We are back after a one week hiatus. It is E3’s fault entirely, not my poor time management skills. I am blameless.
As usual, I hunt around for indie games that I feel deserve a good look. I’ve seen and tried out some absolute gems in the last few weeks, and this week is no different. I still can’t seem to get a weekly theme going, though – well, other than, “these games look awesome!” That will do for the time being.
I’d love to check out more awesome indie games. If you have or know of a project that looks great, drop me a shout on Twitter. I do most of my hunting there.
B3: Beep Boop Bot
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Developer: Psycho Robot Studios
Platform: PC, Mac, Linux
Release Date: TBD
Available via: Facebook Page
I have already mentioned my love for shoot ‘em ups on our last visit. One particular shoot ‘em up subgenre that I particularly love is the twin-stick shooter. Games like Robotron 2084, Smash TV, and Super Stardust rank among my all-time favorites. Psycho Robot Studios’ B3: Beep Boop Bot seems to harness all the things that make those classics awesome. I tried the demo out for the game and, apart from a couple of minor issues, I think it’s pretty good. While it controls with a keyboard and mouse rather than two sticks, the game demo I played maintains the twin-stick feel quite well.
The player controls Beep Boop Bot (BBB), an out-of-date robot who has been called on to protect a space station from a gaggle of evil bots. Gameplay is pretty straightforward. You navigate BBB around arena-style levels, taking out any attacking robots. The attackers emerge from generators and will continue spawning until you destroy the generators. Occasionally, the enemy robots will drop special weapons that you can pick up and use. When enough enemy robots are dispatched, the level boss will appear. Take the boss down and you move on to the next level. Between levels, BBB can be upgraded.
The demo I tried out plays pretty well. B3 has a Gauntlet-meets-Robotron feel to it. The enemy bots come in waves, and ignoring the generators they emerge from will ensure that you get overwhelmed by their sheer numbers. Though the action is not very fast-paced, it does get pretty hectic. There’s a good variety of enemy bots to combat, and the special weapons you pick up really help clear out a room, though they feel a bit overpowered sometimes.
My concerns are minimal. Some concerns, like generators not being destroyed and enemy bots all exploding with the same muted puff, are all things I can deal with in a demo. The overall presentation does lack some polish, and as I’m playing I start to wish there was a bit more speed to all the movements. Again, these are minor and can be worked out. The great thing is that Psycho Robot Studios has been listening to feedback from testers and reviewers and is really working hard to get this game dialed in. Updated screenshots seem to put some of my concerns with the visuals to bed, and a final demo is planned for release to testers that addresses many other things.
B3: Beep Boop Bot has been Greenlit on Steam, but does not have a firm release date as of yet. Their Facebook page is regularly updated with the game’s status, and a demo can be downloaded from there. I highly recommend that you try this game out.
Grave Danger
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Developer: JB Gaming
Platform: PC, Wii U, Xbox One, PS4
Release Date: October 31, 2016 (PC), January 16, 2017 (consoles)
Available via: Website
Grave Danger is an action puzzle platformer that reminds me of a 2D Trine. And I’m totally okay with that.
The player is in control of three characters, each with special abilities. There is Dante the cowboy, a gun-toting badass who can climb up walls vertically; Malice the reaper, a sickle-carrying skeleton who floats across gaps and chasms; and Elliot the wizard, who looks like a palette-swapped black mage from Final Fantasy and has the power of elevation along with a double jump.
The key in the game, much like Trine, is to swap between the characters in order to navigate through the world and its myriad puzzles. The story is thin as of this writing, but the looks like it’ll be a ton of fun. The sharp 2D visuals and animation, great sound design, and awesome gameplay potential lead up to a game I most definitely want to take for a spin.
Grave Danger will be hitting Steam Greenlight and Kickstarter simultaneously on July 18th. I’m really digging it and will be in line to support them!
Friday the 13th
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Developer: Gun Media
Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4
Release Date: Fall 2016
Available via: Website
This is cheating. I am not apologizing for it because this should be the dream for every indie developer who wants to make a kick-ass game.
The story behind this game’s inception is the stuff of fantasy. The Digital Crack crew covered the details of the game’s inception in an interview with Gun Media’s Randy Greenback. The TL:DR version: Gun Media began work on Summer Camp, an asymmetric multiplayer game pitting seven camp counselors against a slasher killer. The game’s concept was homage to the Friday the 13th franchise’s premise. It was so similar, in fact, that Sean Cunningham, the director of the original movies, offered them the license with no upfront cost. That, and the assistance of famed makeup effects artist Tom Savini and the beastly Kane Hodder, who played as Jason Voorhees in later films, led to the game as it is now.
After a very successful Kickstarter and a campaign of stretch goals that have added much more content to the game, expectations were high. It was the E3 release of gameplay footage, however, that sent Friday the 13th aficionados like me into the stratosphere. This game is true to the franchise’s roots, and the callbacks to the classic movies are everywhere. As awesome as it must be to play as Jason, seeing the gameplay from a counselor’s point of view in the demo is what really cemented it for me. There’s nothing like the dread fear you feel when Jason is stalking you.
This game is an example of what I would love for all great indie games to achieve. Games like B3: Beep Boop Bot and Grave Danger may not have the hook that Friday the 13th has, but greater exposure will bring out the fans that are looking for the kind of gameplay they offer. I think all the games I write aboutare great, and want them to succeed equally. That’s why I love writing about them. If I can spread the word and get these games in the hands of gamers, I’m happy.
And if I can outlast Jason in this game, I’ll demand a medal!
