzle. You pretty much moved until you couldn’t anymore, shifted, and repeated, grabbing a key if you came to it. Doing that would get you through most levels with virtually no headache and the main challenge came from aiming your jumps just right and clearing alot of spiked pits.
With the arrival of Shift 2 the game seems to have come closer to fulfillment. The creators have added some objects that change the orientation of the room and others that make certain blocks disappear, giving themselves a little more versatility. Level design has taken a huge step, and the difficulty is just at the right level for a lunch-break game. The focus is much more on puzzle solving now (don’t worry, it’s still solidly a platformer) and the levels will actually take a few tries to figure out, but won’t get frustrating. You won’t figure out every level right away, but you will figure them out eventually, and it shouldn’t take you hours. That’s just right for this sort of game in my opinion.
The graphics are simple but not poorly done. (Click any of the above images to full view for a better look.) I suppose they could do a little more, but they really don’t need to and the stark black and white fits the flipping-sides aspect of the game well.
Now I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the little bits of humor that pepper the game like machine gun fire. An ongoing gag about the timer is continued from Shift to Shift 2 and little messages such as a “suicide time!” note that shows up when you’ve made a certain wrong move on one level add to the light relaxed feel of the game and get you grinning contentedly to yourself as you play.
Oh and did I mention they have a level editor? That’s right, a built in editor lets you design, play and share your own Shift 2 levels. That’s a huge perk in a flash game and another reason that Shift 2 really stands out among other flash platformers. This and the option to submit a time-based score for a high-scores list keeps the game fun to fool around with after you’ve beat it. It keeps track of accomplishments you’ve made too, awarding you with trophies and extras.
Speaking of beating it, the game is a little on the short side, though not as short as the first one. It’s over quick, and really that’s about the only fault I can find with the game. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see a Shift 3 coming along before long, so I’m sure I’ll get my fill.
Overall this is a solidly fun game to play and that’s really all you can aim for with flash. It’s simple, original and designed well. I’m happy to dub it this week’s Flash Game of the Week.
Click the above image to play Shift 2 at Armor Games.
Killing units give you gold and experience of course and here’s where the next fun bit of Age of War comes in. The game has five ages: a prehistoric, medieval, renaissance, modern day and futuristic setting. Every time you get enough experience you have the option to advance to the next age, gaining access to more units and better upgrades.
Posted by Cody 
