Power Factor is an action-platformer starring Redd Ace, a hero fighting alien creatures known as the Ceegarians from the Ceeg dimension. The Ceegarians are referred to as "transdimensional intruders," and the creatures the player faces off against are called evil invading "Sinlendo Techmods."
The primary goal of the game is to build a bomb to destroy the Ceegarians by collecting six components, which take place within the reactor's environment. The storyline is complicated, with the instruction manual referring to the game as a Virtual Reality simulation.
The stages are small but designed like mazes, similar to Metroid . However, completed areas cannot be revisited, and each stage ends with a boss battle against enemy characters that are often two screens high.
Redd Ace is armed with a multi-use weapon known as the "Tmat MOW." Four different weapons can be acquired and used for both the A and B buttons, with eight total weapons in the game. Weapons must be picked up by collecting various icon symbols, but ammunition is limited. Choosing weapons is awkwardly assigned to the D-pad.
Controlling Redd Ace is different from typical platformers. There's no jump button, as both A and B buttons have weapons assigned to them. The hero also has a levitation pack on his back, which allows flight. Tapping "up" on the D-Pad allows Redd to jump or fly, depending on the situation.
Pressing the "Option 2" button shows information about the bomb pieces and various weapons, as well as maps of the current area and enemy characters. The player starts with three lives, but there are no continues. There are also three difficulty modes: Easy, Normal, and Hard.