Three day weekend...motivation depleting...almost gone...still haven't posted on the blog...must...hold...on...
Empyreal Nocturne is one of the most praised games I've come across so far, being the winner of the 2008 IGF student showcase. Let's jump right in and see if the prestige is deserved.
Remember a while ago when I said Descension was like Space Deadbeef on the ground? well this is pretty much that minus the ground, but with a third-person 3D perspective.
I'm real tired, so I'm going to pro-and-con this one.
It does genuinely feel good to destroy your opponents. Unlike Space Deadbeef and Descension, which use very hectic music loops and visuals, Empyreal Nocturne uses a very calming, grey-skies visual style and no music to speak of (which I'd normally complain about, but in this case it enhances the mood). It's a very Shadow of the Collossus-esque feel, which certainly isn't a bad thing.
Honestly there aren't really that many flaws with the game. I only have two real complaints. First, I don't know who on the dev team thought it would be a good idea to use "S" to dive down and "W" to pull up, but they clearly haven't played Starfox recently. It's backwards and disorienting, and it really breaks the flow. It's unchangeable, too, so you just gotta deal with it, junior. Also, I know they're trying to go with a solemn and quiet mood, but a tiny little sound effect to let me know when I've been hit would be nice. Maybe they tried that in an earlier build and found the sky darkening to be a good enough indicator of health (which, by the way, I love. I wish more games were creative about that kind of thing and didn't just resort to the 'let's make the screen grow red and pulsate' route.) or that hitsparks and sound effects would be too distracting. If so, I withdraw my critique, but it's still a little annoying to dodge enemy fire because it can get difficult to tell when you've been hit.
All-in-all, I liked Empyreal Nocturne. I'm not blown away by it, but it was a fun and interesting experience while it lasted. I'm feeling a bit generous today, so I'll give this game my seal of approval. Until next time, stay peaceful.
Links
ohmmmmm: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=382
