Parents' Guide to Matterfall

Though clever and challenging, this two-dimensional, side-scrolling sci-fi shooter is somewhat marred by counterintuitive controls. In Matterfall, players get to shoot up some human-hating robots while also running and jumping through the rather sparse office building where they were built. Using a variety of futuristic weapons, as well as a super suit that allows you to jump twice in rapid succession and phase-shift through certain electrical barriers, you have to take down numerous combative robots while also figuring out how to get to the next area full of enemies. There's even some fun bits where gravity doesn't work and you get to float like a butterfly while stinging like a bee.

All of which makes it that much more annoying that this game has some rather counterintuitive controls. Most notably, the jump button isn't the X button like it is in most games, but is instead the right bumper. It's nothing you won't get used to, eventually, but it'll take a while. It also doesn't seem all that necessary, since what you do use the X for (to activate devices) isn't something you'll need to do quickly. As a result, trying to get around -- say, when you have to double-jump and then phase-shift through a barrier before jumping again -- can be a lot trickier than it should be. But if you're someone who adapts quickly, and hates robots, you'll have fun with Matterfall.