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It seems I never have much time for anything. I can blog for a few weeks then my time always gets redirected elsewhere. This will be my final post as a critic and previewer of indie games for now. I have decided to go back to what I have wanted to do for some time now, finish my own game. This was my original intention all along, but then I got caught up in my website and blog and the game lay forgotten. I know I cannot do both so in the end the game wins. I would like to say the game will be finished soon, but I’m not sure if it will be ever. My only regret in closing this blog is not finishing the reviews in the queue. I would really like to, but I no longer find joy in doing so. I fear the reviews would suffer because of this. Anyway, here’s a few announcements for upcoming and recently released games. It has been fun managing this blog and providing the news/previews of games that I enjoy, and hope, that you do as well. Thanks for reading!
- Andrew Carlson
1. The first game is Chris Unarmed by Chris Hughes. Not too long ago I previewed the game and enjoyed it. The developer recently released the following announcement regarding the game’s release:
“Looking for enthusiastic monsters to wreak havoc across the lands. Applicants must possess the following qualities: * Happy exterior * Sinister intent
Please contact Mango for more information…
Journey through a world of evil monsters in Chris Unarmed, a unique platformer game now available only on Xbox Live Indie Games. Marvel at the innovative level design and scale impossible feats, in this intriguing web of wall jumping fun. Ride powerful wind currents, uncover hidden keys, and much, much more. Chris Unarmed is a Chris Hughes production. See http://chrisunarmed.blogspot.com for more information.”
3. The last game has been recently announced to me from Nathan Fouts of Mommy’s Best Games. Shoot 1UP is a new shoot’em up scheduled for release in January 2010. This video explains the basic concepts of the game.
Today’s Game of the Day is Platypus (developed by Escapist Games). A quick description from the developer states Platypus is a claymation shooter. “Fight your way through 20 stages of intense action, either solo or cooperatively with a friend. Countless enemies and end of level bosses to beat, plus loads of bonus pickups and other treasures to help you on your way. Can you defend your home planet of Mongola and defeat the invading plasticine army?”
From my playtime with the game I can honestly say I walked away satisfied. At first I was disappointed at the co-op being limited to same console play, but solo isn’t that bad. I hardly noticed a difference in difficulties, but then again I didn’t play on Hard that much. The graphics definitely help this game feel like a fresh experience. How often is it you play a claymation shooter? The menus and special effects are satisfying as well as the backgrounds. Very impressive. As for the gameplay itself, it has it’s bonus pickups and plenty of shooting like most shooters.
Final Verdict: In the sense of gameplay, Platypus does not push the boundaries of what we expect, but the claymation graphics definitely had me in awe. For 20 levels of claymation action I happily spend 400 Microsoft Points.
Neo Terra is a game that starts slow and ends fast. The goal is to conquer planets both neutral and enemy controlled. To do this, the player must send ships to a planet to battle the planet’s defenses which rise with time. Sending units away from one planet will decrease that planet’s defenses, but only temporarily. The defense count for each planet increases with each passing second. The game even offers the ability for 8 player combat (4 human; 4 AI). In addition to this, there are some customization options available that are nice to toy with and try to add some depth.
To be honest I did not find the tutorial to be very helpful. It explained a few things but when I actually played a match the concepts weren’t hard to pickup. The victor is the one who controls all planets. There is some potential here for allying with human players and then…betraying them!? Sounds like some fun to me. The graphics are of great quality, especially in HD, and the music isn’t bad either.
Final Verdict: 80 Microsoft Points isn’t high for the casual fun Neo Terra offers. If you have the points to spare then download the trial and see if it’s for you. Who knew conquering planets could be fun in such a casual way?
Wool is a lighthearted game that is easy to start playing, but hard to stop. Part of the reason for this is the varying difficulty levels each with their own time limit. Higher difficulties can be frustrating, but in a competitive nature. The race against the clock can sometimes be a tough one! With that said, the gameplay for Wool asks the player to control a dog and use the dog to move sheep into a pen. This is done by barking and positioning the dog so that the sheep move in a desired path. White sheep do not like grouping next to black sheep and black sheep try to keep to themselves. Sometimes the difference between these two can help move the sheep along your desired path, while other times they can work against you. Not all sheep are required to enter the pen, though there is a set minimum.
I particularly enjoy the playful graphics and music, along with a wonderfully useful title screen. There is also versus, coop and approximately 30 levels. The multiplayer component adds some to the game, though it is fine to play alone. Somewhat disappointing is the fact that the multiplayer is local only, especially since Milkstone’s last game, Little Racers, had online.
Final Verdict: Wool has enough content to justify paying the small price of 80 Microsoft Points. It doesn’t make me want to herd sheep in real life, but it keeps me wanting to herd them in the game! This is a nice choice for some relaxing gameplay.
Inside Lacrosse’s College Lacrosse 2010 is a definite game that should be tried by everyone. From the moment the game begins I’m reminded of the old Madden games I would play on my N64. Not because of the sport, but because of the feel of the game. More importantly, this game has voice acting that is well done. I could go into a long explanation of what this game offers, but I believe the developer can do that best. This game features “the fastest, most physical game on two feet. Now anyone can dodge hard to the cage, throw crazy stick checks, and snipe corners in the first ever field lacrosse video game. Build your own roster, edit your jerseys, upgrade your equipment, and challenge people from around the world to a game of lacrosse on Xbox LIVE!”
I didn’t play this one as much as I wanted to, but I did find one questionable design choice with the trial. The trial does not allow for the player to play the training mode which meant I was thrown into a game without really knowing what I was doing. By the end of the trial I still wasn’t really sure. I guess it could be because I focused more on navigating the menus and looking around the field then actually playing, but the training mode would sure help the trial.
Final Verdict: Some people don’t want to purchase a game unless they know they can play it. Locking the training mode in the trial means that it might not even be used when the player buys the full version because by then they know how to play. Despite this, 400 Microsoft Points isn’t a bad price for Inside Lacrosse’s College Lacrosse 2010, especially since the full version allows for so much, including online matches.
Aesop’s Garden is a pleasant reminder that old games can make a comeback. The premise of this game is that a rival of Aesop has planted weeds in Aesop’s Garden and he must get rid of them to maintain his winning streak. From the moment the game begins it is clear that it is a puzzle game. Blocks must be moved around, some moving one space, some entire columns or rows. That’s just the beginning however. Turning on a sprinkler waters the garden, which sprouts flowers and weeds. Aesop must then find the correct paths to the weeds while still maintaining a path to the exit. This isn’t too bad at fast, but it can become difficult as the levels progress. The levels save too, meaning the player can start on whichever level they desire after having completed it.
While I am unsure exactly how many levels there are, the game comes complete with a level editor. This way you, or friends, can create custom levels though they cannot be shared online. That is the only real complaint I have though besides the music. The music is great but lacks variety in a very significant way. It would be a shame to grow tired of the great piece the game has.
Of special mention would be the title screen and menus. The menus are designed in accordance with the graphics, meaning they look like they do in past games. Even the title screen has an interesting scene that should be watched by anyone who plays it. It gave me a laugh because of how many memories it stirs of when I was younger playing games akin to this one. And I’m not even that old!
Final Verdict: For 240 Microsoft Points I personally recommend Aesop’s Garden. It’s classical feel -from music to graphics to gameplay- delivers in all it sets out to do. I found it hard to be disappointed at this game.
Not much has been added or changed this week as I have been writing an important term paper for my PSY-1 class. Next week I have Thanksgiving Break and should be able to get some reviews written. Speaking of Thanksgiving, there is one change that has been made this week.
The ExL Studios banner at the top (not much of a banner, but more of a colored section) will now sport colors according to upcoming holidays or events. The current red, orange, and yellow has been designed for Thanksgiving. I’m hoping this will be a nice little addition to the site until we decide to delve into coding the blog to support our own banner.
That is about it for now. In the meantime, be sure to check out the recently released Aesop’s Garden (created by Excalibur Studios), Wool (created by Milkstone Studios), and Inside Lacrosse’s College Lacrosse 2010 (created in cooperation by TripleBGames and Crosse Studios).
Not sure what time sessions will start for your time zone? Then calculate your GMT now! In addition, view other XBLIG Sessions now! And finally, don’t forget that the Avatar Golf XBLIG Session is tomorrow (Nov. 19) at 8pm GMT-0 (3pm EST).
Johnny Platform Saves Christmas (created by IshiSoft)
Note: If you are unable to see the video, it may be because YouTube is down for maintenance.
To quote the developer, Johnny Platform Saves Christmas will come featured with “100 levels, widescreen HD, new robots, explosions, lots of sideways rolling, and more than one piece of music in this game.” In the meantime, be sure to check out Johnny Platform’s Biscuit Romp. The original is entertaining and has enough content for the small price of 80 Microsoft Points.
It’s been awhile but I thought I should run another edition of ExL Rundown. Thanks for joining me! Today I am going to talk about some indie classics that shouldn’t be missed.
Fishing Girl is an entertaining pick-up-and-play game that excels at streamlining the gameplay for quick sessions. There is no save function, which irritated me at first, but I soon realized that the game doesn’t need it. I would actually be surprised if it had it. There is an option that can be turned on or off called the timer. The timer counts down from ten minutes. The game can literally be beat in that time period. But that is if you choose to beat it. You can still fish away and have fun doing so.
Lures and fishing poles can be upgraded with money collected from fish. Some fish are more common then others and give less money, so try to catch the rare ones! There is plenty of variety and the fish (thankfully) don’t look like recolored clones. Instead, each one has its own unique look. I actually like the simplistic graphics. They really work for the game though I’m not sure I’d want fish from gray water.
Final Verdict: Fishing Girl is great for its price of 80 Microsoft Points, though it can mainly be played through trial alone. However, there are badges the player can earn in the full version that add some depth and replayability. If that isn’t to your liking, the game is freeware on many flash sites across the web. I definitely recommend trying this game out in one way or another.
Have you ever played Geometry Wars? Then that should give you a basic understanding of what Echoes+ is about. But to label Echoes+ as a Geometry Wars clone would not be doing it justice. In fact, the only reason I make this analogy is because I know about half of the people who play it (if not more) will do so. Echoes+ is a nice shoot-em up with some interesting modes including one that is a remake of asteroids. Some modes are more fun then others. For example, I enjoyed Survival because the one life I was given had me sweating as I tried to stay alive, but the timed mode served more as a practice mode because I had unlimited health/lives. In total I believe there are six modes, but don’t quote me on this.
Zoo Trials (which were showcased in Binary Zoo’s last game, DUOtrix) have returned and are still challenging as ever. In addition, high scores (still local) have returned as well along with the cluttered title screen that plagued their first game. A new addition is the weapons and powerups that can help you get out of seriously bad situation. More then once I’ve been saved by a timely dropped weapon.
Final Verdict: The visuals in Echoes+ are still great and “psychedelic” and the gameplay modes offer enough to satisfy the admission price of 240 Microsoft Points. Definitely worth trying out as few games have been able to be called akin to Geometry Wars, but yet retain its own identity.
Easy Golf remains the only game to ever receive a perfect review score of 10/10 from us (as of this writing). However, after playing Avatar Golf I am surprised at how much the sequel could be rated much higher. Avatar Golf is an improvement in almost every sense of the word. Subtle tweaks have been made to the UI, the menus, camera angles, course creator, map sharing, multiplayer match finding, and just about everything else. There are even full 18 hole courses now instead of just the 9.
When I started up the game I noticed two things, how much better everything looks. Menus have a more cleaned up feel and the inclusion of avatars brings some personal realism to the game. There are even more titles then were in Easy Golf with more variety and challenge. The first thing I tried when I started the game was seeing whether or not people played the online multiplayer. Sure enough, every time I look there are at least two or more matches going on. This is a definite improvement over Easy Golf where I had to plan matches in order to play with anyone. Next I noticed that the courses built into the game are more professionally designed. This is thanks to the easy-to-use course editor. The upgraded course editor even allows for buildings, walls, bridges, and more!
My first complaint (which is a small one) with Avatar Golf is that the new music (though it is good) doesn’t capture the same feel for me as Easy Golf did. I actually miss the Easy Golf music when I’m playing Avatar Golf. Another complaint is that there are no new backgrounds, though I did notice that the weather effects have been upgraded. Lightning storms will actually show lightning streak the sky (randomly) from time-to-time.
Final Verdict: I could continue to talk about the improvements in this game, but I highly recommend you go and see for yourself. To prove to myself how much has changed I even went back and played Easy Golf. While I still enjoy playing Easy Golf, Avatar Golf is a sequel that cannot be missed. Before Easy Golf I had never played, nor thought I would play, a golf game, but now I’m hooked. I cannot think of a better way of spending 400 Microsoft Points.
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Andrew Carlson
