The following article is the second of three parts reviewing the games included in the Green Light Indie Bundle.
Part 1 can be found at:
http://www.invisioncommunity.co.uk/review/green-light-indie-bundle-review-part-1/
Part 2 includes reviews of the games Megabyte Punch, Depth Hunter and Paranormal. Enjoy!
Megabyte Punch is an in-development fighting platformer with a few cheeky twists which make it a little bit more unique compared to similar titles. As you play through the levels of the game, in which you main aim is to combat the corrupt creatures which are spread around them, you will find yourself fighting foes with various abilities. The twist to this game is that when you defeat them you can obtain and attach parts of their bodies which give them certain abilities to yourself to improve your character and his skills. Certainly a neat idea, so how well does it play?
Well, learning to play the game is pretty simple, with a tutorial that puts the keys to use on screen for you simply to follow and friendly characters to explain how to go about the more tricky parts of the game, such as combat. One thing that can be difficult to work out is whether the guy you are coming up to is friendly or not, but for the most part it seems as if the enemies you must face cause you to be locked into a small area to battle them. The friendly computer characters seem to be more spread around the place, and stick around after the tutorial to help you follow the story at that point in the game. The fact that there is a fair bit of reading at these points can be a bit off-putting and takes away from the otherwise quite active nature of play. This platformer clearly is not a simple case of run and jump, and features such as climbing, interaction with other characters and of course fighting does make it a little bit more in depth and different to other game’s in its category. In some ways though, the reading which slows it down and the slightly complex nature does make some other platformers a little more appealing to fans of the traditional way of playing. On the up side, at least a solid effort has clearly been made to create something new here.
Graphically, the game is a little bit simplistic looking. It does feel as though a bit more detail would have been ideal, but some decent effort at least has been put in. Things look a bit funky in a way; quite edgy rather than smooth and a bit jagged, which could easily be a design choice seeing as the game is a little classic techy-looking as a whole, and it is called Megabyte Punch after all! The sounds also fit to this theme well, so in terms of making a strong themed game this would appear to have been a success. It may be a personal thing, but it just feels as though things looking just a little bit tidier would have been a nice finishing touch. The well developed theme does however complement the game well, and as a simple indie development the features are far from what might be considered to be poor or unacceptably lacking.
As a whole, Megabyte Punch makes a nice change to your standard platforming experience. This will certainly be a delight to some platformer fans but may stray a little from the comfort zones of others. The theme of the game is well developed but the sharpest of detail should not be expected. As a simple indie game however this has been well thought out and has a sense of uniquity about it which makes it well worth a look for fans of this style of game. Of course, once development is completed some of the minor details may have been corrected, so this will be one to watch.
Final Thoughts – A platformer with a little more thought put in than some and with a well developed theme, but with a fairly simplistic look and feeling to it.
Disclaimer:All scores given within our reviews are based on the artist’s personal opinion; this should in no way impede your decision to purchase the game.
Possibly the most chilled out game I have ever played, Depth Hunter is a realistic diving simulator in which you are given the task of capturing different types of marine life within a series of beautiful environments around the world. For an indie development, this game is startlingly good in many ways. While it is based within a very relaxed environment which will be unfamiliar to many gamers it provides a surprisingly captivating experience. It is certainly something that is very different from the majority of developments at present, and something that has been interesting to take a look at.
The first feature that you will notice about this game, and maybe even the most impressive feature which it offers, is the stunningly beautiful and realistic graphics which it presents to you. For any game, be it indie or not, the visuals of this game are incredible and about as close to looking essentially real as have been developed in recent times. Many major titles have fought to make their games look real, but this game really manages that and is due great credit for doing so, not least because its creators are only a small independent group. The natural water effects, the look and motion of the marine life, and the effects of sun and shadow in the game combine to make something which will almost certainly amaze and impress anyone who takes the time to give the game a go. These are very well complimented by the relaxing background music which accompanies your gameplay, completing the peaceful experience which this game provides almost perfectly.
Of course, the look and feel of a game isn’t everything, and gameplay is possibly the most important feature to consider. This game is very simple in terms of this factor. You are set free to roam as you wish throughout the environment in which each stage of the game is set, and given particular species to aim to catch as you do so. Further than this, the only things you really have to do are watch you air levels, avoid the occasional sharks, take some pretty pictures and find some hidden treasures if you feel so inclined. A simple setup indeed, but the experience is the real triumph of the game and the relaxed manner of play is a healthy change from the dynamics of today’s major titles. There are only a couple of elements to gameplay that could be questioned, purely because for the most part this game is incredibly realistic aside from them. One thing which is a little confusing is that you seem to be snorkelling several feet under the water rather than scuba diving, which is a little unusual and doesn’t make a huge amount of sense. Given that the game is played from a first-person perspective, this is not really a noticeable problem, but it may well confuse some people who do notice. Linked to this however, I am no deep sea dive myself, but I am pretty sure you can’t go as far under the sea as this game allows using a snorkel and survive. Other than these little matters, the game seems to have very little wrong with it at all.
Depth Hunter is a very different, very special and very interesting game. Its beauty is matched by very few other titles on the market at present and the realistic-feeling experience which it provides is very commendable and enjoyable indeed. It is certainly not a title which will appeal to all gamers given its slow and relaxed nature, but for the more open minded who choose to give it a shot, it is unlikely that you will come away from playing it unimpressed.
Final Thoughts – Depth Hunter is stunningly beautiful, very relaxed and feels like a very realistic experience. It will not appeal to everyone, but it is a nice change from the more common types of games on the market today.
Disclaimer:All scores given within our reviews are based on the artist’s personal opinion; this should in no way impede your decision to purchase the game.
Paranormal is a thrilling first-person horror game, which while simple in nature is guaranteed to send some shivers down your spine as you play. Following the success of similar games in this category such as Amnesia and Slender, Paranormal is another adventure into the unknown which is specifically designed to scare the hell out of you in as many ways as the developers could think of. Naturally, most of this comes along when you least expect it to, making this a game that will keep you on your toes and holding on tight to your favourite teddy bear as you delve in…
Played from a first-person perspective down the lens of a hand held video camera, there are few controls and no obvious aim to this game. The story follows your character trying to prove that there is something going on in his art studio home. Needless to say, this is probably the worst lit place to live that you can possibly imagine, maybe the main flaw in the games design, but clearly a move aimed at promoting the mystery and thrill that it provides. You are pretty much free to roam the house as you please with your video camera, and should you need to use it your flashlight, until the battery runs down and you have to sleep until the next night. You cannot help but wonder who the hell sleeps all day long and only gets up to walk around his haunted house, but this question is soon overcome by “who in their right mind sleeps with a Ouija board at the end of their bed?”. There is a lot of weird, nonsensical stuff in this chap’s house which almost certainly does not help his predicament, like the radio which seems to be stuck on in the garage. again, this does add to the mystery, thrill and general horror of the game, but a bit of explanation might not have gone amiss here. What can be said for sure is that manikins are smooth move for a horror game; they certainly work to this one’s advantage.
The graphics of the game are not awful, but they are a little basic. It is one of those “you get what you pay for” moments, and for this cheap indie game they are absolutely fine. They are still higher quality than some games on the market, but are not top notch, high definition, magic shiny graphics, so do not be expecting too much. As it is, the graphics not being perfect does not take away from the gameplay and in some ways complements the ambiance that it is aiming for. The sound effects too, it must be said, are a little bit crude. The creaky doors thing is spooky, there is no denying that, but it seems to have been a little bit overdone here. Also, I do not know what surface exactly you are meant to be walking on in the game, but whatever it is it doesn’t sound like it should be indoors. If anything takes away from this game’s atmosphere, it is probably the sounds simply in the fact that they are a little overdone, but the scare factor is there and that is the game’s main aim in the end.
As a whole, Paranormal is a great choice for people who like to scare themselves for no real reason at all. The aim is unclear, but the atmosphere is very good, and it is nice to see a horror which does not purely rely on jump scares to catch you out. With a genuinely spooky ambiance about it and a wholly surreal experience, Paranormal is a nice, simple and cost effective horror game which is well worth a play.
Final Thoughts – A genuinely spooky horror relying on more than just simple jump scares, but with an unclear aim and slightly crude graphics and sounds.
Disclaimer:All scores given within our reviews are based on the artist’s personal opinion; this should in no way impede your decision to purchase the game.
Part 3 will include reviews of Dwarf Quest, Gear Jack and Aeon Command
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