Enemy 585 is a puzzle-platformer game by Nitrome.The player's role is as a movable platform, helping to guide the last remaining henchman safely through levels.
Summary of analysis
Interesting but somewhat ineffective new player experience, challenging gameplay experience with potential replayability for optional objectives, simple and effective interface and controls, appeasing graphics, satisfying background music and sounds.
Tutorial/New player experience
There are a number of tutorial elements that will help the player master new skills in order to progress, though they're easily missed given that they're pop-up dialogue boxes that occur during active gameplay. Thankfully, it's easy enough to figure out the basics of the game through trial and error.
Gameplay experience
Reflexes and spatial reasoning are the most important things in progressing within the game. The player's block character has various shapes that will need to be manipulated in order to pursue completion of levels as well as the optional objectives or coins or time scores.
Interface & Controls
Keyboard directional controls and space bar rotation control scheme. There are tracking interface elements in addition to the level completion summary window, but nothing particularly distracting during gameplay moments.
Graphics
The game features an interesting graphical style that's fun, even though it's a little difficult to empathize with Enemy 585 given a complete lack of emotive capaqcity, though the platform will show moments of it when bearing the weight of the henchman.
Music & Sound
There's background musics reminiscent of Nintendo Entertainment System era video games, both well done and nostalgic for those old enough to have played on the system. The sound effects are also quite effectively accomplished in aiding the player experience.
Commentary
It's interesting to see a less directly controlled game design. The player has to compete with the challenges present in the environment and the automated movement scheme of the important objective in order to progress and pursue objectives. I would be ecstatic to see more user reviews and be able to study the specific player demographic appeal of this manner of game in detail.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Game review: Monst
Monst is a point and click adventure game by BeGamer.com.The player's objective is to bring the people out into the open somehow and then scare them.
Summary of analysis
Two-words define the tutorial element: use mouse, simple and disappointing gameplay, mouse controls external links interface, graphics that seem to indicate the game's target audience, decent background music and sound effects.
Tutorial/New player experience
There's very little to learning how to play the game. Click on objects in the game's environment, every level's going to have its own mini-objectives and likely a few decoy objects that do nothing to aid progression.
Gameplay experience
There's very little challenge to this game, just clicking randomly a player is likely to eventually figure out how to accomplish every level's objectives. Personally, I felt it was lacking in entertainment value, but perhaps there is an audience more receptive to the game's themes and gameplay difficulty.
Interface & Controls
Completely mouse-driven control scheme, almost non-existent user-interface.
Graphics
Judging from the game's graphics, I'd say the game is most likely meant for a much younger audience. The characters are virtually caricatures and there is an overarching cartoon-style theme.
Music & Sound
The background music is okay and there are plenty of entertaining sound effects.
Commentary
It's always a little difficult to go about reviewing games which seem to be designed for a very different target audience than oneself. Possibly the best way to go about such a thing is to have access to someone that fits the game's demographic, watch them play it and ask them a few simple questions about their gameplay experience later. Trying to get into an alternate mind-set is another way to attempt to give an audience-fair review, but it is still likely to be merely an interpretation from one's point of view.
Had I to guess, I'd estimate the game's appeal would be best with an audience pre-grade school based on the complexity of the games that my nephews and nieces are playing at slightly older ages than my guess. But then again, perhaps there's also an appeal with a much different mindset than my own and one should never underestimate the value of a low difficulty game after stressful days.
Summary of analysis
Two-words define the tutorial element: use mouse, simple and disappointing gameplay, mouse controls external links interface, graphics that seem to indicate the game's target audience, decent background music and sound effects.
Tutorial/New player experience
There's very little to learning how to play the game. Click on objects in the game's environment, every level's going to have its own mini-objectives and likely a few decoy objects that do nothing to aid progression.
Gameplay experience
There's very little challenge to this game, just clicking randomly a player is likely to eventually figure out how to accomplish every level's objectives. Personally, I felt it was lacking in entertainment value, but perhaps there is an audience more receptive to the game's themes and gameplay difficulty.
Interface & Controls
Completely mouse-driven control scheme, almost non-existent user-interface.
Graphics
Judging from the game's graphics, I'd say the game is most likely meant for a much younger audience. The characters are virtually caricatures and there is an overarching cartoon-style theme.
Music & Sound
The background music is okay and there are plenty of entertaining sound effects.
Commentary
It's always a little difficult to go about reviewing games which seem to be designed for a very different target audience than oneself. Possibly the best way to go about such a thing is to have access to someone that fits the game's demographic, watch them play it and ask them a few simple questions about their gameplay experience later. Trying to get into an alternate mind-set is another way to attempt to give an audience-fair review, but it is still likely to be merely an interpretation from one's point of view.
Had I to guess, I'd estimate the game's appeal would be best with an audience pre-grade school based on the complexity of the games that my nephews and nieces are playing at slightly older ages than my guess. But then again, perhaps there's also an appeal with a much different mindset than my own and one should never underestimate the value of a low difficulty game after stressful days.
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