The Butterfly Effect now with robots

I enjoy a simple game, especially now that I’m getting older. Sometimes, I just need a fun simple title that allows me to relax and solve a few puzzles without having to worry about quick button presses and the need for twitch controls. So, when playing through Time Loader, I had a great time just how simple the game was, not to mention, the interesting premise and overall look.

Players control a little robot that has been sent through time by its creator to stop an accident that happened back in 1995. The robot is tasked with making sure certain things do and don’t happen that could alter the timeline and end up doing more harm than good. The robot itself has only a few things it can do like grip an item or use its arm to swing from a platform. Along the way, it can find and install upgrades to help with puzzles and traversal.

MSRP: $14.99
Price I’d pay: $14.99
Platforms: Xbox, Switch, PC, PlayStation

The game is on a 2D plane. Players will move left to right trying to figure out paths that lead to where they need to go. Some may be moving an object or pushing something onto another to create a platform. These puzzles were never overly challenging and sometimes I would figure them out almost as soon as I saw them. While this may turn off some players, I found it more relaxed and laid back. As I said earlier, players can obtain upgrades that will allow higher jumps, a welding tool to fix things, and eventually a grappling hook. These all aid in making it farther in the game so they are never able to be missed.

What is able to be missed are some of the collectables and time altering things. I noticed this a few times while playing that there seemed to be a significance to certain things I chose to interact with. Come to find out, at the end, a lot of what I did altered time and changed the ending I got. There are three endings in all and the final true ending will have players needing to do specific things to make sure everything happens the way it should. Luckily, the game allows for chapter selects once they make it to an ending.

The look of the game is a highlight. It gives off almost a Toy Story feel. Since the robot is only about one foot tall, there is a smaller perspective when navigating the family home back in 1995. It’s a nice look full of simple easter eggs that harken back to the 90’s.

The robot’s voice and dialog add more to the story which is both tragic and heartfelt at the same time. It’s obvious that this accident has horrible effects on the main character, but the drive to change time is both engaging and heartbreaking.

Now, since this is a physics-based game there are some rough edges at times. I found some items in the environment that would just not work properly and the final stretch of act three had me annoyed a few times because I kept failing, but in the end, I had a really fun time with the overall experience. It took around two and a half hours to get through the first ending and with some trial and error, I was able to get the other two endings with an extra couple of hours. Granted, it wasn’t like I was speedrunning the game or anything so your mileage may vary.

Time Loader was a nice breath of fresh air for me. It was simple, fun in execution, had a nice little story to tell, and was never overly long. It may be a bit too simple for the hardcore puzzle fans out there, but even then, they can find enjoyment out of this one with everything else it has going for it. This is one game that many will find themselves wanting to see all the endings and it is one that is worth it.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.