There is a famous saying floating around out there. I’m not sure on the exact verbage, but it basically goes something like: “boredom is a choice.” To some extent I agree with this statement. Waiting in line, sitting at work, lounging around the house; being bored in all of these places is a choice. However, there’s one place where being bored or not isn’t a choice… that place is No End for Xbox Live Indie Games.

No End is an extremely simple game. In fact, many of you who play it will probably instantly recognize it as having similar gameplay to The Impossible Game. Unfortunately, where The Impossible Game takes a simple notion and turns it into an enjoyable experience, No End takes that same notion and completely dumbs down the entire experience with lame controls, unimaginative level designs, and graphics that are, at best, lame.

Now I know it may seem like I’m being kind of a jerk. I mean, this is just one guy’s simple game. Who am I to knock it around this harshly? And on some level you’re correct. However, when you have such obvious examples of how this type of game is done correctly I find it hard to take feelings into consideration. The example has been set by The Impossible Game, you can change up the style and even the pace of the game but everything else should play exactly like The Impossible Game. To do anything less is just setting yourself up for failure.

Of course, this isn’t to say that  No End did everything wrong either. While the game fails in most aspects, the developer did include both a training ground and a multiplayer session for two players. Neither are saving graces to the game, but hey… when life gives you lemons you squeeze the crap out of those lemons and then add in tons of water and sugar to not make it taste so bad.  That is the best way I can describe these two added features.

No End is available on the XBLIG channel right now for 80 MS points. If you’re looking for ways to kill — or murder — a few minutes then you can go ahead and check this game out, otherwise I’d steer clear.

[This is not a review. This is a "first impressions" piece based on less than an hour of gameplay.]

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