Post by Iggy on Nov 15, 2011 16:32:47 GMT
Overall Score: 9/10
Playthrough: 8-9 hours
Genre: Action-Adventure
Price: £11.49 (steam)
Developer: Supergiant Games
As a nice start I'll explain that no, I haven't played it on the Xbox Live Arcade, for I like to keep my soul as opposed to using that forsaken-pit of 11 year old CoD players. I'm playing the PC edition and I can say I was immediately pleasantly surprised, in that it didn't feel like a poor quality port. That said however, It doesn't really do much to develop on the typical Hack&Slash action formula, with enemies pouring in in generous amounts to fall to your Ranged attacks/ Ridiculously oversized hammer. Asides from that, its set in a gloriously designed pseudo-Steampunk fantasy world, which is as interesting to explore as worlds get, and somehow manages to be strikingly pretty, if it wasn't for the blocky edges of the map which look a little tacky.
My main compliment for the game however is its narration, which I was incredibly curious about, I mean, how can you narrate a game where the player is in control of what he does? I feared this meant that only key story elements would be narrated, but I was wrong, Supergiant games have elegantly blended the characters actions into the story. The husky tones as the narrator effortlessly drifts through the story as you play are so memorable, in such a way as that they define the game itself making it feel like you're playing a character in this story. He's also one of the best disguised help tip providers I've ever seen, throwing subtle hints on whether you're doing the right or wrong thing.
All in all I'd give this game a solid 9/10 as without nitpicking its a practically flawless example of how to make a story driven top down game. The only thing stopping it achieving higher in my opinion in that it is just a typical top down action game, it does very little to innovate besides a few tiny touches. That said, it is a brilliant example of one, and at £11.49 on steam? I'd say its worth every penny.
