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good lord, this game...
First off, a little context: downloading this game was no easy task. The file is more than 70MB and my connection speed seems to have caught the flu. Once I downloaded it, I was greeted by an error message saying the files were corrupt and had t be re-downloaded. I was about ready to give up on this game and do another one of my non-reviews.
Something convinced me to re-download, however. Once I got the damn thing working, I found I had no idea what to do. Instantly, and I mean instantly, the game had me fiddling with complex menus that I had no idea what to do with. This is not how you convey your game mechanics, guys. Finally I figured out how to customize my submarine (though I had no idea what the customizations did) and enter the battle arena.
Here's the best way to think of this game: It's Custom Robo's alcoholic cousin that had a drunken fling with Forsaken 64. Thing is, whereas both Custom Robo and Forsaken 64 were not only playable but enjoyable, Commando Sub is neither.
This is one of those IGF games, which really makes me think I'm not doing something right. How could a game in which you can unload literally your entire supply of ammo into an enemy (with no ammo pickups in sight, mind you) and literally not cause a chip in their health bars get into the Independent Game Festival, let alone be a showcase finalist?
I've never been one to let the opinion of others color my own, but the evidence is clear: something ain't right here. DigiPen's website has been having kind of a rough day today, so I'm going to assume something went wrong with the second download. Unfortunately, I can't afford more time to this game than I already have without risking falling behind schedule.
I encourage you to try this game out for yourself and see if you can unravel the mystery. All I can do is recount my play experience, which consisted of nothing but confusion and frustration...but mostly confusion. A lot of confusion.
Links
wha?: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=553
