I’ve been away from Indie Game Lookout for too long. Granted, a hospital got in the way, but I’m better than that!
I’ve given up on finding a theme for this series. I’ll simply focus on good indie games and leave it at that. As always, hit me up on Twitter if you know of any indie games you think are worthy of attention.
Hive Jump
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Developer: Graphite Lab
Platform: PC
Release Date: Jul 20, 2016
Available via: Steam
Some have said this game is “Contra meets Spelunky.” I think “Contra meets Starship Troopers” is a more apt comparison. And I mean that in the absolute best sense.
Hive Jump pits up to four players in an online co-op 2D run-and gun fight against a horde of aliens that look very bug-like, hence the Starship Troopers reference. It’s the 24th century, and players assume the roles of members of the J.U.M.P. Corps, an outfit tasked with defending humanity against the aliens.
Everything about this game screams twitch gaming. With four players on-screen, the action is frenetic and does not look to abate. Enemies come at you from all angles, and your characters can shoot in a full 360º arc, which is very useful. The game boasts procedural levels, online co-op, customizable equipment, and daily & weekly challenges, so there is enough variety to keep you playing. And the action is akin to a testosterone-fueled shooter fantasy. I mean, shit is flying EVERYWHERE!
The game looks absolutely brilliant. Its 16-bit visual aesthetic gives me an SNES vibe that I love, like Super Metroid times 20. The action is silky-smooth, with no graphical glitches or framerate hiccups, which is perfect when the screen is full of enemies and enemy & friendly fire. Everything sounds impressive as well. The presentation, overall, is superb.
If you have an itch for shooting a wave of huge bugs in the face, Hive Jump will definitely satisfy your urge. It’s available now via Steam Early Access, and I’m jumping on as soon as I finish typing!
Scorn
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Developer: Ebb Software
Platform: PC
Release Date: TBD
Available via: Developer Website
I don’t know what to make of this game, but it’s gross…and I love it!
I would normally eschew talking about a game like this because its trailers have nothing that qualifies as real gameplay footage. But…I mean…LOOK at it!
This game showcases everything that is right with H.R Giger artwork and the Unreal Engine and packages it into an experience that can be called nothing but DISTURBING! I’m not a squeamish person, but looking through their trailer made me want to stop eating the sub I was scarfing on before I hit play. If I had to attach a word to this game, it would be “unnerving.”
The game boasts an open-ended survival-horror world, and it just throws you in there with nothing but your wits to guide you. And by the looks of it, it’s a very gory world. Seriously, this world is NOT for the faint of heart. With all the exposed organs and flesh on display, people with weak stomachs need not apply. There is no hint of real of gameplay, but the world itself is telling the whole story behind the game. If and when the gameplay is shown, I would hope that it matches the gore that is visible in the trailers.
If I ever wanted a game to live up to its hype, it’s with Scorn. I may spend half of my gameplay hiding behind my door frame, but I want it to horrify me as much as the presentation did!
Never Ending Night: Knight’s Saga
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Developer: Dot Dream Studios
Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4
Release Date: September 2016 on Steam; TBD on Xbox One, PS4
Available via: Steam
Full Disclosure: Digital Crack Network received an alpha version for bug testing and feedback. Dot Dream Studios used said feedback to make changes to the game. We didn’t make the game, but we influenced it.
When Never Ending Night released on September 30th, 2015, it did so to no fanfare. The game had been successfully Kickstared and released almost anonymously, drowned out by all the noise that is Steam’s front page. Its original incarnation was bug ridden and broken, but the folks at Dot Dream listened to the criticisms and fine-tuned the game until it was free of its initial bugaboos. The game was a visual and aural treat, focusing on the trials of Cain and his companion, MLBY, as they tried to discover who they were and what their purpose was in the barren world they found themselves in. Despite the premise and presentation, it was still anonymous in Steam.
In the Kickstarter, a second quest – Knight’s Saga – was mentioned. The quest would reside in the same world as Never Ending Night but focus on one of Cain’s adversaries in the game, the Knight. Whereas the base game is about exploration and puzzle-solving, Knight’s Saga is about hacking and slashing your way to the truth.
The one thing both games share is the absolutely beautiful presentation. The graphical style looks minimalist but conveys much of the darkness the world gives out. Aurally, the score is very moody and atmospheric. It’s like New Age on steroids! Kudos to the development team for giving the world itself a personality. You can almost FEEL the dread in the game!
Knight’s Saga takes that dread and pushes it up a few notches. No longer a silent witness to the dread, the player now has the ability to put sword to flesh and affect it directly. Knight’s Saga is a 2D action platformer where you are constantly tested. Many enemies exist for no other reason than to chop the player up into pieces. And the bosses…let’s just say that players will spew curse words as they encounter them. They are imposing, and they are quite deadly.
Never Ending Nights: Knight’s Saga is two different experiences for the price of one. The base game is available on Steam now; the Knight’s Saga expansion will be available on September. For those that like their games atmospheric and painful, this is a game that will ring all of your bells!
