That's right, I'm back after a hiatus that was way longer than I'm sure any of us were comfortable with. But hey, we're here now, and I'm refreshed and ready to get back into...*ahem*...the groove of things. The year is winding down and I can finally see the light at the end of this incredibly long tunnel...it seems like an eternity ago I was lounging in the lobby of my grandmother's Florida condo, sporadically shifting between playing A Flipping Good Time and studying for my SATs. Man...how the times have changed.
But I don't have time to get all sentimental on you just yet. For now, let me lay down the law: As you can probably tell from the title of this post, I'm going back to the 2 game per post format. It's likely going to stay this way consistently until the end of the year, but as always, I've got to be flexible. One way or another, I'm going to try to get through about 14 games each week. If all goes as planned, I'll finish the list right on schedule.
Boy oh boy it feels good to be playing these games again. I may not have always looked forward to them in the past, but after all that's happened recently, I sure as hell missed these good old Ikaruga clones. And thus we have Viruleon. It's an omnidirectional top-down spaceship game wherein you collect orbs that allow you to change color. Crashing into other ships of the same color destroys them. Crashing into ships of the opposite color destroys you.
The three things that caught my eye here were the orb mechanic, the AI, and the controls; the former two in a good way, the latter in a bad way. I like how you aren't allowed to just change color willy-nilly. That would make the game a bit too mindless. Instead, you constantly have to consider how many charges you have left and use them accordingly. It adds a layer of depth to the play and makes the experience more rewarding as a result.
Now, the AI. A less careful team would probably just program all enemy ships to either float around the screen aimlessly or attack you. Makes sense...they're enemies after all. In Viruleon, the AI behaves a bit like the Pacman ghosts. the enemies of the same color retreat while the enemies of the opposite color attack. This is helpful for two reasons. First, it makes immediately identifying your predators from your prey much easier and less frustrating. Second, it adds challenge to the game, as the enemies are very good at retreating.
Alright, finally, the controls. It feels like the "S" button should function as a brake rather than a reverse. I find myself often wanting to quickly turn 180 degrees and skid to a halt to get a good angle on approaching my enemies, but instead I turn 180 degrees and keep rocketing in the same direction I've been going. Using the "S" key is just confusing, so don't be surprised if you don't end up using it at all during play. The controls as a whole are very simple, which is either a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it. the gameplay does get kind of stale kind of quickly, but at least you aren't overloaded with commands to learn.
All-in-all, this game passes my test. It's not amazing, but it's polished and thought through enough for me to recommend that you try it out. Good job on this one, guys.
Okay, now let's talk Void. It's a game made from the Source engine, which has proved to be a timeless and endlessly helpful tool in a game designer's arsenal before. In Void, you can shoot dimensional rifts which cause all items within their blast radii to revert back in time. Imagine if you could carry around and shoot those purple stones from the one level of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.
So yeah, it's not an entirely new or interesting game mechanic (I'm not sure whether this game came out before or after Skyward Sword because for some reason, the date isn't posted). It gets the job done, though, and while most of the game didn't elicit more than a "mmhm" out of me, certain aspects of the level design made me smirk and say "alright, that was clever."
This game's strongest suit by far, though, is the visual department. My goodness this game looks amazing, and not just because of all those shiny Source engine graphics. The steampunk style is always appealing, and this game juxtaposes Victorian intricacy with dilapidated sewers to create a very powerful effect.
This game didn't quite have enough "wow" for me to recommend it, as the installation process is a bit more annoying than it is for most games, but if you've got time to kill, there's nothing that should keep you from giving it a try. Hell, it might be worth it to play through the game just to see what is possibly the most genius credits sequence since the one in Super Smash Bros. Melee.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay refreshed
Links (god it felt good to type that again)
Cerulean Viruleon: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26009
I can't pronounce this title without sounding like I'm advertising a phone: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=23876
