When playing the 1970s Atari classic Pong, ever wonder what is beyond the playing field? For most that’s probably not a question. Usually when something presents itself there is not much thought put beyond what is presented. In a way this can be applied to life itself. Most of the time people are too preoccupied with the rat race in front of them to ever consider anything else. Qomp 2 is partly a Pong sequel, but also a deconstruction, and it explores the theme of leaving one’s comfort zone. Does this grand idea stick to a landing? Is there more to being a ping-pong ball?
It begins with a classic match of Pong being played. The only difference is that the player is not controlling either paddle but rather the ball, and the first order of business is trying to break free from the confines of the gameplay. Once free from the borders, a journey awaits, and it is surprisingly challenging. It is as if it is a metaphor for the dangers of the outside world.
The controls are very simple and only use two buttons. The ball moves in four cardinal diagonal directions, and the only way to go left or right is to bounce off a wall. It can only change the direction of up or down diagonally – not left or right. The world is a maze-like gauntlet festooned with hidden keys, secret doors, and traps, which makes a majority of Qomp 2’s challenge getting the ball where it needs to be in order to progress. No matter what, it will always keep moving, bouncing on all surfaces, and if it misses its mark when trying to squeeze it through a narrow passage, it will bounce backwards and continue to bounce off into the heavens.
The other module of Qomp 2‘s control is the speed boosting. This is mostly used to smash through blockades or activate switches, and it also charges certain objects for use. Aligning shots and timing a boost through instant-death hazards is predominantly what the exploration entails. Making progress is always precarious, and failure means having time get wasted trying to get the ball back into position as it never stops moving. It can feel like trying to build train tracks while a train is moving and sometimes there are spiked walls or an electric current that will blow up the train.
When Qomp 2 works, it can be satisfying making progress with such unbelievably simple controls, and with an avatar that basically never stops moving. At the worst of times it can be easy to resign oneself as the ball gets caught in a loop of death and respawn while trying to parse what would be the optimal route to progress. This can make it feel unbearable to play. Giving up the muscle memory to control is not easily surrendered, and even though it is a very short experience, most of the victories feel like they are won through attrition rather than mastery.
As a final note, the visuals are on point. The monochromatic graphics and heavy use of a fish-eye warping effect makes a striking impression. Compounded with the crunchy and bit-crushed Atari 2600-inspired soundscape, Qomp 2 manages to achieve some authenticity that not all retro-inspired titles can achieve.
