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Exit
Posted by Xorthaul Barriath 
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It's not too often these days that you find a puzzle-focused game that doesn't feature blocks, triangles or some sort of gem. When they do come around they can be great, as in the case of something like ICO or even The Sands of Time. Exit stands to make a case amongst these classics, combining puzzle solving with side-scrolling platforming. But while the game can provide a fun puzzle-solving experience in both theory and practice, it has enough quirks to keep from ranking it amongst the greats.
The basic premise of the game is that you're to help trapped victims escape buildings that are burning down, frying with electricity and are otherwise very nasty environments. As Mr. ESC, an escapologist (that's a real word, by the way), you need to navigate a two-dimensional building, find all of the various persons trapped within and have them help you find others and escape.
There are some rather simple puzzle and platforming elements at play here, like pushing boxes, jumping over ledges and such, but the most interesting stuff has to do with the abilities, and inabilities, of the people you need to save. Children, teenagers, adults and patients are all scattered about, each with their own shortcomings and skills that you'll have to take advantage of to finish each area. Children, for example, can't jump over gaps and need your help getting up and down platforms, but they're able to crawl through very short tunnels and walk over weight-restricted blocks. Adults aren't very agile and can't climb boxes and such without help, but they can push the larger boxes on their own. Patients are the biggest problem of course as you'll need to either carry them or cart them via a gurney. So again, managing and utilizing the strengths of each victim is key to the gameplay, and it generally works very well.
Now, while using each person's strengths is cool, there are a few problems with their AI. The computer folks sometimes have a problem figuring out how to correctly follow you. For example, if you head down a ladder and they're closer to another one, they might take that ladder instead just to stay on the same level as you. The problem here is when there's a wall, large gap or otherwise in-between the two of you, which is very often the case. And though you can issue commands to people, they sometimes get confused if they need to do more than one thing to complete the task. Telling an adult to jump over a gap and then push a box might work, but telling them to move down a ladder and then push a box might not. You first need to tell them to climb to the bottom of the ladder, and then push the box. It's not an experience killer, but it can be a little annoying.
One of the biggest mixed experiences in Exit has to do with the platforming elements, or specifically, the related character control. The game very heavily borrows the original Prince of Persia control scheme where you move from invisible block to invisible block, jumps must be planned and most every movement requires stopping and then executing. You can't just walk up stairs, you have to stop walking in front of them, press to climb and then watch Mr. ESC ascend. And if you change your mind, you have to wait for him to get all the way to the top before you turn him around.
While this sort of control scheme worked well in 1989, it feels quite awkward in 2006. It feels as if you're constantly giving over control to the animation routines, and as good as they are, it can be frustrating. Luckily the game's focus is on the puzzle elements and platforming-heavy levels are few and far between, but even the most puzzle-centric levels feature a fair amount of platforming and navigation, requiring you to sit through numerous stair climbs, ladder ascends, stop-and-jump routines and more. And if you happen to mis-time a jump at the wrong point in Mr. ESC's animation routine, you'll have to start all over again.
Aside from the awkward controls, another thing we had problems with was the amount of trial-and-error levels towards the later sections of the game. While you have access to an overview map, it's very rudimentary and only gives you an idea of how things are laid out. And since you can only scroll a certain distance from your character, you'll have a hard time planning out your attack for the level as you can't see everything at once. There are many times where you'll push a box, only to find out that you need to wait until you've gotten past where it's headed before you have someone else push it. Once things like this are done, there's no going back, so you have to restart the level over again and start from scratch. Unfortunately, these trial-and-error tasks really build on each other later in the game, so if you think you've solved one thing correctly, you might realize you still haven't done it right and need to start over yet again because, as mentioned, there's rarely ever any going back.
Visually-speaking, Exit is a fascinating game. The levels and objects are somewhat cell-shaded and rather cartoony in nature, but the characters are a very odd, yet extremely cool, mix of flat black with white highlights to point out their limbs. The character design is something we honestly think we've never seen before, and it's awesome. Matching that, the animation in the game is simply fantastic. Though Mr. ESC has the most robust animation set, every character moves with liquid fluidity and looks about as natural yet stylish as possible. Cool animations like when Mr. ESC changes direction mid-run and skids out and crouches while turning is perfect. We wish we had more control over Mr. ESC during these animation routines, but if we're forced to watch him do something for a second on his own, we're glad everything looks this good.
One last very notable thing is that even though the game ships with 10 levels that each contain 10 stages (for 100 puzzles total), you have the ability to download new levels online. An in-game Network option allows you to snag new content that Taito has put online and take on new challenges. As of this writing, only the first level (with 10 stages) was available. After a quick play through, it seemed that some of the stages weren't quite finished yet as the required finishing times seemed way too short to actually complete the areas, but hopefully this'll be fixed. Regardless, there's more content coming in the future, evident by the "coming soon" levels listed on the download page.
Closing Comments
Exit is a rather mixed bag. In theory, and even in practice, the person-centric puzzles are laid out nicely and can really challenge your noggin towards the late stages of the game. But at the same time, there's a whole lot of trial-and-error going on here. Add in the awkward old-school controls and things can be quite frustrating. As a bonus though, the look and animation quality is stellar and downloadable content should keep you going for some time. |
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Every Extend Extra
Posted by Xorthaul Barriath
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The original Lumines made quite an impression on mobile audiences. It offered a splendid mix of addictive gameplay and infectious tunes. For a while, it sat proudly atop the rest of its PSP brethren as the best of the best. No other puzzler came close. Ever since then, developer Q Entertainment has planned to outdo itself, primarily with the direct sequel to Lumines, titled Lumines II. But it also has other titles in development craving their own time in the spotlight.
One of these games, titled Every Extend Extra, offers a wholly different experience. Where Lumines and its sequel adhere to the basic Tetris formula, Every Extend Extra is an action puzzle hybrid. It plays a lot like an arcade title in that regard, only it offers an experience far deeper than the average twitch fest. A player needs to think ahead and plan every move and motion, not just run in guns blazing. Do that and it's curtains in a matter of seconds in Every Extend Extra. So what kind of puzzle game actually lets a player go in guns blazing? Not many, but this one certainly does. Though it's closer to running in with bombs blazing, since Every Extend Extra is all about explosions.
Players actually control a little ship, which actually looks more like a three-dimensional compass. They move it around with the thumbstick and detonate it when close to enemy ships. The goal is to create massive chain reactions. It's not as easy as it sounds. In order to set off a reaction encompassing 40-plus detonations requires a decent amount of skill. But that's where a majority of the satisfaction and depth sits in Every Extend Extra. Having said that, this is where most of the frustration sits, too. As awesome as forming these screen-sweeping explosions can be, Every Extend Extra will brutalize any gamer who can't ascend its learning curve. Anyone can jump in and play for a while, but it takes patience and skill to make it through just half of the game's nine stages.
Nine stages may not sound like a lot, and truthfully, it's not. But for some cosmic reason it satisfies nonetheless. Each one provides such a distinct arena, complete with unique musical tracks and background animations, that moving through the game gives players an actual sense of accomplishment. Each stage also comes with mini-bosses and full-on boss encounters, too, which require players to form chain reactions of a specific count. It's a lot of fun to do so, though the difficulty ramps up incredibly fast. First, a boss calls for a string of five, then a string of 12 and then a string of 30, and so on. Not only that, each boss (and mini-boss) squirts out little balls of energy that make the player's ship explode into a thousand pieces.
Which brings up another point: time. Each stage in Every Extend Extra has a strict time limit. Like everything else in the game, it's a source of frustration and exhilaration. The time constraints force a novice player to jet around wildly, which inevitably ends in death, but seasoned players know just how to maximize every second. Until a player finds himself in the seasoned camp, managing time is a serious pain in the ass. The game would be challenging without the time limit, but asking players to increase their time by killing specific enemies lends yet another layer of depth and strategy to the mix. So yes, it blatantly sucks at first, but doing things quickly (and effectively) makes it a better experience in the end.
In addition to the main Arcade mode, players also get a Boss Rush mode, which stacks every boss encounter one on to of the other. There's also Caravan mode, which presents completed stages for the choosing "a la carte" so players can just play their favorites. There's also multiplayer mode, which is as fun, stressful and addicting as the main game. Plus, there's this extra layer of competition. Setting off huge chain reactions adversely affects the opposing player - much like what happens in every competitive puzzle game. It's great fun and a groovy addition to the rest of the game.
Closing Comments
Every Extend Extra does a fine job of mixing arcade action with the depth of a serious puzzle game. It could use more stages, not to mention a greater range of difficulty modes, but these complaints fail to make the game any less appealing. Throw in a collection of catchy tunes and trippy visuals, and Every Extend Extra provides just about everything a puzzle fan could want. |
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Eragon
Posted by Xorthaul Barriath
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Flying a dragon needs to be unquestionably awesome. It's one of those things, just like using a lightsaber or flying a jet. Few game developers get it right, though. Such is the case with the PSP version of Eragon, which is based off the recent fantasy flick released by FOX. It succeeds in a few areas, but overall the thrill of flight action simply never appears. This is especially disconcerting considering the premise of the game, which swaps the swashbuckling action of the console versions for strictly air-centric missions.
Eragon stars not Eragon from the movie, but the dragon, named Saphira. Players take control of the winged creature in a collection of missions. These range from protecting the all-important rider, Eragon, from enemy attack and protecting villages and other noble locations. Players will also spend plenty of time blasting enemies out of the sky with fireballs and fire breath, as well as clearing obstacles from the environment using magic and makeshift bombs. It's not a bad selection of activities, though it could have used a little more variety. Mission objectives aside, the game has other problems that matter far more. The biggest issue is control.
Flying a dragon, or anything else in a videogame, should take priority if flight itself is the main attraction. Sadly, that's not the case in Eragon. Steering Saphira through narrow corridors and ancient vistas should offer a sense of empowerment, but it comes off as slightly aggravating instead. The game has one of those fake ceilings so whenever a player wants to ascend into the clouds they inevitably "crash" into the glass wall and bounce back a little. There's little more someone can do to ruin a game about flight than trap players in a tiny box. And while Eragon's box is long enough (players can soar straight for a good while) they will quickly run into the bottom, sides or top.
Along the same lines, the design of the levels tends to get in the way. Since players aren't given mastery over Saphira through intuitive controls, they'll bump into ridges, outcroppings and other obstructions. It's easy to see that developers tried to solve this somewhat. Players can have Saphira slam on the brakes, for example, letting her turn a little easier. They can also have her reverse course in a matter of seconds by double-tapping the "X" button. Finally, Saphira has a boost ability that comes in handy when needing to travel long distances. But even with all these abilities, the poor lil' dragon still has plenty of problems getting around. Slamming into things is a constant problem. In short, flying in Eragon is never graceful, which is the one thing it needed to be.
Still, the game has a few good ideas. It's possible to swoop in and snatch everything from goats and wolves, to enemy archers other unfortunate folk with Saphira's talons. She can then munch on them to regain health. She can also grab large objects, such as boulders, and go on bombing runs to destroy enemy strongholds and other targets. There's also a collection of magic spells, both offensive and defensive, that come into play in many of Eragon's missions. Also among the positives is the multiplayer mode. As expected, it has a number of dogfight-like match types where players ride their own dragons and blast each other out of the sky. It's possible to use magic during multiplayer too, and it's actually a good bit of fun.
Closing Comments
While fun in short burts, Eragon lacks the wings to really soar. Much of the experience is hampered by shoddy control, and the mission objectives could use more variety. The multiplayer aspect provides plenty of entertainment, though. Plus, torching hordes of enemies and eating goats for health is always fun. |
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PSP Haven © 2007-2008 | All Rights Reserved | Created by Dex
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