Lifted | PC Review
As annoying as they may be, advertising and sponsored social media posts can really help companies gain exposure for their products. Several months ago, I was doomscrolling when I stumbled upon a sponsored post for the Lifted trailer from developer Adventure Works. Created by a former Disney imagineer, the trailer exuded such charm that I immediately wishlisted it on Steam. So when Scott got the press release, I jumped at the chance to review. While I am happy that I played it, my expectations were too grand for Lifted.
An 80s-Inspired Adventure
In Lifted, you play as Ari Buktu, a high-school student who just wants to get some extra credit from his physics teacher, Professor Raventhorpe. What Ari is unaware of is that Professor R has built a time machine, the Anytime Elevator, and is tricking Ari to travel in time to help find an ancient tiara. While skeptical, Ari agrees, so he, Professor R, and a chinchilla named Julius embark on an adventure across various time periods and locations.
I found the story to be one of the highlights of Lifted. The charm and humor exuded by the trailer were present throughout, while also sprinkling in some emotional moments without taking itself seriously. I laughed aloud the first time Ari pointed out how convenient it was that the professor could find a less dangerous route. And while Julius cannot talk, his interactions with Ari and the professor create some humorous moments. The developer wanted to create a game that feels like an 80s adventure movie, and I feel he succeeded.
Despite it being a highlight, I did have a couple of issues with the story. The main villain was not present for the vast majority of the game, so he felt unnecessary. In my opinion, the story could work just as well if the primary antagonist were just the environment preventing them from getting the tiara. Also, the pacing between cutscenes was inconsistent, with dialogue often cut off by the next cutscene. It would have been better to extend the platforming to fit the dialogue before the cutscene.
Cinematic Platforming
Simply put, Lifted is a cinematic platformer with a mixture of side-scrolling and third-person platforming with light puzzles. The transition between side-scrolling and third-person is seamless, which is a cool aesthetic. One moment, you could be side-scrolling along a corridor, and then Ari’s path will switch to third-person as he slides down a hill. This was a very clever game design. However, while I found it fun, I felt like the platforming was the weakest aspect.
The treasure-hunting mixed with the cinematic platforming reminds me of Uncharted, but less polished and less cinematic. For example, in Uncharted, there are plenty of sections where precise timing isn’t required to pull off an awesome maneuver, similar to Coyote time. Lifted has these moments that should feel like you are pulling off a cool stunt. However, instead of the satisfaction of pulling off these cinematic maneuvers, I occasionally felt utter frustration after several failures. It never felt like these failures were due to an expected challenge, but secondary to loose design and unfortunate luck.
Charming Cartoonish Art Design
Lifted has a very charming art design. All characters have pill-shaped bodies with floating hands and feet, which feels very cute and unique. The environments were also well-designed, ranging from raiding a temple in ancient Egypt to exploring an island cave and a pirate ship. In addition to the promise of an 80s-inspired adventure, you can see the passion in the art design.
Lifted Final Verdict
I can easily see the passion poured into Lifted, with a clear vision of that 80s-style adventure. It delivers a clever, humorous narrative, albeit with some flaws, as well as a very charming and unique art design. The balance between side-scrolling and third-person platforming is clever and mostly fun, but can be unnecessarily frustrating. It is a short, linear experience that I completed in roughly three hours, with little replayability unless you want to find all the collectibles. This might not make my top ten list for 2026, but it was an enjoyable experience and could be one you enjoy if you’re looking for a short, cinematic platformer.
To hear me talk more about Lifted, be sure to listen to the July 21st, 2026 episode of The Gaming Outsider around the 56:19 time stamp.
This review is based on a PC copy of Lifted provided by Stride PR for coverage purposes. As of this writing, it is exclusive to that platform, but has planned releases for Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5.
Lifted
19.99
Pros
- Humorous Narrative
- Clever Transition from Side-Scrolling to 3rd-Person Platforming
- Unique, Charming Art Design
Cons
- Short Length
- Dialogue Cut Short Between Cutscenes
- The Main Villain felt Dispensable
- Some Unnecessarily Frustrating Platforming Sections
