Speechless (Both myself and the Game)

12-11-12 12:32 AM

Singelli is Offline

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| ID: 700676 | 2061 Words

Singelli

Level: 161

POSTS: 1942/8698
POST EXP: 1189395
LVL EXP: 53005220
CP: 67331.7
VIZ: 3147678

Likes: 1 Dislikes: 0

OVERALL: 8.5/ 10

This was the first game I've played in a while that quite literally left me speechless. The weird thing is that I didn't even really -like- the game that much, and yet I couldn't stop playing it, and I certainly don't even want to rate it any lower. My first inclination was to rate the game a 9, and so I had to stop and remind myself that the math wasn't agreeing with my gut reaction. ha!

It's the strangest thing, but this game is A- MAZE- ING. (See what I did there?

) Again, let me remind you that I wasn't its biggest fan. I'm not typically into sci- fi games, and the graphics and colors were a bit 'off' to me, despite the widely acclaimed praise they've received elsewhere.

In this game, you play a young physics professor named Lester. You travel through a maze filled planet, battle bad guys, solve logical problems, and constantly re- strategize. To me, it was akin to one of those old time MUD games, but without the commands. Its unique graphics and compelling game play really sucked me in to hours of fun.

GRAPHICS: 6/ 10
The graphics were my least favorite part of the game. As I did some research into its history and popularity, I was surprised to find that the graphics actually seemed to be a huge factor of its likeability among gamers. I kept reading about players who though the emotions expressed by the characters were profoundly accurate, but I don't even recall faces being shown more than twice in the whole game. And of those two times, I wouldn't exactly say the facial expressions were riveting or made me empathize with the characters at all. I have no idea why people though the emotions displayed were amazing... no idea at all.

Most of the game consists of a single color scheme: blue and black. Almost everything is some shade of one of these colors, though it's not cone in a poor enough manner to cause irritation. Simply, I thought the colors were a bit bland. As with my opinions on the whole game though, I do feel some conflict on this aspect. Yes, the game was very dark and color-less.... but that darkness and color- less motif was what really gave the game a unique ambiance. The colors and lack of variety actually seemed to -add- to the game, as strange as that might sound. It really gives the gamer the impression of being lost and confused on a strange planet.

As for the actual sprites themselves, I can't say I'm too impressed. The polygon graphics give most visuals a very square- ish appearance that I don't find very appealing. It really took away any opportunity to show detail in most aspects. That being said. I could easily appreciate the fact that the cut-scenes made up for any such lack. I remember the first scene in which Lester walks to a door and only his legs are shown. I actually thought about the fact that the developers took into consideration something as simple as the sway of pant legs.

Everything in the game was pretty recognizable. If you aren't familiar with the plot, the oddly shaped face of your co-star might throw you for a loop, but it's human enough to lack any severe disturbance. I think one of my favorite parts of the graphics though, are the images displayed when your sprite meets an unfortunate death. For example, if he's shot by an enemy, he disintegrates into a skeleton and his skull rolls onto the floor. This was my favorite death image, but there were others such as being smashed by falling boulders or falling into a deep pit and being flattened by the fall.

SOUND: 7/ 10
There wasn't a single annoying sound in the game that I can remember. Much of the game is played in relative silence, but like the near monotone color experience, the lack of noise suits the game and adds to its aura. Whenever music -does- play, it's because you're currently in danger and battling for your life. Other than that, there are many little sound effects for guns shooting, water dripping, etc... but they really aren't worth detailing out. I think it suffices to say that the sounds fit the game and shouldn't overwhelm your concentration. Even the battle music isn't obnoxious or loud, as though it was an after thought.

ADDICTIVENESS: 9/ 10
In all honesty, I struggled to rate this category. Mainly I struggled because vizzed describes this category as how willing you are to re- play the game. I probably wouldn't re- play this. Once the game is beat, there isn't anything left to discover since the game play is pretty linear. -However-, this was one of the first games I've reviewed that I completed. I absolutely could NOT stop playing once I started. The strange thing is that the game is actually quite short. However, it's so puzzling and complex that it ends up taking ...... HOURS to win if you don't use a walk- through. I was totally addicted to its mysterious nature, and as frustrating as repetitive deaths were, there's something strangely addicting to a game in which you can learn from your mistakes and try again. I played this game in nearly one go, only pausing a few times out of necessity. To me, that's pretty darn addicting, especially for a game I was not all that keen on.

Story: 8/ 10
There probably aren't many games out there in which you play a physicist toying with a particle accelerator. I'm not even sure younger kids would understand what is going on at the beginning of the game when the machine is shown on the character's gadgets. I thought it was a pretty neat little aspect of the game, and there are many such cut-scenes which are as enjoyable.

Basically, the game starts with your character (Lester) driving his sports car down several winding roads, giving you the idea that he is moving into a pretty secluded location. While he drives, lightning strikes against the sky. The car skids to a halt in front of the lab, and you then enter, passing a bunch of security measures until you reach the area that requires a high level of clearance. You start your work, glancing at screens, applying the appropriate commands, and then instructing the particle accelerator to start up. However, a bolt of lightning surges through the lab at the same time the experiment starts, and Lester's sprite vanishes into thin air.

Suddenly you find yourself submerged in water and you must break your way to the top before a large squid grabs a hold on you! Climbing out of the pool reveals a strange new environment, and it might or might not be obvious that Lester is now on a new planet. There's a scary silhouette in the background which insists on travelling parallel to you. Although this is the first 'stage' of the game, it plays a large part in the plot. The creature seen in the back drop decides to sate its curiosity and so starts the first mad dash to save your own skin. However, when it seems all hope is lost, the lion-like shadow is suddenly shot down by a mysterious figure which you run into. The collision causes you to fall, and for a moment, the two characters stare at each other awkwardly, and Lester gives his famed one- handed wave. (Seriously, it was slightly humorous, but this little scene seems to be THE icon of the game.) The strange hero then knocks you in response.

You wake up and find yourself face to face with an odd looking specimen, in a hanging cage, in some kind of prison. From there, the goal is to (duh!) escape. The alien you were trapped with decides to be your buddy and you must fight your way through masses of angry humanoid aliens and find a way to return to earth.

I personally found the story to be refreshing and unique. Besides that, it's pretty amazing that so much can be told without a single utterance of the English language. Throughout the whole game, in fact, there is no verbal communication which is understandable in any language. The side kick of the story grunts a few times in the game, but that's about it.

DEPTH: 8/ 10
Amazingly, this game was extremely short in plot, but in reality took MANY, MANY hours to complete. Although the game is linear, there's so much to figure out and logically think through, that the game becomes one of trial and error. You have to 'learn' the game in order to progress, and this means you MUST make mistakes. The only way you know you must do something different is that you die. When you die, you know you have to try something else. For gamers that hate being forced to start stages over, this probably isn't the game for you. I probably had to start each stage about a dozen times, and there are 14 stages. The difficulty of the puzzles is really what gave the game depth.

DIFFICULTY: 8/ 10
Wow.... if you want to play a challenging game, THIS is the game to play. It's a very weird feeling to observe such simple graphics, know the plot is so short.... and then feel like ripping your hair out because you can't figure out what you're doing wrong. I hate using walkthroughs for any game, but I'm not sure I would have completed this game without a few hints here and there. (I think I had to use a walkthrough three times.) It's not so much that the actual tasks are hard, but discovering the right path of progress is what really makes the gamer think. This isn't to say that all tasks were easy, but the most complicated tasks tended to involve correct timing. For example, you had to figure out JUST the right time to move through falling boulders and pause to avoid death, you had to figure out -exactly- how long it was before an angry alien burst through a wall, or you'd have to judge just how much leeway you had in timing jumps across snapping teeth.

It doesn't help that most of the game is a huge maze. It's really annoying when you fight your way through ten bad guys, break down five walls, take three corridors and.... find yourself facing a dead end. Many times, it was easy to lose focus of the puzzle I was trying to solve just for the sheer fact that I kept having to back track so often.

Many of the available actions also were not obvious AT ALL. For example, there is a small part in the game where you must jump across a huge ravine and land on a small ledge on the cliff's wall. From there, there is no indication of what you are supposed to do. It turns out that you have to use special attack aimed at the cliff wall to get it to collapse inwards and reveal a cave. However, there is NO visual distinction to even give someone this idea, such as a shadow or cracked wall face.

There are no instructions which tell you how to use your weapon, so you're left to discover that there are three special attacks. You can shoot with the gun, create a small barrier, or store up energy for a more powerful attack. All of these are determined by how long you mash the attack button. Because of the gun's functionality (which is reflected in the enemies' weapons), even battling must be done strategically. If you don't use a right combination of the three moves, it can be quite impossible to come out as the victor in most battles.

Then too, there's the fact that you cannot win the game by killing all bad guys. In fact, there are certain bad guys you MUST leave alive to progress at all, and discovering this can be quite difficult.

In conclusion.... I DO.... -definitely- DO.... recommend this game if you have many hours set aside. It's a challenge well worth the time, and finishing this game left me with satisfaction most modern games can't accomplish.

OVERALL: 8.5/ 10

This was the first game I've played in a while that quite literally left me speechless. The weird thing is that I didn't even really -like- the game that much, and yet I couldn't stop playing it, and I certainly don't even want to rate it any lower. My first inclination was to rate the game a 9, and so I had to stop and remind myself that the math wasn't agreeing with my gut reaction. ha!

It's the strangest thing, but this game is A- MAZE- ING. (See what I did there?

) Again, let me remind you that I wasn't its biggest fan. I'm not typically into sci- fi games, and the graphics and colors were a bit 'off' to me, despite the widely acclaimed praise they've received elsewhere.

In this game, you play a young physics professor named Lester. You travel through a maze filled planet, battle bad guys, solve logical problems, and constantly re- strategize. To me, it was akin to one of those old time MUD games, but without the commands. Its unique graphics and compelling game play really sucked me in to hours of fun.

GRAPHICS: 6/ 10
The graphics were my least favorite part of the game. As I did some research into its history and popularity, I was surprised to find that the graphics actually seemed to be a huge factor of its likeability among gamers. I kept reading about players who though the emotions expressed by the characters were profoundly accurate, but I don't even recall faces being shown more than twice in the whole game. And of those two times, I wouldn't exactly say the facial expressions were riveting or made me empathize with the characters at all. I have no idea why people though the emotions displayed were amazing... no idea at all.

Most of the game consists of a single color scheme: blue and black. Almost everything is some shade of one of these colors, though it's not cone in a poor enough manner to cause irritation. Simply, I thought the colors were a bit bland. As with my opinions on the whole game though, I do feel some conflict on this aspect. Yes, the game was very dark and color-less.... but that darkness and color- less motif was what really gave the game a unique ambiance. The colors and lack of variety actually seemed to -add- to the game, as strange as that might sound. It really gives the gamer the impression of being lost and confused on a strange planet.

As for the actual sprites themselves, I can't say I'm too impressed. The polygon graphics give most visuals a very square- ish appearance that I don't find very appealing. It really took away any opportunity to show detail in most aspects. That being said. I could easily appreciate the fact that the cut-scenes made up for any such lack. I remember the first scene in which Lester walks to a door and only his legs are shown. I actually thought about the fact that the developers took into consideration something as simple as the sway of pant legs.

Everything in the game was pretty recognizable. If you aren't familiar with the plot, the oddly shaped face of your co-star might throw you for a loop, but it's human enough to lack any severe disturbance. I think one of my favorite parts of the graphics though, are the images displayed when your sprite meets an unfortunate death. For example, if he's shot by an enemy, he disintegrates into a skeleton and his skull rolls onto the floor. This was my favorite death image, but there were others such as being smashed by falling boulders or falling into a deep pit and being flattened by the fall.

SOUND: 7/ 10
There wasn't a single annoying sound in the game that I can remember. Much of the game is played in relative silence, but like the near monotone color experience, the lack of noise suits the game and adds to its aura. Whenever music -does- play, it's because you're currently in danger and battling for your life. Other than that, there are many little sound effects for guns shooting, water dripping, etc... but they really aren't worth detailing out. I think it suffices to say that the sounds fit the game and shouldn't overwhelm your concentration. Even the battle music isn't obnoxious or loud, as though it was an after thought.

ADDICTIVENESS: 9/ 10
In all honesty, I struggled to rate this category. Mainly I struggled because vizzed describes this category as how willing you are to re- play the game. I probably wouldn't re- play this. Once the game is beat, there isn't anything left to discover since the game play is pretty linear. -However-, this was one of the first games I've reviewed that I completed. I absolutely could NOT stop playing once I started. The strange thing is that the game is actually quite short. However, it's so puzzling and complex that it ends up taking ...... HOURS to win if you don't use a walk- through. I was totally addicted to its mysterious nature, and as frustrating as repetitive deaths were, there's something strangely addicting to a game in which you can learn from your mistakes and try again. I played this game in nearly one go, only pausing a few times out of necessity. To me, that's pretty darn addicting, especially for a game I was not all that keen on.

Story: 8/ 10
There probably aren't many games out there in which you play a physicist toying with a particle accelerator. I'm not even sure younger kids would understand what is going on at the beginning of the game when the machine is shown on the character's gadgets. I thought it was a pretty neat little aspect of the game, and there are many such cut-scenes which are as enjoyable.

Basically, the game starts with your character (Lester) driving his sports car down several winding roads, giving you the idea that he is moving into a pretty secluded location. While he drives, lightning strikes against the sky. The car skids to a halt in front of the lab, and you then enter, passing a bunch of security measures until you reach the area that requires a high level of clearance. You start your work, glancing at screens, applying the appropriate commands, and then instructing the particle accelerator to start up. However, a bolt of lightning surges through the lab at the same time the experiment starts, and Lester's sprite vanishes into thin air.

Suddenly you find yourself submerged in water and you must break your way to the top before a large squid grabs a hold on you! Climbing out of the pool reveals a strange new environment, and it might or might not be obvious that Lester is now on a new planet. There's a scary silhouette in the background which insists on travelling parallel to you. Although this is the first 'stage' of the game, it plays a large part in the plot. The creature seen in the back drop decides to sate its curiosity and so starts the first mad dash to save your own skin. However, when it seems all hope is lost, the lion-like shadow is suddenly shot down by a mysterious figure which you run into. The collision causes you to fall, and for a moment, the two characters stare at each other awkwardly, and Lester gives his famed one- handed wave. (Seriously, it was slightly humorous, but this little scene seems to be THE icon of the game.) The strange hero then knocks you in response.

You wake up and find yourself face to face with an odd looking specimen, in a hanging cage, in some kind of prison. From there, the goal is to (duh!) escape. The alien you were trapped with decides to be your buddy and you must fight your way through masses of angry humanoid aliens and find a way to return to earth.

I personally found the story to be refreshing and unique. Besides that, it's pretty amazing that so much can be told without a single utterance of the English language. Throughout the whole game, in fact, there is no verbal communication which is understandable in any language. The side kick of the story grunts a few times in the game, but that's about it.

DEPTH: 8/ 10
Amazingly, this game was extremely short in plot, but in reality took MANY, MANY hours to complete. Although the game is linear, there's so much to figure out and logically think through, that the game becomes one of trial and error. You have to 'learn' the game in order to progress, and this means you MUST make mistakes. The only way you know you must do something different is that you die. When you die, you know you have to try something else. For gamers that hate being forced to start stages over, this probably isn't the game for you. I probably had to start each stage about a dozen times, and there are 14 stages. The difficulty of the puzzles is really what gave the game depth.

DIFFICULTY: 8/ 10
Wow.... if you want to play a challenging game, THIS is the game to play. It's a very weird feeling to observe such simple graphics, know the plot is so short.... and then feel like ripping your hair out because you can't figure out what you're doing wrong. I hate using walkthroughs for any game, but I'm not sure I would have completed this game without a few hints here and there. (I think I had to use a walkthrough three times.) It's not so much that the actual tasks are hard, but discovering the right path of progress is what really makes the gamer think. This isn't to say that all tasks were easy, but the most complicated tasks tended to involve correct timing. For example, you had to figure out JUST the right time to move through falling boulders and pause to avoid death, you had to figure out -exactly- how long it was before an angry alien burst through a wall, or you'd have to judge just how much leeway you had in timing jumps across snapping teeth.

It doesn't help that most of the game is a huge maze. It's really annoying when you fight your way through ten bad guys, break down five walls, take three corridors and.... find yourself facing a dead end. Many times, it was easy to lose focus of the puzzle I was trying to solve just for the sheer fact that I kept having to back track so often.

Many of the available actions also were not obvious AT ALL. For example, there is a small part in the game where you must jump across a huge ravine and land on a small ledge on the cliff's wall. From there, there is no indication of what you are supposed to do. It turns out that you have to use special attack aimed at the cliff wall to get it to collapse inwards and reveal a cave. However, there is NO visual distinction to even give someone this idea, such as a shadow or cracked wall face.

There are no instructions which tell you how to use your weapon, so you're left to discover that there are three special attacks. You can shoot with the gun, create a small barrier, or store up energy for a more powerful attack. All of these are determined by how long you mash the attack button. Because of the gun's functionality (which is reflected in the enemies' weapons), even battling must be done strategically. If you don't use a right combination of the three moves, it can be quite impossible to come out as the victor in most battles.

Then too, there's the fact that you cannot win the game by killing all bad guys. In fact, there are certain bad guys you MUST leave alive to progress at all, and discovering this can be quite difficult.

In conclusion.... I DO.... -definitely- DO.... recommend this game if you have many hours set aside. It's a challenge well worth the time, and finishing this game left me with satisfaction most modern games can't accomplish.

Vizzed Elite

Singelli

Affected by 'Laziness Syndrome'

Registered: 08-09-12
Location: Alabama
Last Post: 2519 days
Last Active: 2495 days

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12-11-12 12:35 AM

Xepharia is Offline

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| ID: 700678 | 34 Words

Xepharia

Level: 21

POSTS: 40/78
POST EXP: 4355
LVL EXP: 44406
CP: 91.0
VIZ: 16033

Likes: 0 Dislikes: 0

Hm, this game seems like a good one to play! I saw my brother play it once and it seemed very fun! Thanks for the review, I will definitely give this game a try!

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Apreggio

Affected by 'Laziness Syndrome'

Registered: 12-01-12
Location: Corpus Christi, Texas
Last Post: 4130 days
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