Dropsy (Review)

Source: Cashmoneys
Price: £6.99
Where To Get It: Steam

All you need is love. Well, that and deciphering how to make people happy. This is the world of Dropsy the Clown, who teaches not to judge by appearances, and to be a lovely person. After all, Dropsy may look frightening, but he’s got a heart of gold. And a dog. I mean, you can’t ignore the – Okay, fine, let’s talk about the game he’s in…

Sometimes, the game can appear (and be) dark. But there's a light...

Sometimes, the game can appear (and be) dark. But there’s a light…

Dropsy is a point and click adventure that reminds me of classics like Coktel’s Gobliiins (multiple i’s deliberate), where interactions are mostly simple, but some puzzles take a bit of thought. Certain things may confuse the first time player, used to other genres. The map is just that, a map. It’s not a teleporting map, like some games. Just a map. Dialogue and writing appears mostly gibberish, but that’s because paying attention to the dialogue bubbles is what’s important. And knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your two characters, Dropsy and his pup, are important. But enough about play, because this game is definitely a game working more on feelings than mechanics. And my, it definitely does that.

Funnily enough, it’s Dropsy I feel most ambivalent about. He wobbles as he walks, farts, hugs, and smiles his way through life, and I feel a little ill watching him. Not because he’s horrid… But because that wobbling walk just affects me that way. Your mileage may vary there. Music wise, sad saxophones, vibrant vibraphones, silly xylophones… They all work together to set moods, and the moods chosen are pretty good for where they are. The saxophone, for example, dominates Downtown, where a lady waits for her prince charming on a doorstep, a bouncer fistbumps his friends, a beggar waits for change, and… It feels like a vibrant, if downtrodden city block. The characters, similarly, show their character and expression freely, from the glum ladies on the front step of their house, to the child who runs screaming (Did I mention Dropsy was blamed for a fire that destroyed the circus? Maybe I should have, although he’s not really to blame.)

...Because sometimes, you can make someone's world better.

…Because sometimes, you can make someone’s world better.

Is the game perfect? Oh, heck no. Some of the puzzles are a little obtuse, Dropsy’s walk animation makes me verrry uncomfortable, but the core message behind the game shines through in many senses, and that message is: Everyone deserves hugs and love if they want it, and it can be easily offered. But I’ve fallen in love with this snaggle toothed clown, and good lord, if I had the chance, I’d give the guy a hug myself.

In short, it oozes character, and language becomes less important. Except the language of giving, and hugging. It feels slow at times, but if you’re good with that, I’m definitely good with that. If you like Point N Click that’s simple to play, but tough to work out (at times), then this may well be for you.

<3 Huuuuuuug! <3 … Y’know, if you want one.

Become a Patron!

20XX (Early Access Review)

Source: Review Copy
Price: £8.99
Where To Get ItSteam
Other Reviews: Release

20XX is a very important year. In that one year, a robotic hero fought many evil robots, many a time, and achieved many great things. Not as many as Astro Boy, though. 20XX is also a procedurally platformer inspired by the Mega Man series, which moved to its beta stage on the 15th of this month. So… How the heck is it?

Don't get close to Terror Spider. If the Gravwave doesn't get you, the bomb-spiders will!

Don’t get close to Terror Spider. If the Gravwave doesn’t get you, the bomb-spiders will!

Not bad, actually! You might feel a little discouraged by the slightly amateurish looking heroine and hero robots (Nina [Megaman style], who is your default character, and Ace [Protoman style], the red dude), but everything about this game reminds a player pretty hard of a MegaMan game… Until they run across those all important differences. Make no mistake, this is a game with elements of roguelike design. But for those who never played a MegaMan game, let’s keep this simple.

You are a robot, fighting other (presumably evil) robots for (presumably good) reasons. The other robots, thankfully, are not very good at logistics, and have left all sorts of crates and goodies around that might help you, from bolts (Currency), to items (Boost your stats), to entirely new systems compatible with all robots (Weapons and special abilities). You run, dash, jump, wallhop, and shoot your way through levels, fighting a pattern based boss monster at the end of each, get a reward for each level you clear, and pick one of three other bosses from a number of choices to fight next (Each preferring a certain kind of stage). You die once, that’s it, start again from the beginning. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, because collecting “Soul Bolts” during play unlocks more things to grab between runs. The beta even has “Casual” mode, which… Starts you with 3 items, as opposed to none. More helpful than nothing, considering the variety of items.

There is quite a variety of items... And it may take a while to get them all.

There is quite a variety of items… And it may take a while to get them all.

The game recommends a gamepad, and I’d mainly agree, if only because it otherwise means rejigging an odd (But workable) set of keybinds. The game tutorialises pretty well, so the main thing to deal with is how it feels to play.

Most of it actually feels alright, although it does seem as though levels are balanced more for Nina than Ace, and her alternate weapon modes seem better balanced overall. Most of the time, there are multiple paths to your exit, the enemies scale pretty well, and the weapons are interesting, even if they sometimes feel overpowered. The experience could be better in places, however. While there are some things you can avoid, others generate a little harder than they should for the level they’re on. A single disappearing block going in and out quickly between two deadly flowers? That’s mean. However, for the price being asked, it’s not a bad game, with a fair amount of replay value coming from the generation. There are only three “worlds” right now (A foundry, an ice stage, and an air/jungle stage), but there’s enough variation to keep you busy (For example, the foundry stage can have fire blasters, lava pits, and various different enemy types, not all of which will appear the first time round.) Aesthetically… I honestly preferred the earlier version of Frostor, aesthetic wise, but I can understand the decision to make it easier to read. As to the boss battles, in true MegaMan fashion, they’re pattern based, so once you understand the pattern, it’s a case of… Well, not getting caught in it.

The blue bloom is there for a reason. It's to let you know this thing has a better chance of killing you than any of its similar kindred. Doesn't mean I'm overly fond of it, however...

The blue bloom is there for a reason. It’s to let you know this thing has a better chance of killing you than any of its similar kindred. Doesn’t mean I’m overly fond of it, however…

Importantly for a procedurally generated game, it doesn’t often feel unfair. It does every now and again, but since it’s currently in the beta stage of Early Access, I’m willing to say that’s subject to change. So if you like action platformers with some roguelike elements, this is worth at least a look.

The Mad Welshman swung his Energy Saber, ponytail flying in the wind. The robots of Good woul- Oh, wait, he was a villain in this wo- [BEW bew bew bew bew… ]

Become a Patron!

Edge of Space (Review)

Source: Early Access Purchase
Price: £10.99 (£8.02 until 24 Sept 2015)
Where To Get It: Steam

At times, it’s hard to say what you think about Edge of Space. Right now, for example, it’s close to the beginning of the game, and I’m talking to a shark with a jetpack and a high pitched voice, who’s afraid of not-Metroids, while trying to build a base out of dirt and magical sandbox game powers. I mean… What do you say to that? If that was part of a normal conversation, would you be surprised if people who could overhear would edge away slowly? But such is the world of Edge of Space, which is less about world building, and more about building, in a world.

The Exodus. A tragic day... And those who were most affected were unaware...

The Exodus. A tragic day… And those who were most affected were unaware…

Similarly, it’s not quite useful to talk about Edge of Space as a “sandbox” game, because that’s a genre that already has a wide variety of different approaches, even some to do with the whole “Building a home” part. And Edge of Space definitely has a difference there, in the form of “command control.” A base isn’t truly considered yours until it’s not only constructed, but powered, and so… You’re never truly safe going down the layers of the shattered world of Achoa until your next base down is truly ready. It’s an odd choice, but not necessarily a bad one. Especially since death is by no means a permanent problem. In fact, this is both the curse and blessing of Edge of Space: That it truly experiments.

For example, what you can build mostly depends, not on blueprints, but on using your experience of this hostile world (Even if it comes from digging tiles) to expand your repertoire. Sometimes this will mean you learn you need a resource before you ever encounter it, but it’s an interesting way of doing things, and I actually kind of like it, considering you can focus where you want to, for the most part. Resource collection, however, is… Not really a pain because of speed, but because there’s a high chance you’ll have to look around for enough of a certain resource. I thought I’d lucked out in my main review run, because I’d found lots of titanium, uranium, and aluminium within easy reach, but then I realised… “Ah, crap. I’m actually aiming for Explorer armour, which uses Biomass as one of its main components.” Also Protoleaves, Protoroots, Protocellulose, and Protoseeds. Which are found in five completely different types of block or terrain feature.

Home Sweet Home (#1 out of 20)

Home Sweet Home (#1 out of 20)

As you might have guessed, your inventory will fill up quite quickly. Progression is basically a case of “Build a base. Store things in it. Get good enough armour and kit to go deeper, build another base, transfer stuff you think is important between them. Rinse, lather, repeat.” It’s a relatively slow paced game. Go too far down, and not only is there a chance of dying to increasingly aggressive creatures, there’s a chance of dying to the increased radiation, the closer you get to the core.

Similarly, if you’re looking for story in your sandbox, expect to have to piece it together. You start off knowing only that the world is called Achoa, you are a member of ArkCo, and that the ship you were on got attacked while leaving Earth. You’ll occasionally find zombie ex crew members, and start piecing together both this strange world you’re on (Where there is atmosphere, but the land is somewhat shattered, and the atmosphere gets worse the lower you go), and perhaps the story of what really happened.

Overall, this one’s a game for the patient. It’s not unfriendly to new players (Although keybinds will confuse first timers), the difficulty curve is dependent on how far you push versus what you’ve got (So is mostly under your control), there are some interesting events and places if you’re willing to hunt for them, but it’s definitely not for those who like a quick start, or want to feel attached to a single area. People who are likely to yell “BUT THAT’S SILLY!” at jetpack sharks with lasers, plants that fire plasma balls if you hit them with energy weapons, and other, stranger creatures, may also wish to give this one a miss. They’ll be missing out on something interesting, but I understand people have different ideas of “interesting” versus “silly”.

Oh, research trees... I admit, I have a weakness for them. Especially when they're unlocked by doing what I'm meant to do.

Oh, research trees… I admit, I have a weakness for them. Especially when they’re unlocked by doing what I’m meant to do.

I happen to find jetpack sharks with lasers on a world like Achoa relatively reasonable.

The Mad Welshman smiled as his rocks, mud, clay, and assorted junk was turned into many, many useful ferrosilicate building blocks. “Truly,” he thought “We live in the most advanced age!”

And then he shot a jelly, because it was annoying him.

Become a Patron!