Years ago, PlayStation 3 and PSP owners were treated to The Impossible Game, a side-scrolling endless runner. Few could ever hope to beat the game, despite the infinite lives. It also happened to be rather cheap, so even though most people easily got frustrated with it and quit, they were able to say they got their money's worth. Fast-forward to today, and Velocibox channels that same impossible feeling.

You take control of a box as it winds down an endless corridor in a third-person perspective. You must avoid floors and pillars of a different color than the rest of the environment. Aside from lateral movement, you can rotate the level so the walls become the floor. All the while, you're trying to collect smaller square blocks to gain points. Gain enough of those boxes, and you'll progress to the next level to face more difficult obstacles.

The catch is that your box dies after just one hit. It doesn't matter whether you run into an obstacle head-on or graze it with your side; contact of any sort instantly brings up a "game over" screen, complete with a point total for the run and highest score achieved. At the very least, restarts are instant, so you don't have to wait before trying to tackle the stage again.

The one-hit kill requirement is standard for most endless runners, but the game toughens up the experience by throwing in a few more features. First, Velocibox moves along so quickly that it can take some time to figure out the distance of objects and the timing you'll need to make it through unscathed. The game also randomly generates its levels, so there's no way to memorize the pathways, no matter how many times you die. It also means that levels can have almost impossible pathways to overcome and square placement that is too difficult to reach.

Coupled with the disorienting nature of moving from surface to surface, and Velocibox is an experience that can make people easily give up. Dying is quick and all too common, and you begin to feel like a good deal of luck is also needed if you want to get anywhere. All of this results in a game that seems to take great pleasure in tormenting the player at every opportunity. Many give up after the first few deaths, and it wouldn't be surprising to see people tap out after less than an hour of play. However, the quick restarts and seemingly simple nature of the game can have a strangely compelling pull. Even at the height of frustration, some people will have a desire to give it a few more tries in hopes of getting lucky.

At the very least, the game gives you a bit of a reprieve in the form of the save file. The file saves high scores and level progress, so you aren't always restarting from level 1, and considering how tough it is to reach later levels, any form of help is welcome. For those who do want to adhere to the endless runner experience, Ranked mode lets you make it as far as you can while also posting scores and your progress online.

Like a good number of indie games on the PlayStation platform, Velocibox features cross-buy between the PS4 and the Vita. The feature is always welcome, and while controlling these types of games on the big screen is nice, the title feels better suited to the Vita due to the short play sessions. The game also supports cross-save, which is a boon for those wanting to progress without having to start over on both devices. It also helps that the cross-save functionality is rather seamless, and no interaction is needed from you at all.

From a presentation standpoint, Velocibox really embraces minimalism. Nothing moves beyond a standard cube shape, and the colors are distinct enough that you can differentiate between things easily. The speed never falters on either system, so at least technical issues won't be the cause when you mess up. The game also sports an interesting fish eye lens on the outskirts that makes it interesting to view, though you'll only see it the moment your block spawns in. As for audio, the thumping music is perfect for the speedy nature of the game, though if you mash buttons, the voice that announces the start of the run and your failure can speak over itself. One interesting thing to note is that the sound kicks in better on the PS4 than the Vita, with the cube respawn sounding much more intimidating on the home console.

With randomly generated levels played at a breakneck speed, Velocibox is definitely for those who thrive on frustrating challenges. Few will have the patience to get through to the next stage without quitting in frustration, let alone fuss with online rankings. The cross-buy and cross-save capabilities are nice, since it means not having to restart things when moving between platforms, but the $12.49 cost is high enough that players will be more conscious about whether they want to purchase a title that can make their blood boil. It fits best on the Vita due to the short play sessions, but even then, only those who don't get frustrated easily need apply.

Score: 6.5/10