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Spouting lava, lava, lava.
An update to a PixelJunk game is nothing new, but while all previous titles in the series received free downloadable tweaks Shooter is the first to get a proper sequel that costs actual money. Perhaps that's understandable; the first game's brevity was its only serious problem, while its gentle puzzling and exploration seemingly offered plenty of room for expansion. This follow-up sees former Nintendo alumnus Dylan Cuthbert and his team at Q-Games attempt to address both issues, with mixed results.
The storytelling remains refreshingly economical. At the game's outset your small yellow craft is swallowed by a giant underground worm straight out of horror-comedy classic Tremors. The beast is hardly the fussiest of eaters, chomping through huge chunks of the surrounding mines, and thus trapping those workers in haz-mat suits who again require rescue via your ship's grappling hook.
From the outset, it's clear that you're in more hazardous territory than in the first game, and not just because your ship is inside a monster's stomach. Enemies are more plentiful and seem to require more shots to dispatch, while the environment itself presents unique dangers. Brush against the undulating fleshy walls and you can temporarily stick, poisoned by a purple substance that dissolves your vessel if you don't submerge in water to wash it off in time. Stalling peristalsis with a well-aimed bomb may provide a route to a new area, but the terrible roar that accompanies it often precipitates a race against reflux; poison or lava will rapidly pour in, forcing a swift exit.
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An update to a PixelJunk game is nothing new, but while all previous titles in the series received free downloadable tweaks Shooter is the first to get a proper sequel that costs actual money. Perhaps that's understandable; the first game's brevity was its only serious problem, while its gentle puzzling and exploration seemingly offered plenty of room for expansion. This follow-up sees former Nintendo alumnus Dylan Cuthbert and his team at Q-Games attempt to address both issues, with mixed results.
The storytelling remains refreshingly economical. At the game's outset your small yellow craft is swallowed by a giant underground worm straight out of horror-comedy classic Tremors. The beast is hardly the fussiest of eaters, chomping through huge chunks of the surrounding mines, and thus trapping those workers in haz-mat suits who again require rescue via your ship's grappling hook.
From the outset, it's clear that you're in more hazardous territory than in the first game, and not just because your ship is inside a monster's stomach. Enemies are more plentiful and seem to require more shots to dispatch, while the environment itself presents unique dangers. Brush against the undulating fleshy walls and you can temporarily stick, poisoned by a purple substance that dissolves your vessel if you don't submerge in water to wash it off in time. Stalling peristalsis with a well-aimed bomb may provide a route to a new area, but the terrible roar that accompanies it often precipitates a race against reflux; poison or lava will rapidly pour in, forcing a swift exit.
Read more...
More...