Crowbar Climber [Meta Quest 3] | REVIEW

It has been a while since a game made me really, really angry, but Crowbar Climber managed to make me flip out in the first ten minutes of playing. Sometimes, it was because of my lack of skill and timing, but unfortunately, there were also times where it was because the game’s sometimes-clumsy physics caused me to fall over and over again.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Crowbar Climber has a pretty straightforward concept: players are armed with two crowbars and use them to climb up a vertical obstacle course made up of moving objects… simple. It’s easy enough to get to grips with too, with players simply reaching out with their crowbars to attach to objects and then using their momentum to pull themselves upwards. It’s also possible to give yourself a boost upwards by holding both crowbars on an object and pulling your arms downwards quickly, launching you in the direction you pull against. It all feels really natural in-game, with Crowbar Climber one of those titles where it’s obvious how to play it from the get-go.

And you know what? I actually liked the game. The course is challenging and fair with the obstacles it puts in your path, whilst it’s always satisfying to pull off a clever little manoeuvre to make that extra bit of progress. With deadly falls, spinning obstacles, and an abundance of precise jumps to make, it can be really intimidating, but there’s nothing on the course which feels TOO brutal to get through. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll fall a LOT, but with a steady number of checkpoints to ensure you don’t lose too much progress, you’ll never be too disheartened to try again.

“Crowbar Climber is fun and frustrating in equal measure, with players requiring a lot of patience if they hope to complete the course.”

Unfortunately, it also has a lot of tedious moments where the physics just seem to bug out a little, with there being plenty of occasions where my crowbars would get completely stuck in the environment in seemingly impossible ways. Trying to untangle them could be a massive distraction when trying to swiftly move between obstacles, and I lost track of the number of times I suffered a fall because my crowbars weren’t acting naturally. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll admit there were plenty of times where I’d get them stuck myself through mispositioning, but when they’ve seemingly clipped through an object or were acting erratically and got stuck for no apparent reason? It’s hard not to get a little frustrated, and believe me, there were a LOT of angry rants on my end when playing.

Still, if you can preserve through these moments of frustration, there’s plenty of satisfaction to be found with your successes in Crowbar Climber. It requires the perfect blend of precision, timing, and patience when playing, and when all three come together perfectly, you’ll find yourself pulling off seemingly impossible manoeuvres as you stride towards success. It always brought a big smile to my face when I got through a section of the course that had been challenging me for the last twenty-minutes, whilst it was always exciting to see what I’d have to face next… you know… in that ‘oh god, why am I putting myself through this’ kind-of way. When everything works efficiently though, it can be a lot of fun to play.

Check out some screenshots down below:

I do wish that a little bit more effort had been made with the visuals though, with Crowbar Climber looking like it’s made up of placeholder textures that add little personality to the world. Whilst I understand it’s a lower budget release, it would’ve been a more immersive and attractive experience if the course itself was given a theme (or at least made up of more than just plain coloured textures). It’s not a deal-breaker (and the game’s low price of £5.99 does make it more forgivable), but it feels like a wasted opportunity to add some character to the experience.

Developer: Bazooka Studio
Publisher: MyDearest Inc.
Platform(s): Meta Quest 3 (Reviewed), Meta Quest 2, PC VR
Website: https://www.meta.com/en-gb/experiences/crowbar-climber/8724223334301159/