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Reviews - XBOX Live Arcade |
We’ve all played the typical side scrolling game where you play the hero, traversing dangerous environments in order to save a princess from an evil monster. It’s a classic formula that’s been used and reused for over 20 years. Rarely though do we get incite into the emotions of the characters we meet in these games. Braid executes this take on the classic formula with style and innovation, and the story of Braid is far from typical.
Braid is an indie platform/puzzle game developed by independent developer, Jonathon Blow with artwork by webcomic Artist, David Hellman. Without the final artwork, it received the ‘innovation in game design’ award at the Independent Games Festival for a 2006, preliminary version of the game.
Stripped down to its skeletal core, Braid is a side scrolling platform game with a simple, move left/right and jump configuration. The levels are then laid out, complete with ladders, floating platforms and unusual enemies that damage on contact and can only be destroyed by jumping on their heads. The twist is the addition of time manipulation, allowing you to press X to rewind something you’ve done. It’s this feature that is at the heart of the game.
The ability to rewind time in order to stop yourself from plummeting down a pit, thus cheating your demise, is only the tip of the iceberg regarding the time tricks at your disposal. As you progress, your time bending abilities develop further with each new world. You will find yourself learning more unique ways of manipulating your environment as well as each world itself being varied, and distinct from its predecessor.
Before entering the first world the story is summarised for you. Your character, Tim, has made a mistake which has cost him his lover and he now has to travel forth in order to rescue her. The story unfolds further at the start of each of the 6 worlds, detailing the various subjects that haunt the character. These snippets of insight are often quite poetic and quite powerful when playing the running and jumping action that follows.
The first 5 worlds of Braid each have 12 puzzles pieces to collect, offering mind bending challenges to solve. Whilst it is possible to run through most of the game in about 15 minutes, you will have to retrieve all 60 puzzle pieces in order to witness the brain melting conclusion, which will probably take around 6-7 hours on average. Although it might seem unfair to make players complete every aspect of the game to witness the finale, it does offer a fantastic sense of satisfaction, once you master the game. There is only 1 puzzle that will force you to backtrack through the game but chances are you will have to replay the entire game in order to solve every puzzle.
Graphically; the game is heavily inspired by the Super Mario series, and being a 2D side-scroller, it is inevitably quite simple. That being said, the water colour painting style design, and the comic-bookesque sprites give it a distinct charm which is essentially timeless.
Braid is a rare achievement that challenges players with often complex puzzles, whilst making you come to terms with its detailed and mature story. Blow designed the game as a personal critique of contemporary games, and this definitely shines through. The unique visuals ensure that the game will age well and I can imagine this being enjoyed for years to come. This being said, at 1200 points the game is quite expensive compared to most live arcade games, especially considering the game’s length. But for the amount of enjoyment you will have and sheer quality of the game it really is worth the extra money. Braid truly is a masterpiece in game design.
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Reviews - XBOX Live Arcade |
If you think the platform game is dead and that it’s ugly face can only be viewed through rose tinted spec’s - chewing on the grass of its former glories - then Xbox Live is dying to prove you wrong. The latest slice of retro cake to appear on XBLA comes in the form of Capcoms 1987 arcade classic Bionic Commando. As genetically modified soldier Nathan Spencer - competing with Street Fighters Guile for ‘the most upright haircut in gaming’ award - is out to rescue missing commarade Super Joe and defeat the imperials(read: nazi's )
The first realisation in BC:RA is that jump is a dirty word. Despite being able to obliterate swarms of imperial soldiers with his dynamic assortment of weapons Nathan has difficulty surpassing a simple chest high crate. You have to utilise Nathan’s bionic claw that works like a grappling hook allowing him to heave himself up to other platforms and risk death defying swings across bottomless pits. Instinctively you try to jab at a jump button only to remember that you don’t have one. It’s like having to relearn all you’ve come to expect from traditional platforming experiences.
Initially the claw is a chore, pressing B will fire the claw diagonally where holding left or right and pressing B fires the claw forwards. It’s a strange choice which feels awkward at first, but given time and practice you’ll be swinging over pits of spikes like a vest wearing Spider Man on steroids.
Advancing from stage to stage involves moving around a map hub. As stages are completed new weapons are unlocked meaning you can tackle the increasingly harder areas, alternatively previous levels can be revisited in order to find those hidden secrets, which occasionally come in the form of weapon upgrades. It breaks up the linearity and allows for a bit of freedom.
All thirteen stages are structured identically, find the communication room, complete the geometric mini-game then find the boss room. Despite following an identical pattern, stages are varied enough to remain interesting. Sewers are claustrophobic mazes which involve carefully navigating platforms whilst the construction site demands using the claw to scale upwards whilst being bombarded with multiple flying enemies – with just one wrong foot and it’s all the way back to the bottom. Boss battles are usually brief encounters with predictable attack patterns, though they do inspire some creative thinking and quick responses.
Combat is a controlled affair. Certain weapons are more useful in specific situations, the shotgun is most effective close range, the bazooka at long range, the vector cannon is the only weapon that can fire at an angle etc. Each has its use and the levels have clearly been designed with this in mind. The bionic claw is also a versatile accomplice, able to unscrew parts of armoured bosses, use enemies as human shields and ‘lasso’ unreachable collectibles. Capcom have milked the bionic claw for all it’s worth and the gimmick pays off.
Although the platforming sections are hugely enjoyable, BC:RA pays tribute to its roots in the form of a vertical scrolling shooting section where combat takes place in 3D space. On the map hub constantly respawning attack convoys move around, should you come in contact with one, then one of these sequences triggers. Even though they are functional and offer a brief change of pace, after the first few encounters they tend to lose their novelty value and eventually just become a time wasting pain. Missed opportunities also come in the form of a rather fun multiplayer mode that unfortunately can only be played locally. Conversely leader boards are available for the fifty-plus challenge rooms that vary from tutorial like guides to painstakingly difficult obstacle courses. For each one you complete you get a star rating out of five depending on how quick you completed the room.
BC:RA manages to retain a retrogressive charm while updating the aesthetics. It can be ruthlessly unforgiving in terms of its lives system, which dictates that after three deaths it’s back to the start of the level. It’s also got the obligatory hammy dialogue which now feels humorously tongue in cheek as opposed to just plain bad. If you can put up with this, BC:RA is a highly recommended package with neat extra’s and a fun multiplayer mode. And if this title is a representation of the genre - then the rose tinted specs can stay off the face for a bit longer.
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Reviews - XBOX Live Arcade |
Trials HD is a pig that you will scream at. It would be tempting to leave the review there but that wouldn’t be particularly informative now would it?
Anyone mistaking this for a revamped version of eighties classic Kickstart with added sexy psuedo three-dimensional graphics would be exactly right. Traversing courses left to right, using only accelerate, brake and the analogue stick to lean in different directions in order to shift the weight of the bike is initially a fairly pedestrian experience when playing the first few tracks and mini-games on offer. It’s when you advance to the medium tracks and beyond that Trials HD reveals itself to be a very trying beast indeed.
It’s unfathomable just how difficult it can be to master some of the more taxing courses Trials HD has to offer with just a few combinations of button presses available. The pace of the tracks changes from straights and ramps in which high speeds and impressive jumps can be reached to meticulous trudges through carefully placed bumps and hazards. Luckily the checkpoints are frequent, allowing the courses to be studied in small sections before you attempt to attain a good time, which is absolutely necessary in order to finally try for a decent time. On the extreme tracks you should just worry about actually finishing them. They are hard…preposterously hard. Despite this it’s the latter section of the game where Trials HD really shines. Although the trial and error nature may annoy some, learning the intricacies of the tougher courses is equally as satisfying as blazing through the opening speed tracks. The impression is that tracks are supposed to be navigated carefully at first.
The mini games are perhaps the most telling sign of a developer getting the most out of its physics engine. Ride as long as you can on-top of a huge metallic sphere, ride as far as you can inside one, or how about you just try and throw your rider down as many flights of stairs as possible? There is a wide variety on offer yet none really offer the same level of compulsion as perfecting the standard tracks, although they serve as an adequate distraction after failing on one of the courses for the umpteenth time.
It isn’t just Trials HD’s courses and mini game diversions that are cunningly designed, the whole package is exceptional in integrating leader boards and XBLA’s friend records. At the top of the HUD is a ticker bar that displays friends’ progress alongside yours while you attempt the courses. The pressure hits tenfold as you watch your friends pass you by as you continually struggle with one of the more challenging obstacles. Should you fail repeatedly then replays are available from accessing the friends’ leader board, it’s a neat touch that negates guilty visits to Youtube. There’s also a garage to customise you riders colours and a surprisingly deep and excellent level designer with interchangeable physics options.
The Trials HD tin clearly reads “motorbike time attack game” and that’s exactly what it delivers. Redlynx have run with the idea and stretched it just about as far as the idea will stretch. It’s a retro premise integrated into the modernity of Xbox 360 hardware. The only real criticisms lie in the somewhat uninspired warehouse backdrops, bland ‘rock’ soundtrack and that you can only share maps with people from your friend list.
This is not a title that will appeal to everyone (and that’s no reason to take away marks from the final score) as it produces some ‘control pad through the TV screen’ moments. Just one thrust a little to far in the wrong direction will result in your bike toppling over. In a five-race tournament in which gold medals require so few faults this infuriates. But such elements make Trials HD what it is for those that love the steep, unforgiving challenge and who view those leader board positions as ever so precious. This is simply the best game available on this generation of consoles in the genre and is the most addictive title to emerge on XBLA this year. Minutes turn into hours when trying to better your leader board positions. But as warned, it’s not for those who give up easily. It’s a case of one mans Harley Davidson is another mans pushbike.
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Reviews - XBOX Live Arcade |
This summer has seen a change in the habits of gamers everywhere. The combination of the recession and the escalating retail cost of new games have seen people shopping around a little more for their jollies. In the case of Xbox 360 owners, many have turned to the Xbox live arcade to pick up games that are increasingly comparable to their retail counterparts in terms of quality, but thankfully not price. Such recent releases as Trials HD, Battlefield 1943, Braid and ‘Splosion Man have all garnered rave reviews, and Shadow Complex is hoping to keep that reputation intact.
Developed by Chair Entertainment in association with Epic Games exclusively for Xbox live arcade, Shadow Complex is a 3D side scrolling shooter in the vein of such classics as Metroid Prime and Contra. Players take on the role of Jason, an everyman seeking to find his new girlfriend Claire and uncover the secrets of the shadowy (see what I did there!?) Progressive Restoration group. Fans of a certain age will lap this up, but it may not appeal to anyone who first took up gaming around the time of the original Playstation.
Anyone who grew up watching the likes of Jean Claude Van Damn and Steven Segal kicking the ass of anyone silly enough to look at them funny will also feel right at home with the plot and dialogue of Shadow Complex, and this style of story blends well with the old school style of the game. You will find yourself laughing out loud at some of the things the characters come out with.
Visually, the game is pretty damned good. The game uses the Unreal Engine 3, and this definatley shows in the game’s cutscenes. Although the player can only move up and down and from side to side, the game enviroments are fully 3D and put some full price games to shame. The audio effects are also good. All voice acting is convincing (if a little hammy), the various explosions and gun shots sound satisfyingly realistic and the score complements the on screen action well, at times reminding you of Metal Gear Solid 2.
However, visuals are nothing without gameplay, and SC manages to meld the two fairly well. Controls are nice and simple, the left stick moves you around, triggers control fire and croutch, and the face buttons handle jumping and reloading. The main body of the game involves running and gunning through the levels taking out a variety of faceless soldiers, broken up with set pieces against larger robots. The auto targeting system works well and a manual aim can also be triggered using the right Analogue stick, allowing you to pull off some old school headshots. Occsionally picking off enemies can be a touch frustrating, but this is rare. Some minimal puzzle solving and platforming elements tie the game together while never feeling tacked on, and break up all the shooting nicely.
The game also offers a couple of additional little touches that help SC stand above other XBLA games. An XP system awards points as you move through the game and progressivley increases the abilities of your character, enhancing things like stamina and accuracy. There are also a number of power ups and other hidden prizes dotted about the game, some of which can increase the ability of capacity of a given weapon. This should be enough to tempt the completionists out there to come back for another run through. Althought this sort of thing would be expected in a full price title, the fact it has been included here just goes to show how much arcade games have progressed in the last couple of years.
The game is not, however, without its flaws. It is hard. Even on normal, expect to hurl the pad across the room in frustration a few dozen times at least, as enemies seem to have a combination of sniper accuracy and chain gun power in all their weapons, and you will find yourself replaying certain sections over and over before finally cracking it. This is compounded by the save system. Certain rooms act as save/respawn points, and some are spaced so far apart that a mistake at a certain point can send you back across the level, undoing 15 minutes or so hard work. It is possible that these elements have been included to mimic the rock hard nature of their spiritual predecessors, but it does distract from the many positives within the game.
Overall, Shadow Complex should be applauded. Chair and Epic have put together a very good shooter that will appease both fans of the genre and new comers alike. The small flaws in the game will at times stop you enjoying the game as fully as it should, when its working well it’s as good as anything on XBL. Give it a go; I doubt you’ll be disappointed.
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XBOX Live Arcade
Monday, 22 February 2010 21:57 | 
Written by Simon Flatman |
