|
Reviews - Playstation Network |
Thanks to Capybara Games we can now play as a ridiculously cute, yet bizarre, animal that force feeds other animals until they explode. Yes, it is as weird as it sounds, but this is one unique puzzle game that delivers enjoyment and a pretty decent challenge.
In Critter Crunch players take control of Biggs, a strange little creature with a freakishly long tongue. Biggs basically goes around the island causing other critter to explode so that he may eat the jewels that form inside of their bodies. To make the other critters pop, Biggs must grab one with his tongue and spit it into the mouth of a larger critter. Feed the critters more than they can handle and...well they explode. Whenever critters are popped they drop a jewel, which is larger in size depending on how many critters were popped. Every time Biggs collects a jewel it fills his hunger meter, and once he is full, it's time to move on to another level. You can also feed his son, Smalls, with bright, rainbow colored regurgitated food. I swear I am not making any of this up.
Is this really cute, or really disgusting? I can't tell.
Under all the cute animal exploding action, Critter Crunch is a really solid puzzle game. At the bottom of the screen is Biggs, who is controlled by the player, and above him are rows of vines with various critters attempting to make their way to the bottom. If they do manage to reach the bottom then the player will lose and Biggs will get a beating of a lifetime. Critters are divided into three different sizes: small, medium and large. The small critters are pretty much useless save for feeding to the medium critters. Medium critters are fed to the large critters, and large critters can only be fed to special types of critters – more on them later. If you were to feed a critter two smaller critters, they will explode. You can also feed a small critter to a medium critter, then feed the medium critter to a large critter for an instant pop. Critters also come in two colors and those of the same color and size can be chained, pop a pink critter and any pink ones grouped with it will pop as well. The more critters chained, the bigger the jewel and the bigger the score.
Get a a large enough color chain and Biggs' son Smalls will run up and beg for food. He won't stay forever, though, so take too long to feed him and he will run away. Feeding Smalls does give a nice boost to your score, but it also slightly lowers Biggs' “full” meter. In the earlier stages feeding Smalls is no problem, but as you progress and critters start dropping faster and faster, it gets a bit harder to fill the little guy up. Thankfully, if you don't fill him up the first time you can call him back out and continue from where you left off.
Food chains can be performed as well. Food chains are different from chaining a group of same color critters, though it can be used to start a color chain. In order to start a food chain a medium sized critter must be directly under a large critter, if the medium sized critter is fed then the large critter will gobble down the medium sized critter and pop. There isn't an easy way to set up a food chain yourself, but taking advantage of them when they show up can net you a good score multiplier.
Making cute things go 'BOOM!' Good times.
There are also some peculiar little critters that are special from the other ones. Some are blessings, and some you will want to wipe from existence. One of the most aggravating, especially in the right scenario, are the rock critters that can not me moved, nor do they eat other critters. To get rid of them you have to pop the critter above them to make them fall, and also remember that if another critter is below the rock critter, they will stand their ground. Veggie critters are also annoying, but are easier to deal with. The veggie critters will not eat any other critters, so the only way to get rid of them is by either feeding them to other critters, taking them out with power items or popping them in a color chain. Some aid in the process of popping critters, such as the zapper and bomb critters, which will eat any size critter. The most useful critter, and my new best friend, is the extinctor. The extinctor can not be eaten, nor does it eat, but pop a critter next to it and all other critters of the same color, regardless of location, will be popped.
Critter Crunch does have multiple game modes, but they all must be unlocked by playing through 'Adventure' mode. Adventure mode takes you through various locations of the island that Biggs lives on. Each area of the island is a different level with three normal stages to be beaten and a puzzle or challenge stage. As you progress through adventure mode the harder the stages become, especially if you are trying to feed Smalls along the way. There is a story that is told during adventure mode. It's silly, but that's the point of it.
Adventure mode even has its own map.
Puzzle and challenge modes are gameplay options dedicated to the puzzle and challenge levels seen in adventure mode. In puzzle mode players will have to clear the board of critters in a set amount of moves. It's challenging and puts your brain to the test, but it doesn't beat out the game's basic critter popping normal mode. Challenge mode will have you perform a certain task in order to win: pop all critters in a certain amount of time, get 'X' combos in 'X' amount of time, etc.
Survival mode is probably the most enjoyable offering as it is nothing but non-stop critters crawling towards you. The difficulty keeps rising and rising, every type of critter will be seen and things will get hectic. This mode is also the one used in both offline and online multiplayer.
On the visual and audio side of the fence, everything looks and sounds great. The graphics are hand-drawn and smoothly animated, background images are nicely detailed. The music sounds good and goes well with the game, though at times it did let loose a static like sound that lasted for a second or two.
Critter Crunch is a fantastic little puzzle game that can give players hours of enjoyment. Adventure mode itself is a good time sink, especially if you tackle every puzzle and challenge stage along the way. It's very easy to pick up and play and it doesn't require a big commitment to accomplish something. If you're looking for a solid PSN title then give the Critter Crunch demo a shot, you may be surprised to find that behind the cute visuals is a very enjoyable gaming experience.
|
Reviews - Playstation Network |
The PixelJunk games are some of the simplest games to be released this generation. They are also some of the more addicting ones too. The latest installment to the quirky series of games is quite possibly the best. Q-Games have created a two-dimensional shooter that, like their previous games, is simple in concept, but nearly impossible to put down.
The game's objective is to navigate through each stage – a total of fifteen – while fending off enemies, saving trapped miners, collecting treasure and avoiding the hazardous pools of lava. While the treasure is pretty much useless unless you want the trophies, the miners are very important. If your tiny ship overheats and crashes, you have to start that area of the stage over. If five miners die, it's game over. Get game over and you have to start the entire stage over.
Rescuing the miners is also necessary to progress to the next level. You don't have to save all of the miners; they just have to no longer be on the screen....or alive. If there are six miners and you save two of them and shoot or let the enemies kill the others, then the gate will open and you can carry on. Though you will be a horrible, horrible person for doing so.
One thing PixelJunk Shooter will throw at you is environmental hazards, such as lava. Lava is pretty much this game's prime suspect in environmental hazards, but it does have a few buddies that will try to turn you and your ship into space dust. You'll encounter gas that sets off a chain of explosions whenever it reaches a source of heat, and magnetic oil that lays waste to whatever gets in its way.
Explosion inevitable!
In some of the levels you really have to think about what you're about to do. The best plan of action may seem like shooting away a layer of soft rock to let loose some lava so you can safely save one of the miners. Sounds like a great plan, except that once you free that lava it could fall straight down onto three other miners. That's how PixelJunk Shooter isn't very hard, but tricky.
Water, lava, gas and even the weird magnetic oil play pretty big factors in completing some of the levels. Water is used to cool the lava, rendering it into a useless, weak rock that the ship can break its way through. Lava will be needed for clearing away chunks of ice and in some cases, you just can't beat clearing a path or two with a chain-explosion started by gas. Playing around with the water and lava in the game is almost as fun as shooting enemies and rescuing people. The liquid physics were done incredibly well, the liquids in the game react to everything much like you would expect them to. Collecting water with a sponge and sprinkling it over lava doesn't really sound like a fun activity, but Q-Games pulled it off, as there is just something appealing about doing so in PixelJunk Shooter.
Pictures don't do this game justice.
The controls are really simple: left analog stick controls movement, right analog stick aims, left shoulder buttons control the grapple, right shoulder buttons shoot and that is it. Holding down either of the right analog sticks will cause the ship to shoot out some missiles, which causes the ship to overheat and are not as viable as the normal blaster. Rotating the analog stick will cause the ship to do a quick spin that will pull in nearby coins, as well as deflect enemy fire.
As with nearly any game, those not going for a 100% completion won't get too much gameplay out of PixelJunk Shooter. Those that ignore the treasure and don't care about rescuing all of the scientist can probably finish the game in under two hours. It's short, but it does have good replayability.
PixelJunk Shooter is a really good game. It's simple. It's addicting. It's fun. PixelJunk Shooter is easily the best title Q-Games have released so far, and it is gonna be tough for another PixelJunk game to top it. This is definitely a PSN title worth checking out.
|
|
Reviews - Playstation Network |
Genre mixing is pretty hard. For each title that works, there are several others that simply don't. Developer Forzenbyte has delivered PS3 owners an interesting title; one that seamlessly mixes RPG, 2-D platforming, and puzzle solving into one package. It's a very enjoyable game that has two obstacle going against it: lack of replayability, and its price-tag.
Set in a stylish, breath taking fantasy world, gamers will not only take the role of one main character, but of three. An unlikely trio comprised of a wizard, a knight and thief are forced into camaraderie as they both stumble upon a magic artifact that binds their souls together. They have to work together to find a way to free themselves from the magical trine. Thanks to a mysterious narrator the story unfolds in a very "fairy tale" fashion, which goes quite well with the overall theme of the game. The story is rather charming, as well as extremely easy to follow and enjoy.
Each character has their own special purpose that is beneficial to completing the game. The Knight is the main fighter, he's gonna be the main choice for dealing with large groups of mobs. Aside from his rather decent sword skills, he also has a shield that can block a multitude of attacks. The knight can also take a hit better than the other two characters. The Thief has access to a bow and a grappling hook. Her bow attacks are rather useful on small groups of enemies where distance can be gained. The grappling hook is her most handy offering, allowing her to grapple onto wooden objects above her, and making the level exploration a bit easier. The Wizard doesn't have strong magic spells that will blast your foes away, instead, he is more along the lines of the problem solver. He has the ability to grab various objects and move them around with his magic - often times needed to overcome obstacles. The Wizard can also conjure up objects of his own to use for the times that nothing of use is available. The Wizard can use levitated blocks to damage enemies, but isn't very viable.
Seeing as the game uses the 2D perspective the controls are rather simple, and very easy to get acquainted with. The D-pad and left analog stick both control the movement – either one can be used, whatever feels best. The L1 and R1 buttons switch between the three characters. The function of the right analog stick changes depending on the character that is in use: when as the Knight it controls his shield; when as the Thief it is used to ready and aim the bow; and when as the Mage it is used to target the item the player wishes to move with magic.
The game does feature a level system with experience points that are shared between the characters. Experience is also gained a bit differently in this game than in other RPGs; experience takes the form of bottles filled with a green substance that can be found lying about the level or obtained from enemies. Once the player has obtained fifty of them – the needed amount does not rise with level – then each of the character will gain a level. It's not in the traditional RPG vain, but it works well for the game. Each of the characters also have access to – small – skill trees that are unique to their class.
Each characters abilities and strengths are put to use, sometimes one more than the other. There may be times when you put the Mage to extensive use, needing to stack boxes to reach higher locations, but are then suddenly stop by the evil wooden floorboard preventing him from jumping up to the next ledge. Seeing as the Mage's magic is no use against wood – he never learned the fireball spell – then another character will have to be put to use. The Thief's fire bow or the Knight's flaming sword can burn the foul wood to an ash, allowing for passage. It all depends on the scenario. There are a lot of well thought out and clever obstacles for players to tackle.
Trine is easily one of the better PSN offerings, although one of the more costly ones – a good $20. There is a demo available, so that should help in any purchasing ideas. Trophy buffs will be happy to see that the game does include a platinum trophy, and yes, it requires an extensive amount of work to be put forth. Players shouldn't expect too deep of an RPG experience, what's there is rather simple, but it works well with the game. Fans of thought inducing platformers should definitely check the game out. Overall, Trine is a very charming title that, sadly, doesn't offer much of a reason – other than trophies – to come back for another play through. After the first romp with it you have pretty much experienced it all. It isn't a bad game by any means, but the price-tag makes the low replayability very unattractive.
|
Reviews - Playstation Network |
A single flower wilts on the windowsill of a featureless grey tower in a run down apartment, blended seamlessly into a sterile grey world, and engulfed by the humming of an extractor fan. Petals scatter forth from the little flower and follow the wind, past the streams of cars and past the grey, into lush green fields.
You may be forgiven in thinking that this is a scene from a modern art film but it is, in fact, the opening of a video game. A relatively new developer on the console scene, That Game Company, has created a very unique game simply titled Flower.
In the past TGC co-founder and the head designer behind the game, Jenova Chen, has created beautiful and simple titles. Amongst these are the award winning student game The Cloud Game, which is centred on a sick child’s dreams of flying and befriending clouds as well as Fl0w, the relaxed, micro-organism snake style game. The latter is also available on PSN.
In Flower each level is the dream of an urban flower, where the player takes control in the vibrant and abstract landscapes dreamt up. The game play is quite simple. The SIXAXIS is tilted in different directions in order to navigate a stream of petals around a beautifully rendered 3D environment, whilst a button held down produces a gust of wind to propel the petals forward. The force applied when holding the button dictates the strength of the wind. The task on every level is to gather more and more petals, changing the environment, by growing more flowers in an explosion of colour, as the player progresses.
Graphically, the environments that you have to explore really are quite well done, and the animation of the fluttering petals is stunningly convincing. Each level has its own unique feel so there is a lot of variation, keeping the game fresh. That being said, the game is very short and, as charming an idea as this is there, there is only so many times you can play the same levels over.
The score for the game is particularly well done. Music varies with each different type of flower and, when playing the game, it feels like you’re directly affecting it. As each flower you brush across blooms it emits a note and as your trail of flowers grows ever longer more layers are added to the music, building it up to a peaceful crescendo.
If you need your games to have a lot of substance and a lot of challenge, this game may not be for you. Flower is a very casual game and there is no real way to fail. It almost feels more like a piece of interactive artwork than a game. Gavin Russell, Sony-Europe’s producer for the PSN has labeled the piece as an example of “Zen Gaming”. Whilst being a visual treat and genuinely moving, some players may be put off by the short lifespan and lack of challenge. Flower traverses the path of simplicity music and aesthetic the way most games approach graphics and difficulty but if you are open minded to a bit of variety when it comes to gaming then this is definitely worth at least a download.
|
Playstation Network
Tuesday, 26 January 2010 11:16 | 
Written by Benoit Lelievre |
