Damnation is described as a “shooter gone vertical” in the game’s marketing. And even though we don’t completely agree with USP, we have to admit that the platforming in Damnation is almost the game’s savior in some ways. Almost, mind. In Damnation, it is necessary to climb buildings and other objects in order to advance in the game. Despite the fact that you are restricted in what you may scale, it is difficult to criticize this aspect of the game for anything other than the fact that it is really straightforward. Even though the animation is a little wonky, climbing structures is still a fun activity. The platforming is made easier by the level design, which seems to have put a lot of effort into everything. This allows you to easily find your way about without having the impression that your hand is being held too much of the time. You also get the chance to climb to incredible heights. Which is very neat. To an extent.
In a game that suffers from an excruciating lack of any genuine sense of pace, we discovered that we were looking forward to the motorbike sequences. You mostly simply travel in a straight line, with the exception of the parts where you defy gravity, but hey, chasing serum-infected scum while riding a steampunk Harley isn’t the worst thing in the world.
