Every year the internet finds one of those games that’s incredibly funny to watch someone play but nearly unbearable to play yourself. There have been a few platforming games that have cropped up in recent times that seem to relish in the idea of the player failing miserably. This month saw the release of the newest rage-inducing platformer, Chained Together.
Where it began
This trend of platformers designed to make you mad seemed to stem from Getting Over It (2017). This game put players in the shoes (or rather cauldron) of a man who could only use his giant hammer to move himself. Getting Over It famously took content creation platforms like YouTube and Twitch by storm. The unforgiving nature of the game led to some very amusing reactions from anyone daring enough to play it. Then Only Up (2023) took this trend one step further. Unlike Getting Over It, Only Up was a fully-fledged 3D game allowing for more accurate movement. Now it seems that Chained Together has taken up the mantle of subjecting gamers to torturous mechanics. This time however you don’t have to suffer alone.
Lost souls
Chained Together puts you and your friends in the depths of hell (both figuratively and literally). You play as trapped souls who are doomed to live out the rest of your miserable afterlife in hell. Things become a little less bleak when a chance to ascend to heaven is put before you. All you have to do is navigate your way across floating debris in the sky that gets you ever closer to the prospect of reaching Heaven’s gates. Sounds simple enough but the catch is that you and your friends are chained to each other. This turns already difficult parkour and jumps into even harder challenges.
The Challenges of Hell
From the minute the game starts you are met with the harsh reality of the utter torment you and your friends will be putting yourselves through for the next few hours. Ledges, jump pads, moving environments and vanishing platforms get you introduced to Chained Together’s harsh and unforgiving nature all the while the devil and his minions taunt you and your friends for both failing and making progress. Jumping across a chasm being chained to someone is bad enough but Chained Together also includes challenges like underwater mazes, timed button segments and moving lasers that can send you and your party spiralling back down.
Keep your cool
Teamwork is the key to progression as each member of your chain gang has to be on the same page as one another. You have to time your jumps and movements down to a T or it’s game over. Like rage platformers of the past, one mistake can send you back to the beginning of your journey. Since you are chained to your friends they’ll fall right down with you too. Chaos inevitably ensues as everyone tries to blame each other for missing a jump or hitting lasers. Pointing your finger won’t make things any easier as usually this leads to even more mistakes. This constant cycle of failure will either lead to groans of frustration or outbursts of laughter
Anegar Games proves that suffering through a video game is a little less painful with your buddies. Think you can handle the heat of hell? Intrigued by the thought of turning lifelong friends into your mortal enemies? Then Chained Together is definitely worth your time.
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