Nearly four years ago before I began writing reviews, I played A Virus Named T.O.M., and shortly after a hiatus I came back to air my grievances in what I thought was a comprehensive review. When I read that review today, the words do not appear the thoughts that I possess now while I agree with some points made by my old self; however, I also see aspects I misunderstood about the game that I find so obvious now.

As someone who studied a little about cognitive development, it’s no surprise to me as brains aren’t fully developed until the mid-twenties. Egocentric tendencies aside, the difference in quality of my criticisms is what strikes me as the most valuable reason to rewrite this review. Having four years of gaming experience as well as practice expressing my thoughts are also reasons why I felt the need to revise my old review, but even if I may not personally recommend this game the feeling of better understanding its shortcomings and appeal is something I’ll always cherish about AVNTOM.


“The main problem is the game wants you to take your time to figure out the puzzles, yet it also rushes you to solve the solutions as your health is your time-limit. Some levels will slowly degrade your health while others will rely on you maneuvering around enemies to absorb more health. And you have to complete the puzzle while doing that as well.

Even worse, you have to do all of that while you CAN'T see your progress. There is a mechanic introduced fairly early that hides the grid unless you connect the pipes. So that means you have to brute force your way to completion. But some levels seem to demand that you memorize each level, THEN do it as quick as possible while not getting hurt and losing time/health.

Some might argue that the skip-tokens let you get past those frustrating levels, but the game just continues to get more frustrating for all the wrong reasons. The challenges at the start of the game do not prepare you for the trials towards the end. I couldn't even imagine trying to convince someone to play cooperative with me on the later levels.”

The problems illustrated by my previous self, while true in a sense that the game’s overall challenge is inconsistent, fails to understand how each level varies how much each skill is being tested. Up to World/Invention 5, the game incrementally adds new modifiers like the previously mentioned hidden mechanic as well as indestructible drones, loophole pathways, etc. as well as how much importance is put on one type of problem versus another level. This type of design is reminiscent of the gimmicks of the Super Mario Galaxy games by the constant usage and discard mechanics to make each level distinct.

For example, Level 2-5 will test your ability to focus on solving a simple tube puzzle while also utilizing the stun-ability to sneak around the drones that cannot be avoided otherwise. Level 2-7 also uses this challenge but adds a special drone that must be destroyed in a spot to give the grid power, and Level 2-8 adds the infamous invisible mechanic that still uses a simple grid puzzle. Thinking about most of the game this way, I found that instead of constantly bypassing levels with the skip-tokens I would often find the solution with only the higher-reflex challenges to be an utter drag.

It is only within the last two worlds is the prevalence of high-reflex challenges become an utter nuisance to a puzzle game like AVNTOM. However, an easy solution to this problem that my younger self did not stumble on was adding difficulty modes. If you could affect the speed of enemies for these split-second decision levels as well as make a practice mode and/or give T.O.M. the ability to see the unpowered grids that are invisible from the corners, then at least the methodical approach is not compromised by the sudden emphasis on speed.


Then you have the other glaring issue: The controls.

The best way to explain the problem is that you always feel tied to an anchor. Whether you use a controller or the keyboard, you have to hold a button down to interact with a section of the grid. Combine this mechanic with having to dodge enemies quickly and you'll find yourself stuck on the same paths or you'll accidently slide into an enemy you were trying to avoid.

To this day this issue still baffles me not because the controls do not work when it should but that a game that emphasizes so much moment-to-moment decision making relies on anchoring the player in a box-like grid is still one of the worst ideas, period.

In levels where speed is emphasized but the puzzles are simplified, this issue, while annoying, is at least salvageable; it’s the later levels that will constantly have you crash into enemies while trying to solve the puzzle (Level 4-10) is where the flaws behind its design begin to show themselves. Especially for levels where you are given limited health, the amount of time you get to stare at the screen and perform the correct maneuver can be so limited on mistakes that you will get tired of trying to solve the puzzle by the inability to focus on the problem.

Part of the problem is probably due to the inclusion of four-player coop which requires something simple for four players to quickly interact with the puzzles and to indicate to the other players what each one is doing on screen. Unlike the difficulty spike, I don’t think there is a simple solution to fix the control issue without compromising on the types of puzzles focused on in AVNTOM.


”If there is A Virus Named TOM 2, however slim, I hope the devs choose one type of puzzle or the other. Testing your reflexes or testing your puzzle-solving is fine, but testing both at the same time is a challenge in frustration, not of fair difficulty,”

This statement is as true today as when I first typed out my disappointment. While I think there is a happy medium for players of all skill-levels to enjoy without ruining the fun of the game, I don’t think having a game that challenges both to such extremes leads to satisfying solutions. As much as I love DUSKERS and eagerly await what else is in store from Misfit Games, I sincerely hope someday Dr. X will come back to reboot T.O.M. for another technological anarchy of destruction in some other utopia.

Still possesses one of the most awesome futuristic/cyper-punk soundtracks to date.

Nearly four years ago before I began writing reviews, I played A Virus Named T.O.M., and shortly after a hiatus I came back to air my grievances in what I thought was a comprehensive review. When I read that review today, the words do not appear the thoughts that I possess now while I agree with some points made by my old self; however, I also see aspects I misunderstood about the game that I find so obvious now. As someone who studied a little about cognitive development, it’s no surprise to me as brains aren’t fully developed until the mid-twenties. Egocentric tendencies aside, the difference in quality of my criticisms is what strikes me as the most valuable reason to rewrite this review. Having four years of gaming experience as well as practice expressing my thoughts are also reasons why I felt the need to revise my old review, but even if I may not personally recommend this game the feeling of better understanding its shortcomings and appeal is something I’ll always cherish about AVNTOM. [h1]Let’s Take An Old Fashioned Walk[/h1] [i]“The main problem is the game wants you to take your time to figure out the puzzles, yet it also rushes you to solve the solutions as your health is your time-limit. Some levels will slowly degrade your health while others will rely on you maneuvering around enemies to absorb more health. And you have to complete the puzzle while doing that as well. Even worse, you have to do all of that while you CAN'T see your progress. There is a mechanic introduced fairly early that hides the grid unless you connect the pipes. So that means you have to brute force your way to completion. But some levels seem to demand that you memorize each level, THEN do it as quick as possible while not getting hurt and losing time/health. Some might argue that the skip-tokens let you get past those frustrating levels, but the game just continues to get more frustrating for all the wrong reasons. The challenges at the start of the game do not prepare you for the trials towards the end. I couldn't even imagine trying to convince someone to play cooperative with me on the later levels.”[/i] The problems illustrated by my previous self, while true in a sense that the game’s overall challenge is inconsistent, fails to understand how each level varies how much each skill is being tested. Up to World/Invention 5, the game incrementally adds new modifiers like the previously mentioned hidden mechanic as well as indestructible drones, loophole pathways, etc. as well as how much importance is put on one type of problem versus another level. This type of design is reminiscent of the gimmicks of the Super Mario Galaxy games by the constant usage and discard mechanics to make each level distinct. For example, Level 2-5 will test your ability to focus on solving a simple tube puzzle while also utilizing the stun-ability to sneak around the drones that cannot be avoided otherwise. Level 2-7 also uses this challenge but adds a special drone that must be destroyed in a spot to give the grid power, and Level 2-8 adds the infamous invisible mechanic that still uses a simple grid puzzle. Thinking about most of the game this way, I found that instead of constantly bypassing levels with the skip-tokens I would often find the solution with only the higher-reflex challenges to be an utter drag. It is only within the last two worlds is the prevalence of high-reflex challenges become an utter nuisance to a puzzle game like AVNTOM. However, an easy solution to this problem that my younger self did not stumble on was adding difficulty modes. If you could affect the speed of enemies for these split-second decision levels as well as make a practice mode and/or give T.O.M. the ability to see the unpowered grids that are invisible from the corners, then at least the methodical approach is not compromised by the sudden emphasis on speed. [h1]Anchored by A Dumb Button[/h1] [i]Then you have the other glaring issue: The controls. The best way to explain the problem is that you always feel tied to an anchor. Whether you use a controller or the keyboard, you have to hold a button down to interact with a section of the grid. Combine this mechanic with having to dodge enemies quickly and you'll find yourself stuck on the same paths or you'll accidently slide into an enemy you were trying to avoid.[/i] To this day this issue still baffles me not because the controls do not work when it should but that a game that emphasizes so much moment-to-moment decision making relies on anchoring the player in a box-like grid is still one of the worst ideas, period. In levels where speed is emphasized but the puzzles are simplified, this issue, while annoying, is at least salvageable; it’s the later levels that will constantly have you crash into enemies while trying to solve the puzzle (Level 4-10) is where the flaws behind its design begin to show themselves. Especially for levels where you are given limited health, the amount of time you get to stare at the screen and perform the correct maneuver can be so limited on mistakes that you will get tired of trying to solve the puzzle by the inability to focus on the problem. Part of the problem is probably due to the inclusion of four-player coop which requires something simple for four players to quickly interact with the puzzles and to indicate to the other players what each one is doing on screen. Unlike the difficulty spike, I don’t think there is a simple solution to fix the control issue without compromising on the types of puzzles focused on in AVNTOM. [h1]AVNTOMs Schrodinger Dilemma[/h1] [i]”If there is A Virus Named TOM 2, however slim, I hope the devs choose one type of puzzle or the other. Testing your reflexes or testing your puzzle-solving is fine, but testing both at the same time is a challenge in frustration, not of fair difficulty,”[/i] This statement is as true today as when I first typed out my disappointment. While I think there is a happy medium for players of all skill-levels to enjoy without ruining the fun of the game, I don’t think having a game that challenges both to such extremes leads to satisfying solutions. As much as I love DUSKERS and eagerly await what else is in store from Misfit Games, I sincerely hope someday Dr. X will come back to reboot T.O.M. for another technological anarchy of destruction in some other utopia. Still possesses one of the most awesome futuristic/cyper-punk soundtracks to date.