Instantion Review

When people talk about how awesome it would be to have their own clones, they usually have mundane reasons on their minds. Like the possibility of having someone fetch them pizza and beer on command. Some clone fantasies serve a darker purpose as well, like the comfort of knowing someone out there can be farmed for organs or blood if the prime body happens to break down. But in Instantion by Finjitzu, the act of cloning goes way beyond personal convenience or growing a personal organ bank. Clones are instantly generated, and often destroyed just as quickly, for the sake of solving action-based puzzles. Instantation's clones make for a unique, challenging game experience, but the player should take care not to get too attached to their "kids." They're not long for this world.

Instantion takes place in a weird, wireframe world that appears to borrow inspiration from Tron. Players are plunked in level after level, and tasked with finding the exit safely. However the player's running and jumping abilities are average at best, so they're often helpless to trigger vital switches that activate bridges and deactivate traps. The solution? Send in the clones.

By dragging their finger on the screen to adjust trajectory, players can generate up to four clones at once in Instantion. Sometimes solving a puzzle is as easy as spawning a clone on top of a switch that activates a gate. Oftentimes, a little more brainpower is needed to get through hazards safely. Clones all move and jump according to how the player moves and jumps, which is a very important fact to keep in mind when attempting to position Team Xerox. When players mess up (inevitable), going back to retry is merely a matter of pressing on the icon that represents the alpha body. All the clones vanish, however. It's a rough, short life for a clone.

Instantation looks great, and it controls well once players get used to the clone-firing mechanic. Success depends more on careful and clever clone placement than accurate running and jumping, so there aren't really any issues with the game's on-screen directional arrows and jump button. There are plenty of levels to work through, as well as a difficulty selection. Action/puzzle game fans should find themselves busy for a while. That said, some of the puzzles can get a little rough. A hint button of some kind would not be amiss.

Have fun, and remember to be nice to the clones. They work hard and die hard.