As far as the story goes, Constance’s is one of relatability. We all work, or have stress in our lives that can be hard to overcome. Sometimes this gets on top of us. Sometimes we want to get away from it all. And this is where the story of Constance lies. Overworked and overtired, the protagonist falls deeper and deeper into her painting until she is absorbed by it. Now, I must be honest here. I didn’t fully grasp the story, and as much as I’m sure it will only develop further, I was only able to observe what I assume is a small sliver. Told to me through cutscenes and small interactive segments, I was shown a world through the eyes of someone who was struggling with the demands of a working life. Something most of us can agree on is hard from time to time, as I say. It’s a touching story and a great premise for a narrative. Connecting with the player on a personal level allows them to relate to their player on a closer level. And from what I’ve seen, it’s a story worth seeing through, especially when combined with the brilliant gameplay.
By far the strongest card in Duskpunk’s hand, the story kept me intrigued and looking for the next bite of lore. Whilst mired in mystery, the narrative follows a rich story of war and the steps people can go to avoid it. This is even more so in the dystopian world of Duskpunk. I found myself in the place of a soldier. Lost and confused in an unfamiliar place, equipped only with pain and horrific memories. After some brief text and some decision-making, I was cast out into the slums of a sprawling city. It was from here that the story began to open up to me. With NPCs to meet and richly detailed locations to explore. Each location and NPC interaction pulled me deeper into the story, and I began to feel as though I was entangled in the world itself. Truly brilliant story direction.
After signing a deal with the Devil, the protagonist of Devil Jam is cast into the underworld to perform his gig over and over again. For eternity. Whilst this was the story I was presented and expected to follow on from this, I did find the story offering to be somewhat lacklustre. Whilst not an essential part of survivor-like rogue-likes, when presented with the premise of a story, I would have enjoyed seeing it expanded.
Jokes aside, whilst I enjoyed the platforming on offer in 1000 Deaths, I did find the camera controls to be a little janky. This was especially annoying on the timed arcade runs. Whilst it didn’t ruin the platforming for me, it was a touch annoying to die to a camera issue on occasion. However, the platforming aspect was tight and responsive. With the interesting mechanic of my character being able to defy gravity, walk around curved edges, or hang upside down. It’s a small detail, but it enhanced the gameplay and offered some much-needed variety in the levels. The arcade mode was a lot of fun, and trying to beat the time trials was both frustrating and exhilarating. Attempting to take on my previous scores’ ghost was a nice touch and helpful for tackling my best times.
As well as this the different cutscenes and story beats all felt on brand and enjoyable, I always knew what my objective was, and can’t recall any instances where the story began to feel stale. Progress was fast and the reward to effort ratio was fair. I began to find myself engrossed in the world and was genuinely sad when my play-through came to an end. I would have liked to have seen some more endgame content, or perhaps a new game plus, but this is more of a testament to how much I enjoyed the story, than a critique.
Unfortunately, after a few stages of each level, my weapon would no longer fire. Or it would fire and damage me. Or it would fire and not damage my enemy. This was present on both sides of the battle, either soft locking me in a stage where no damage can be dealt, or meaning I would take damage while my opposition wouldn’t. Ultimately, this made Critter Crossfire unplayable after a certain point and stopped my progression altogether. It’s a real shame because there is a lot of potential and a lot of fun to be had with this title.
Kick’n Hell may just have the most unique and interesting movement I’ve ever experienced. And it works amazingly. Using kicks to throw myself across the sprawling environments was one of the most fun and frustrating mechanics I’ve experienced this year. Having to think hard about my trajectory and where I wanted to go, both made me feel incredibly accomplished and enraged. Kick’n Hell doesn’t hold the player’s hand. Far from it. Countless times, I would find myself soaring through the air, only to fall right back down to a lower platform. Or a much lower platform. It was as infuriating as it was incredibly engaging.
Zombies Overloaded isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel, but it is a welcome addition to the top-down shooter genre. The gameplay loop is enjoyable, working best in shorter stints as opposed to long sessions. The visuals are appealing despite their simple nature, and everything comes together neatly to create an appealing little twin stick shooter. It’s definitely recommendable, especially at its generous price point, for those fond of the genre.
The most enjoyable part of the story was revealing the relationships between the seven characters present. Each one had their motives and feelings towards my character, influencing gameplay. Again though, trying to pull the story out of these characters often felt like a chore. Oftentimes the dialogue would repeat itself, leading me to quickly skip through to the next part.
Although there is no deep story, your mission debriefs offer welcome insight into what is at stake, in this cyber war. At one point, the general will mention a city that used to be standing tall, now reduced to a battlefield, or a heavily fortified enemy base, with a tunnel underneath for you to traverse. Each location feels unique, the scenery changing with each battle. Although for the most part, these changes are purely cosmetic, they make the world in War Rats feel full and add to the atmosphere of each bloody battle. I really enjoyed how each battleground felt distinct from the last.
I enjoyed the bright cartoon aesthetic of the game. It leans into the comic explosions and bright trick text, which work really well. The visuals are a touch blurry at times but it never took away from the overall enjoyment. The fast pace of the movement meant it was barely noticeable for most of my time with it. I think the side-scrolling 2.5D style on offer was the right choice for the gameplay, it really added to the overall feel and poppy atmosphere of Seafrog.