This game is based on a very simple concept. The whole world can be rotated at each 90 degree point but leaves the main character in the same position which leads to a puzzle game platformer which makes you think about how the rotation will help you get past each stage. The controls use a very simple movement and then two buttons to rotate the world. The simple controls means that the game is very easy to pick up and play and does not require a lot of gaming experience to be able to enjoy.
The style the game is very unique which is one of the most enjoyable things about it. It uses a “torn paper” style where all of the pieces make up the world and the objects in it. Each of the pieces of paper have a photo on them, usually a close of up the object so the texture takes up the majority of the paper piece. They are then fitted into the world, overlapping and places together with all the different textures to create a world that looks very different. The colours range from dark for the likes of stones and ground to more bright and vibrant colours used to create flowers and grassy areas.
Perhaps the only thing that was a bad point about this game was the lack of story. There was nothing at the start that explained why he was there or who he was. It just threw you into the game with no explanation. Although the style and game mechanics were unique and set this game apart from other indie games, the lack of story didn’t give the game the depth it needed to make it outstanding.
Super Meat Boy
Quite possibly one of the most frustrating and difficult games of all time with only a handful of people in the world ever to complete every single level. This is part of how Super Meat Boy was created, the designers took the difficulty of the old nintendo system games and applied it to a modern game and made it a classic. The controls are very simple however, you have movement, run and jump buttons and that’s it. But then you add in a game in which you can bounce of walls and must make you’re way through each of the levels using a trial and error system until you finally get it right. You can make no mistakes at all or it will cost you your life. When you finally get it right, you are rewarded with a replay of the level with all your deaths and final success in one mess of a video which can be entertaining.
The look of the game is outstanding. It follows a very basic retro/arcade look but with higher definition. The colours cam be both vibrant in some levels with it becoming darker as the game progresses showing how much harder each of the levels is getting. The characters are all designed to be very comical with the main character being a slab of meat and the main villain being a foetus in a suit.
On top of the outstanding visuals and amazing gameplay mechanics, they added depth to the game by adding a very simple and age old story onto it. From the beginning we know what is going on and what the main character is doing in the game. Whilst Super Meat Boy having a picnic with his girlfriend, Dr. Foetus get’s jealous and steals her away. Super Meat Boy finds that he has a power that allows him to come back to life upon death and uses this to save his girlfriend by travelling through all these lands and overcoming any obstacle that he faces. Although not an original idea, it is the classic story of love and adds a new depth to the game and made it one of the highest selling indie games of all time.
Trine
Trine is another very unique game in which you play as not one main character but three. You use your 1, 2 and 3 keys to switch between them. Not all the characters are present at the same time on the screen however which means that they do not take up too much of your screen increasing what you can see. Each character has their own abilities, The Wizard can create boxes and planks as well as move things, the Thief can use a grappling hook to higher areas, as well as taking out enemies with her bow and arrow and finally the warrior who can carry heavy objects and use his shield to block from falling rocks or enemies as well as a sword to quickly dispatch them. You need to use all three of the characters to get through the game and the many puzzles that you come across. Each of the characters can be made better through items such as rings or new weapons found throughout the game and also by levelling them up through experience which makes it easier to overcome later levels or reach new areas to further improve your characters.
Trine boasts full 3D graphics in a side scrolling adventure which was very different from what had been seen before. Most side scrolling games feature more 2D visuals like we have seen in Super Meat Boy and And Yet It Moves. The style is a mixture of both vibrant colours as well as dull and gloomy depending on which stage you are at but the game is always bright enough to see clearly what you are doing which makes the game very enjoyable. There is a lot of shine in the game which gives it a more mystical and fantasy style feel, for example, the wizard when casting spells or the warriors armour.
Trine’s story is one of the main parts of what makes it so good. It follows the story of a Wizard, a Thief and a Warrior who all get called by a voice towards an artifact called a Trine. When they all touch it together, their souls become intertwined and they release an army of monsters onto the world. They must make their way across the land to place the artifact in it’s true resting place. The story always develops with the characters coming closer together as they go about their journey.
Machinarium
The most simplistic controls you could have for a game. It is a point and click adventure game where you have to figure out puzzles using the area around you. The main character is also able to stretch himself up or make himself smaller which you need to use with the objects in the world to get past each of these puzzles. Machinarium is very easy to pick up and play. The simple controls and slow pace of the game makes it very enjoyable to play.
The visuals is probably the main thing that makes Machinarium stand out. It follows a very hand drawn style with the colours being antique so lots of browns and bieges. The style of the whole world is very “steampunk” and so works very well with the colours that they have going on. Everyone in the world is a robot and every one is different so gives a lot of depth to the game and makes it feel more unique and visual.
The story follows a lone, small robot who makes his way through the city where the bullies who used to beat him up in school have now become criminals. He finds out about a plan to blow up a building in the city and he must make his way through the city stopping them but coming across many obstacles in the way. The story is not very straight forward but is well explained with flashbacks at certain points. Perhaps one of the best bits about the story is the fact it is all explained visually and not through any text or sounds whatsoever which makes it very cleverly written.
Atom Zombie Smasher
Atom Zombie Smasher is a lot different from the games we have seen before. This game is based on a top down or “bird’s eye” view of a city where the game takes place. From this view you are able to see dots that depict zombies and humans. The aim of the game is to save as many citizens or alternatively destroy every zombie before night fall. Armed with a helicopter and a team of mercenaries that all have different uses you must complete these objectives. It utilises a very simple point and click technique but gives you the ability to use the keyboard for more advanced users. There is an infinite amount of replayability in the game with different modifiers that you can add as well as mods that are able to be downloaded to change the game.
The visuals of the game are very basic but add to charm of the game. Each city uses the same textures for buildings and nothing feels unique in each city but that doesn’t matter as they are all laid out differently. Zombies are shown as pink dots and the humans as yellow dots which is very basic but adds to the fact that it is a strategy game and does not rely on these visuals. Everything is brightly coloured so that it is easy to see quickly, for example, which units are which or distinguishing who are zombies and who aren’t.
The story of AZS is very simple, zombies have started taking over in the Buenos Aires area and you must command a group of mercenaries in order to save as many people as possible. The story does not really develop much from that point but there are a lot of mini stories that are scattered throughout the game in the style of a comic with pictures and text. These are related to what is happening and sometimes does not make sense but is very comical which is the way that the game is leaning towards.
Hammerfight
Hammerfight has a very unique control system. The main movement is done using the mouse with the keyboard only really being used for secondary systems such as your shield or changing weapons. You must swing your mouse around in a circle to make the weapons swing around but this also moves your “vessel” so takes a lot of practice to master. This makes this game not ideally suited for non-experienced gamers but is a lot of fun once it has been mastered. The gameplay takes place around destroying enemies that you are fighting using this very unique fighting style.
The visuals in the game are very simple but also quite gloomy and dark. The majority of the textures are either rock, metal or wood but with these it creates an entire world that is believable and stunning. Everything flows with very realistically such as banners as you spin your “vessel” around or banners flowing with the wind, things like this add to the believability of the game.
The game follows a continuous story line which is very easy to follow and includes lots of dialogue and cut scenes which gives the game a lot of depth. It is a very basic story of clans fighting each other with the use of these special “vessels” that have many different weapons and shields on them. It has a very medieval feel with a bit of a modern twist with these flying machines. The story is rich and contains plenty of plot which makes it even more enjoyable.
Minecraft
Minecraft is the highest selling Indie game of all time and there is a reason for this. It’s simple. It’s easy to pick up and play but still has enough for experienced gamers to learn and do in the game. It is also infinite and every world is uniquely generated which gives an infinite replayability. The addition of multiplayer means you can share your creations with your friends as well as build new ones with them. The objective of the game is....nothing. You are in a world where you can mine or dig up blocks and then place them to create your own house or anything else you want, you can make tools and find better materials to create more items. The controls are not overly complicated and can be picked up very easily.
The first thing you notice about Minecraft is the graphics, everything is based on straight edged cubes but each of these blocks have different properties and is the basis for the whole game. There is a lot of nice shading and lighting features that give a sense of realism to the game but the block world is a part of the charm of Minecraft and has spawned many internet jokes and catchphrases based on it.
Minecraft has no story, the only thing we know is that the character you play has arrived in a brand new world and we need to survive against monsters. This in no way makes the game bad as the infinite amount that you can do with it has led to the creation of stories and adventures made by players in the world.
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