That's right, you all know what time it is. Time for an Andrew Nack game! Let's see how this one holds up.
Another thing I found interesting is that the instructor for this game is none other than James Portnow, who writes for that Extra Credits thing I always link you guys to. Now that I think of it, why doesn't every game team credit their instructor in their projects? Ah whatever. The point is, this game is the product of a game designer whom I greatly respect and a game design instructor whom I also revere. Needless to say, my hopes are high.
Well, it certainly was an experience...very different from the typical...um...what the hell is this, anyways?
If you were to ask Andrew Nack, he'd probably say it's a "platformer RPG that focuses on minion control mechanics." I agree with that for the most part, though I'm not sure how much of an RPG it is just because you can upgrade minions. That's like calling Call of Duty: Modern Warfare an FPSRPG because you can put mods on your guns. Also, calling them "control mechanics" is a bit generous. The minions seem to do whatever they want for the most part
okay, that's a bit harsh. In all honesty, I think the controls are designed pretty ingeniously because I genuinely couldn't tell you how they work. They just...do. Honestly, I think that's Andrew Nack's strongsuit. He can really deliver on flow.
The story, while taking a backseat to the mechanics, is decent. I think I know a little bit about Portnow's storytelling preferences from watching Extra Credits, and this game is rife with them. Very little is explained about the characters and setting of the game, and when it is, it's always explained via chatter and otherwise auxiliary text. The game is never interrupted for the sake of storytelling or instruction, which is just one of the many reasons this game can send you into a trance and make you forget that reality exists...or does it?
at its core, Gloom is about getting from one place to another by mastering the mechanics. It allows for many varying play styles and the plethora of upgrades makes this game a replayable, unique experience. That said, there are some things I didn't like about it...well, really only one thing...a stylistic thing, too.
First off, let me say that in terms of visual design, you don't get much more talented than Nack. I'm a huge fan of the style of his other works, but this one...eh...it's a bit too....Limbo for me. Everything is a silhouette with the exception of the bright, glowy eyes of the characters. Couple that with the dark backgrounds and it's just a little too confusing to look at for my tastes. Of course, that's not helped by the fact that the characters don't seem to have any individual physics themselves. They're all just ragdolls to be thrown around in different sequences by the physics engine. In fact, the whole game kind of plays like a really in-depth Happy Wheels map.
Oh well. This is still a great game that I had fun with. It may not be perfect, but it tried something new. Not only that, but this is probably the most intricate game of Nack's that I've reviewed yet. I was never one to accept excuses, but I think "I'm one guy who had to design and program characters, levels and a crapload of upgrades" works in this context.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay imaginative.
Links
Hail the Great Pig: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26419
