In Beta MAX, a young teenager finds a cursed tape that transports him into a neon-drenched alternate future full of hazards and 80s references. The only tool he has to assist him is the remote control he brought with him, one that seemingly allows him to control the flow of time. Provided he can avoid being crushed by a Rubik’s Cube or refrain from falling off a Tetris block into electric water, he might just make it home.

Time Manipulation Mechanics and Puzzles in Beta MAX

Beta MAX is a first-person non-combat puzzle game – one of several recent titles designed in the vein of Portal. In this case, the key mechanic is time manipulation. The Betamax remote allows the player to pause or rewind time.

Significantly, certain objects – those with a pink glow – are unaffected by the remote. A player can drop a pink crate on a switch and then rewind time and have the crate stay put, or freeze time in midair and wait for a pink platform to pass underneath. It’s not immediately obvious that this is how the world of Beta MAX works, but it shouldn’t take too long to get a handle on it.

Difficult but Forgiving Gameplay

There is a bit of a learning curve here, which is why it’s good that Beta MAX is pretty forgiving overall. The game pauses on the player’s death to allow for a rewind, and there’s no limit on time powers – one could rewind all the way to the start of the level. The puzzles are also quite intuitive, provided that the player can remember where everything is located.

Beta MAX is an eye-catching game, but it might not last for too long. A skillful player could clear the game in one or two stream sessions. It does have some clear potential as a speedrunning game, though, so the right kind of player may find some extra life in Beta MAX after the initial run is through.

STREAMER SCORE

Beta MAX (PC) - 2024

Overall

3.4

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Summary

Beta MAX is an 80s themed, Portal-style first-person puzzler with some definite speedrun potential

Steam

Drew Johnston

ANDREW JOHNSTON is a teacher, writer and journalist based out of mainland Asia. He is a regular contributor to Superjump Magazine, where he specializes in independent video games and the gaming culture of East Asia. He has published short fiction in 30 markets and anthologies including Daily Science Fiction, Nature: Futures and the Laughing at Shadows Anthology.