I think one of the reasons this game manages to stand the test of time so well, at least for me, is its message. It's one that constantly changes and evolves with you the older you get. So many people have talked about this already, so I won't parrot what they've said, but I can't think of any game or even piece of media has managed to share this specific message and pull it off nearly as well, with such rich subtext too. I'm the same age as this game and it's one I still think about often, especially as I get older.

Gravity Circuit is certainly one of my biggest surprises of 2023 so far with such smooth controls & flow that playing it never gets tiring, which helps by the solid level design that isn’t a breeze to go through, but you feel like a badass when you get through it with barely any scratches helped by the satisfying melee combat.

Double that with the chips & techniques that you can purchase when rescuing bots around each level that makes exploration feel very rewarding since most of them are pretty useful to get for levels or bosses. My only nitpick is that the lack of loadout slots makes switching to different chips & techniques take a bit too long and ruins the otherwise perfect fast-paced flow that the game exceeds.

Speaking of bosses, most of them are very engaging & surprisingly well balanced that even fully upgrading Kai won’t make all the boss fights a complete joke, especially at the finale, which outside of the obnoxious boss rush is a pretty satisfying finale both gameplay & where the story started to somewhat be interesting.

The overall story is the weakest aspect of the game. Until the finale rolls, I just found the plot to be pretty standard which I would’ve been fine with if the characters had cool or entertaining interactions, but it unfortunately lacks that. Kernel & one other character that I can’t spoil are only two that had a few memorable moments, but everyone else is unfortunately a blur to me. It's not the end of the world because outside of Mega Man Zero games, this kind of game tends to not focus on the stories. So if you don’t care about it, you won’t be affected by this too much unlike me.

The last few things I wanna highlight are the visuals & soundtrack. The pixel art in this is stunning due to the use of different color palettes that makes each level look distinctive, slick portraits that give it so much personality, and the overall UI is beautifully stylized. The soundtrack overall is full of energy I never got tired of listening to it.

Overall, this package is superb and one of the best modern action platformers that I have played in recent memory. I come back to replaying it, especially since it offers New game plus & Circuit mode that I want to give a try. For a game that costs under $20, this is a steal that I would recommend to anyone who is in the mood for an engaging action-platformer.