Move or Die Review (PS4)

As with many successful indie titles that come to PlayStation 4, Move or Die started life as a popular PC game when it launched a few years back. It's very much in the same wheelhouse as other chaotic multiplayer titles like Speedrunners, Gang Beasts, and Nidhogg, though it manages to set itself apart with an interesting spin on 2D platforming. You might've guessed from the game's title, but if you stop moving, your health bar starts depleting, instantly creating mayhem onscreen.

It's a clever conceit that forces local or online players to dance around the level, simultaneously trying to meet the demands of whichever mode has been randomly selected for a given round. A match of Move or Die consists of a string of short mini games. There are many modes to choose from, all with simple rules. Fizzle Floor has platforms slowly fade away beneath players, Hat Chase is a scramble to wear the crown for the most time, and Bomb Tag sees players running into each other to avoid death by explosive vest. There are too many modes to go through here, but that variety helps to alleviate what could be a rather shallow experience, and random selection means no two matches are ever quite the same.

If the need to constantly move and a merry-go-round of game modes wasn't enough mayhem already, you can also enable Mutators. These are selected by a random player, and can be a blessing or a nuisance. Double Jump is self explanatory, while Ghostly Jumps makes you hop each time another player changes direction. Mutators are a fun extra layer that help to keep things fresh after you and your pals have played a few matches.

While everything is unlocked by default in local multiplayer, online is a different story. Here, you'll level up as you play, earning in-game currency with which you can buy various alternate character skins. Modes will also slowly unlock as you keep playing online, giving this portion of the game a sense of progression not found in couch multiplayer. A daily challenge mode is also included to keep you coming back, pitting you against AI in a random run of modes that ends when you lose. This also rewards you with XP and coins. For such a simple game, the developer has been clever in providing you with more than one way to play it.

The main problem this title has is a bizarre selection of bugs that, in our experience, are all sound-related. We've had glitchy dialogue, an odd, low rumbling noise, and all sound but the music cut out entirely. These audio errors don't necessarily harm your ability to play the game, but they're far too common to be acceptable. We imagine these issues will be patched out in time, but the sound is pretty broken right now.