Bring The Noise Gaming: Platformer

Showing posts with label Platformer. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Steam Game Review: Eron

Since the blowup of the "Indie Dev" scene there have been many successes, many mediocres, and plenty of flops. In this "BTN Gaming Review" we are going focus on "Eron" by Red Splat Games which, unfortunately, falls into the category of mediocre at best.

This game called "Eron" really strives to add a new perspective on Platform games. It does a pretty good job for the most part. It uses a feature that makes the player have to shift between realms in order to complete the levels. The controls are rather simple as it uses the keyboard arrows, space bar to jump and Shift to well... shift. Now upon first glance, it's easy to see that it is inspired by the olden times of Atari and that is a wonderful starting point. It makes the player almost feel like they are holding that oblong, awkward controller as they make their way through the levels. The "shifting" aspect of Eron is unique and it really makes the player think on how to approach each obstacle. Each movement needing to be calculated and precise, otherwise the poor tribesman of the planet is sent right back to the beginning to try it once more. Although this can be frustrating, it pays a certain homage to the games of old, which is also a nice touch.

The overall challenge of Eron can be described as both irritating and satisfying. Games today seem to be drifting to the edge of boringly tired in order to reach out to a broader crowd. Eron, although simple, is in fact a challenge to work through and though it may get more than frustrating at times, it's exceedingly rectifying when a level is finally conquered. Combine the simple controls with this fact and there is so much potential for Eron to become a truly great game.

Now, on to the reasons why this little game can't quite make the cut. For starters, there is very little story. The only story that the player gets is in the Steam store page and even then, it's just a little snippet. There is no true development. This is sorely detrimental because although the environment tells a little bit of that story, there's no real element of purpose as to why the protagonist needs to carry on. It slowly becomes a mundane challenge of overthinking levels and dealing with the frustrations of failing more than succeeding. By no means should the game be easier, but there should be some sort of motivation put in place for the player to feel like there is progress being made.

While story would add some motivation to the overall gameplay, the idea of adding some sort of "enemy" or even active ability to compliment the "realm shifting" would add so much more depth to the interaction between player and environment. This in turn would help the levels fortify a story as well. From the Steam store page, the story snippet explains that Eron is being destroyed, but destroyed by what? Is it self-imploding? Is it an invasion? Is it an infestation of a nuisance gone out of control? There is nothing in the levels that clarifies this. That is why a hostile element would a welcome addition.

The final reason as to why Eron falls short of a stellar review is the simple fact that there are numerous glitches or bad environment interactions. The idea of causing the black spheres to rocket jump the player is great, but sometimes, even though hit perfectly, there is a disconnect between the jumping player and the sphere. Add to this the fact that there are places in the game where the player can be stuck in "permajump," unable to move whatsoever makes it difficult to play without the need to add that frustration.

Given all of the information above, Eron has so much room to grow, and Red Splat Games has a great idea. All they need to do is expound on it and show Eron a little more love. Work out the kinks, the glitches and bugs. Try adding some sort of story-driven concept and/or possible a "hostile" environment aspect. Once those are in place and perfected, there is no doubt that Eron could be all that it was intended to be: a modern day homage to Atari Platform games.

For more information on Eron, or to buy it for yourself, please visit:

http://store.steampowered.com/app/356880

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Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Steam Game Review: Caster

As many avid gamers out there know, Steam is an absolute must have when it comes to buying and/or sharing games and gaming experiences. There is an innumerable amount of content on Steam that can tickle the fancy of pretty much anybody out there. Among these games, is that of "Caster."

First, let's start with the basics. Pretty much any sale that Steam advertises on their 'Store' page, features this game. It's no more than a quarter (25 cents) every time a sale happens, so with that said, there really isn't too much reason NOT to get it. Let's face it, 25 cents really doesn't get you a whole lot nowadays as it is... You're lucky if you can get a giant gumball for that price at your local grocery store.

Caster is a neat little game that was developed by Elecorn, who is in turn an indie developer. With this said, one should definitely take into consideration the fact that the graphics won't be up to "par" as say a major developer's game (Bethesda, 2K Games, Activision, etc) would be. That's not to say that graphics are everything, however. The game does a great job of launching the player into this world that could be described as styled after an old Nintendo 64 3D platformer, much like Mario 64 or Banjo-Kazooie. Keeping this in mind, a controller adds to this nostalgic feel as the camera angles and movement work in much the same manner. Once the player goes through a brief tutorial mission, explaining how things work, the game then takes the player on a journey through a very outlandish world. It incorporates a rough combat system that puts a slowly unlocked arsenal of various lasers at the player's disposal. Each of these weapons serves a purpose on each level, and it's up to the player to use that noggin of theirs to figure out how each weapon applies to the current mission.

With the mention of weapons, and missions, there is a neat little "leveling up" system that happens as well. With each mission the player can destroy enemies and shoot trees to gain an in-game currency, which in turn let's the player upgrade various abilities as well as the lasers. These abilities include the ability to run faster or jump higher, for instance. Cool right? In fact, once some of these abilities are upgraded, the missions become a flatout breeze to go through in some instances. This could be looked at as a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on who the player is. That said, I'll leave that up to interpretation.

While nostalgia, loads of money to grab, and fun ways to outsmart the enemy are fun... This game falls short, and detrimentally so, in a few other, more crucial areas. First off, there is no real "story." This is absolutely key when it comes to immersing the player. Without a story... there's very little that will actually make the player feel as though anything is getting accomplished.

Another big problem with this game is the fact that the enemies are almost static in a sense. They have no real movement styles and the ability to decimate them by the thousands is absolutely comical. There's no real combat mechanics that the player needs to acquire in order thwart the enemy and whatever threat they pose in this distant place where nobody seems to know what's going on. This, in and of itself, can absolutely destroy the experience.

So... we have lots of guns, a "leveling" system, nostalgia that is offset by lack of story and no real challenge. The bad can offset the good, or vice versa. And maybe it wouldn't be all that bad if that was all there is to the story, however, it's not. Speaking of "all there is to the story," this game, above all things, is NOT COMPLETE. Judging by the looks of things, it won't ever be completed by the developer. This poor little gem of a game has been left incomplete for quite some time now (years, in fact) and the developer has yet to blink an eye at it. It's really quite a shame too, because there is so much potential here. All it needs just a little TLC and just a bit of polishing and this game could turn out to get the recognition that it (potentially) deserves. But don't hold your breath.

On a sidenote, however, I would like to include the fact that the developer was courteous enough to include an actual mission editor and level designer that allows players to fill in holes or create a whole new world. I have tried the editor out, and while it is somewhat wonky at first, I am highly appreciative that Elecorn allowed for the followers of the game the ability to take things into their own hands, if need be. In fact, there is also a section on the Caster/Elecorn website that allows for community submissions to be downloaded by the public to play. So... at least the "DLC" is free.

Taking ALL of this into account, I enjoyed my time with the game. And for only 25 cents, I enjoyed it even more. Given that it might take some imagination on the player's part to keep things going, it's well worth the small donation to try. That is... if you are willing to overlook the terribly awful state the game was left in.

(Here's to hoping that at some point in time Elecorn revisits this 'pound puppy' of video games gives it the attention that it deserves.)

For more information on Caster or download the game, please visit:

http://www.elecorn.com/caster3d/index.html

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Alpha Test/Prototype Review: Scrap Garden

If one were to look at the history of gaming and understand that there was in fact a beginning, platformers would be the most memorable. Not only did platform games really start to define the video game world, but they have found a way to also revolutionize it and have therefore become a constant staple in the video game world. "Scrap Garden," even in it's Alpha Demo state has also found a way to leave its mark, even though it is so early in production.

For starters, the graphics are so very well put together. It really defines itself in the way the setting looks and conveys a very clean palette to the player. The colors of the landscape are simple and not overpowering, yet they also seem to pop in places. This said, they also enhance a feeling of despair. Immediately, the player understands that there is something amiss in the tired little town where our hero wakes up and its this simple color scheme that guides the player on their journey.

There are a number of features that make this demo actually feel like a completed item. The one feature that stands out first and foremost (especially in an Alpha Demo) is the simple fact that it is compatible with an XBOX 360 controller. The reason why I find this important, is because there are so many games out there, which are completed products, that don't have full-controller support. This is a huge step in the right direction, especially when it comes to playing a 360-degree platformer as it allows pretty much anybody to jump right in and start playing without the confusion of controls.

While the controller adds the true feeling of "gaming" to Scrap Garden, there is also a lot that can be said with the player's ability to actually interact with the environment. There are several different instances in which this is important. Whether it picking up an object to use as a stand to reach a higher level, or using that same object as a hurled weapon, Scrap Garden does a wonderful job of presenting a sort of freedom for the player to achieve the same goal in several different ways.

Environment interaction, although key to any game nowadays, isn't complete without a sort of "mini quest." And yes, Scrap garden delivers on this note as well. The mini quest presented in the gameplay is simple, but quite important. Simply put, the player must gather up little red crystals in order to advance into the next chapter. These crystals can be rounded up in a variety of ways, from simple free-world gathering, to smashing boxes, to even killing enemies, Scrap Garden shows just how important it is to truly explore the surroundings.

Finally, there is the icing on the cake: cinematics. While cut-scenes are inherently taken for granted, it says volumes that the creators are actually taking this into consideration for something as simple as a demo. It gives the player something to latch on to and really rounds out the overall experience by helping the player to understand the story before it's actually been told.

Taking all of the above into consideration, Scrap Garden is most definitely on its way to being a great product once it is fully completed. And as many are anticipating its arrival, Scrap Garden will most certainly deliver on its end when the time comes for a "Full-Game" Release.

For more information on Scrap Garden, or to download the Alpha Demo and play it for yourself, please visit:

http://scrap-garden.com/