Thank you Jori Ryan for providing us with a review code!

CreatorCrate takes a similar premise that many science fiction titles tend to do. The eponymous character, after being created, decides that it doesn’t really like its creators or the situation it is in. So of course it goes rogue and wants to escape. The humans that created CreatorCrate obviously do not want that and will do everything they can to stop the rampage. Why do we humans love creating media in which our demise comes from robots?

As for why the robot is called CreatorCrate—that’s because it can create anything after consuming it. This ranges from vending machines, to scrap metal, and even humans! In this 2.5D platformer, CreatorCrate will have the player utilize the various items in this circular space station to reach checkpoints with the main goal of escaping the space station. Items consumed store matter, and every item has a matter requirement. Up to three blueprints for items can be stored at one time so those items can continuously be created as long as enough matter exists.

With how CreatorCrate is designed, there are open-ended solutions to the problems and obstacles at hand, similar to the Deus Ex and Hitman series. You may come across vials of acid during a playthrough and many surfaces can be melted with the acid. Will you use the acid to melt the floors and take a “shortcut”, or will you use the vending machine next to you as a makeshift shield and barge through the area? The versatility of CreatorCrate is welcoming and lets players stick to a specific playstyle they like for the whole way through.

The controls are like most 2.D platformers with a mix of twin-stick shooting in there too. The game recommends playing with keyboard & mouse, but it is still playable with a controller. It can take some time getting used to it as there is momentum in how items interact with the world. Using items larger than the CreatorCrate will affect its movement. The items can be used as leverage to get on top of higher places, and having an item too close to the ground can halt movement. An item’s velocity is also taken into consideration depending on how fast the mouse is flicked. Certain items can even propel CreatorCrate forward or backward. The entire system is very enjoyable to experiment with.

Every time death occurs, the unexplored areas get shuffled around so the game is procedurally-generated. In a way, it makes death refreshing as you’ll get to see a different layout and new ways to interact with the environment, as well as roadblocks becoming non-existent. The ever-changing environment greatly decreases frustration if you happen to die a lot.

Sound effects are pretty decent. The explosions are audible, and people speak gibberish. It invokes a cartoon feeling to it. The music exists in the moment. It's fine to listen to, but you won’t remember it after turning it off. Matching the sounds, the graphics are cel-shaded with the people having almost exaggerated facial features. The CreatorCrate itself is pretty goofy-looking, but charming. It’s a stack of triangles with a long grabber as an arm and skinny legs.

In the second half of CreatorCrate, the way the game is controlled takes a different direction. Usually in most games, there is a gimmicky section where movement and sometimes mechanics change. For CreatorCrate, it is zero gravity, where jumping is different, CreatorCrate can move on walls, and momentum-based movement takes more of a priority. But like I said before, this lasts for the rest of the playthrough so you’re forced to get accustomed to a different way of control. As both halves control in such a different way, the first half doesn't do the best job in teaching you have to navigate in zero gravity.

In terms of moral warnings, at first it doesn’t really seem all that much. There’s explosions from robots. The violence is very slapstick in nature due to using props to knock people out, but it does get worse. Once guns and knives are unlocked, people start to bleed and sometimes they burst into a pile of meat and/or organs. People can also be consumed which leaves a pile of meat behind too. Probably the worst part is that humans can be re-created, but they’re created in a form where their skin is missing. Other than that, language, sexual content, and other moral concerns are completely absent.

In my opinion, I found the first half to be much more enjoyable than the second half. I didn’t find the Zero-G sections all that fun, but I can still recommend CreatorCrate to most people. The momentum, physics, and freedom of choice make the whole package entertaining and enjoyable. After beating the game a first time, multiple options for new game+ are unlocked such as a mode where everything explodes, harder difficulties, and an infinite matter mode. There’s even a permadeath toggle so many reasons to replay CreatorCrate exist. Just keep in mind that CreatorCrate can get pretty violent at times in contrast to the somewhat innocent start.