Blinx is a one-of-a-kind platformer game. Everything you know about platform games should be tossed out of the window as the game is the first to introduce slow-motion as one of its gameplay mechanics.
The game was published by Microsoft Game Studios and was released for the Xbox around 2004. Blinx: The Time Sweeper's main mechanic is the use of slow-motion or simply control time itself.
Players can pause, record, rewind, fast-forward and put the time in slow-motion whichever is more convenient for you. Blinx: The Time Sweeper is one of the most unique games to have ever come out of the industry.
What Is Blinx All About?
Blinx: The Time Sweeper follows Blinx working with the Time Factory to prevent the evil Tom-Tom Gang from disrupting time itself.
However, the gang becomes successful enough to disrupt time that it forces the Time Factory to suspend time on a specific dimension.
Everything becomes complicated when the leader of the dimension is held hostage by the Tom-Tom Gang and Blinx must rescue her.
Gameplay and Features
Time Crystals
The game is a simple platformer but has a widely unique mechanic that allows you to control time. You will need to collect time crystals for you to perform one special ability.
If you can collect three same types of crystal, you will be able to cast the ability, and collecting four would allow you to cast two. You can only carry three crystals at once.
If you can collect another one, it will just replace the first one that you have collected. Always remember this mechanic as it will change the way you play the game every time.
How Do Time Crystals Work?
Time crystals are classified into 6 different types. Blue Moons will allow you to pause or freeze the screen while Yellow Stars initiation the slow-motion mechanic.
These two are helpful when you have a lot of enemies at one time and you might want to get away for you while.
Pink Hearts will give you a retry that acts as an extra life for your character. Green Diamonds will record all of your actions in a specific duration and duplicate them when you are done.
Orange Pyramids will help Blinx move faster and Purple Crosses helps recover broken objects by rewinding them.
Trash
Trash is commonly used to deal with the damage. The more trash that you have, the more it will deal damage. Collecting trash is just like collecting crystals. They will replace the first one if you take one more after it is already full.
The key here is to collect specific trash that you want instead of collecting it all. While they may be difficult to acquire, it will help you within the game. Additionally, once you have discarded the trash, it will be gone.
Tips on How to Play
The most important thing that you need to do when you get on any level is to collect trash. You will need them once you begin the game. Every time you use one, collect another and make sure to hold on to 5 pieces.
Time crystals are specifically effective when fighting bosses. Blue Moons and Yellow Stars are great against bosses as it will give you more time to deal damage. Other crystals can be effective but they are mostly situational.
If you die in the earlier parts of the level with retries, just restart the level instead. This will help you save on retries and reserve them for more significant occasions in the game as boss fights where it is most crucial.
Lastly, never forget to thoroughly scour through the entire room after you are done with the enemies. There will always be time crystals hidden away somewhere and sometimes they can just be hidden right under your nose.
Conclusion
The game was received pretty well during its launch. Blinx: The Time Sweeper was one of the few games at the time to feature well-defined graphics and complex gameplay.
Most people praise it for its execution with the mechanics while others find it very challenging but the good thing is, this makes the game all the more fun to play. This is one of those games everyone should try.
