Whoever came up with the idea of an unpaid internship lasting an indefinite amount of time must be some kind of evil genius - and as a result, interns have joined the ranks of underdog heroes. This may be the reason that Maciek Oaky was inspired to make Space Intern, where even space can't guarantee gainful employment. It's a 2D-pixel platform game about an unnamed intern who is just trying to report for duty. Of course, it's never as simple as taking the bus there, and you can help the little hero gain some important life experience as they risk their life every step of the way.
What is Space Intern?
It's a tough job market out there, and many people are willing to do anything just to get an internship - let alone an entry-level job. In the case of Space Intern, a person is willing to brave all the dangers of newly discovered space. You play a young and energetic new intern reporting to a Research Station on an alien planet. Unfortunately, you've both literally and figuratively missed the bus on the direct route to it. This means you need to go through levels of previously explored paths with all the dangerous wildlife and hazards that they provide. By reaching the end and checking in with researchers along the way, you may yet prove your value.
Space Intern benefits
Like an actual internship, a game should provide compelling reasons to play it and go through the challenges that it has to offer. Space Intern works to do just that, and does it well. First is its appealing presentation. The chubby pixel art pulls you in with a sense of fun and perkiness that makes you want to see what sort of situations are awaiting the intern. The environments are clean and colourful while the animations for the characters, enemies, and assets are bouncy enough for you to appreciate their liveliness.
Then there's the variety of tasks at hand. There are four worlds and each has 10 levels composed of nine platforming areas and one boss fight. Each world has a familiar theme to it and introduces a new mechanic that works in tandem with the assets introduced previously. On top of that, each world introduces new enemy types and hazards designed to work together in a way that makes you consider your movements. The challenge ramps up at a good yet noticeable pace to the point where you start to hope that the next safe has a checkpoint. The boss fights each incorporate the main gimmick of the world into their arena.
Space Intern Risks
The lack of pay is not the only negative that interns have to deal with, and Space Intern can't help but struggle with negatives of its own. There's a point where certain sections of a level can feel like gauntlets, and one mistake can kill all your progress. This is expected in the more difficult areas of a platform game, but here, you need to deal with touch controls. They work well for the most part, but can dip between too sensitive and non-responsive which is all the game needs to send the intern flying back to the last checkpoint.
There's also a technical issue when it comes to lag. The good news is that it really only happens on two to three levels. The bad news is that one of these is a boss level. If your device isn't sufficiently powerful enough (which is surprising for a game with a lighter design), then prepare to replay that boss fight over and over again trying to manipulate the lag.
Gain Experience as a Space Intern
Space Intern is a 2D platforming game about an intern platforming through space to report for duty. It's cute and charming but challenging at the same time, all while touching on multiple platforming mechanics and conventions. Like an actual internship, it doesn't fully deliver on its promises - which, in this case, means having reliable controls and smooth gameplay throughout. Looking at all that, though, you have to admit - of all the internships available, being a space intern would be the one that's truly out of this world.
Space Intern Review - "Unpaid space platforming challenge"
It's a fun little platforming challenge about a spunky little space explorer dealing with the highs of adventure and the lows of technical issues.
Will Quick
Will Quick is a travelling writer currently dedicating his time to writing about the games he spends his free time playing. He's always on the lookout for the smaller and stranger of the bunch so he can shine a light on them.