I was excited to play this game for 2 main reasons. First, it's another IGF finalist. While that's by no means an end-all quality assurance stamp, it tends to act like it. Second, I have kind of an affinity for the word "Igneous" because when I was younger, my friends and I formed a band called "Igneus." Get it? Cuz we were a rock band...and we were hot...and we omitted a letter because we were clever like that...heh...hehe...ehhh...
well anyway, let it never be said that I'm a biased reviewer. Let's analyze Igneous as a game and nothing more, shall we?
The first thing I noticed about Igneous is that it proudly touts the fact that it was built from the ground up using C++. Wait a minute, doesn't that sound familiar? Why yes, Deity advertised itself in the same way. And, if you recall, I flipping loved Deity; it's probably my favorite game on the list so far. The graphical styles of the two games are similar, too. Huh...this game has set quite the challenge for itself by making me think of Deity.
The next thing I noticed is that the only two difficulty modes are "normal" and "impossible." Can't fault them for being direct, I suppose.
Alright, enough beating around the bush. Let's talk mechanics.
All things considered, this game reminds me more than Nitronic Rush than anything...oh, crap, wait...I'm not supposed to know about that game yet. Forget what I just said!
So, I started out this game on Impossible difficulty, and man, does it lead up to that name...I had to turn down the difficulty on level 2 (after all, I want to get some sleep tonight and I didn't know how long this game would be). Upon turning down the difficulty, however, the challenge factor took a disheartening turn for the frustrating. Every death was a cheap one. How the hell am I supposed to escape the falling ground when by the time it's started falling, I've already plummeted to my death?
Alright, let's take a step back and get the praise out of the way before I complain some more. At least until the cheap deaths kicked in, what this game did best was atmosphere. The intuitive control, the pleasant contrast of the visual style, the hectic music, and the jaw-dropping presentation put me right into that lovely state of flow. With the exception of Erebus, no game on this list has immersed me more in its universe.
Then, everything changed when the cheap deaths attacked.
And blah blah blah, I'd be talking in circles if I continued. Igneous is a great game that's sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. It's certainly a challenge for all those adrenaline-junky gamers out there. If you want a game that will put your ability to read the environment and make twitch decisions, this is your game. For utterly mastering that specific style of game, I'll go ahead and give it my seal of approval. I really considered withholding it because of the cheap deaths, but the game has so much to offer past that.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay molten
Links
Pig knees: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=8713
