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Welcome to our regular gameplay impressions and video post where we record our first 10-30 minutes with a new game, and provide some general impressions on that early playthrough. Today’s game is: Glare from Phobic Studios.

Glare is a side-scrolling platformer that uses light as its key mechanic. As the Shiner, the player must eliminate an infestation of dark energy-fueled creatures called Ramora by blasting light from the creature's, while at the same time traversing the oftentimes treacherous landscape. The game features a fairly simple set-up, with some easy to understand mechanics, which makes it perfect for seasoned and casual gamers alike.

As I noted in the video, there are some obvious parallels that can be drawn between Glare and a few different games, namely Ratchet and Clank for its combination of combat and platforming, and Jak and Daxter for its whimsical art style. While it's hard to tell whether Glare can match those two games, it seems to have a solid foundation, which is all one can ask for in a platformer.

At times it can become quite the task - managing the light beam, shooting at enemies, and jumping between platforms - but the controls in Glare are precise enough that doing so doesn't pose too much of a problem. In fact, getting through the first level of Glare was fairly easy, but I could see the game getting more complicated down the road. Hopping between platforms and making sure they are activated by the light, for example, could become its own juggling act, even without taking into account keeping enemies at bay.

Like many platformers, Glare shows a tremendous amount of potential in its first 20 minutes. It slowly introduces new mechanics to the player while ensuring they understand the context under which each is used. Additionally, Glare's art style, while a bit minimalist, is filled with plenty of color and seems to vary as the player progresses.

The only downside I see moving forward is whether or not the game is able to juggle the light repellent mechanic, firing weapons, activating jump platforms, and moving forward without the player getting frustrated. But that's a small gripe for a game that hooked me instantly, and was engaging enough that I wanted to play more.

What do you think of Glare? Does it look like a game you would interested in? If you enjoy our gameplay videos make sure to like and subscribe to our YouTube channel to let us know you want more.

Glare is on sale now for $13.49 (regular price: $14.99) on Steam.

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