hehe yeah this game is a bit hexcentric if you know what I'm saaaayinnnnnnnn
*ahem*
okay so this is one of those puzzle game type things that I'm not really good at so maybe I'm not the most reliable of sources to go with on this one. What I can tell you is that, from a game design perspective, Hexcentric tried to be fun for all the family and succeeded...to an extent.
The difficulty is perfect. The game modes range from the pathetically simple to the "I have no idea what's happening." Each game mode, regardless of your starting point, has pretty much the same difficulty curve, which is rather effective at reeling you into the game. Now, the question is: is the game itself fun?
Well it's an entertaining little toy, but I can't see myself ever investing more than a few minutes to tinker around with it. Honestly, there's just only so much tile arranging I can do before I start to get bored.
Again, the game is designed beautifully and it makes you feel kinda smart for figuring out how to play it (unless you click "how to play" in which case your only reaction will be "oh...oh that's kinda smart I guess")
If you like casual puzzlers, this is for you. If not, it's not. It's lacking in polish and depth, but a game doesn't need those things to be a fun experience.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay hexagonal
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=444
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Helvault
You wanna know how to tell if a game may be oversimplified? If it only uses one button.
But seriously, folks. If that doesn't capture how simplistic Helvault is, nothing will. The only thing you have the power to do is jump. This makes the game easy to play, if nothing else.
The visual style is one step further than that whole "retro-NES" style I talked about in my Haven review and goes for something of a "retro-Atari 2600" look. The animations are limited and the whole thing is very plain. Nothing to behold but nothing to scorn.
The game itself, despite having literally the most simple control scheme possible, can actually get pretty intense. It goes for an arcade feel, which shows through its difficulty. Yeah, this game is a token taker, alright. See, the way you power up is by collecting more teammates, so when those teammates die, you get substantially weaker. You enemies, which kill you just by touching you, do not. Thus, it becomes nigh impossible to survive once a few of your guys get taken out. This isn't a bad thing, mind. I appreciate how unforgiving the game is, and since the game takes no time at all to get moving, it makes for a fun and intense experience. Who knew timing jumps could be so fun?
The other thing that can make this game super chaotic is that your teammates can spread out. See, they form a line behind you as you collect them, and they all jump simultaneously when you press the jump button. This means that if you have a large team, you're likely going to end up with three separate rows of platforms all being covered by your guys. Keeping track of your characters under these conditions can be quite exhilarating.
Yeah, that's all I got. Simple concept, fun game. Until next time, stay prehistoric.
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26008
But seriously, folks. If that doesn't capture how simplistic Helvault is, nothing will. The only thing you have the power to do is jump. This makes the game easy to play, if nothing else.
The visual style is one step further than that whole "retro-NES" style I talked about in my Haven review and goes for something of a "retro-Atari 2600" look. The animations are limited and the whole thing is very plain. Nothing to behold but nothing to scorn.
The game itself, despite having literally the most simple control scheme possible, can actually get pretty intense. It goes for an arcade feel, which shows through its difficulty. Yeah, this game is a token taker, alright. See, the way you power up is by collecting more teammates, so when those teammates die, you get substantially weaker. You enemies, which kill you just by touching you, do not. Thus, it becomes nigh impossible to survive once a few of your guys get taken out. This isn't a bad thing, mind. I appreciate how unforgiving the game is, and since the game takes no time at all to get moving, it makes for a fun and intense experience. Who knew timing jumps could be so fun?
The other thing that can make this game super chaotic is that your teammates can spread out. See, they form a line behind you as you collect them, and they all jump simultaneously when you press the jump button. This means that if you have a large team, you're likely going to end up with three separate rows of platforms all being covered by your guys. Keeping track of your characters under these conditions can be quite exhilarating.
Yeah, that's all I got. Simple concept, fun game. Until next time, stay prehistoric.
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26008
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