Red Ball 4, the latest in the physics platforming series by Evgeniy Fedoseev, has come a long way from 1, 2, and 3. From his humble beginnings, Red Ball has become quite the hero, and now he's actually out to save the world from being turned square by malicious blocks. Use the [WASD] or [arrow] keys to move and jump through the game's fifteen levels, avoiding hazards like enemies and water, and tagging red flags to use as respawn checkpoints along the way. Initially, you can simply hop on enemies to destroy them (or find ways to drown them if ya nasty), but later they'll become wise to your ballsy ways and start wearing spiky helmets, forcing you to adjust your tactics. Similarly, while rolling around with a goofy grin on your face will do in the beginning, later levels feature devious physics-based challenges and constructs you'll need to manipulate in order to get by.

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The Red Ball series is one of those games where the developer's drive for improvement and evolution really shines. It isn't just the significant graphical upgrade, it's the whole package. Red Ball 4 not only plays smoother, it features a more cunning variety to its level design that really takes advantage of its physics-based platforming in creative ways. The physics themselves are, generally, mostly reliable, though they can force you to be frustratingly precise in your angles and speed to get the most height and distance out of even simple jumps. The initial batch of levels are also enjoyable, but don't really showcase much variety or ingenuity in a way that may not capture everyone's interest off the bat. But with a crisp, clean design and kid-friendly gameplay, Red Ball 4 isn't just a good example of one developer's impressive progression of skill, it's a good game, period.

Play Red Ball 4