VVVVVV Review

 











A Look Into Indie History-A VVVVVV Review

Following a recent update fixing some bugs and framerate settings, the first update for VVVVVV in 7 years, I decided now was a better time than ever to go back one of the first indie games I have ever played: VVVVVV. 

Gravity Flipping Platforming

VVVVVV laid the groundwork for building upon simple mechanics, one of my all time favorite ways to design and construct a game. For the entirety of the game, you'll merely move and flip gravity with the level design dictating complexity. 



Some of my favorite moments here were when VVVVVV broke the conventions of a platformer to create these crazy gimmicks (keep in mind that due to age a lot of these have been reused but VVVVVV was the catalyst). Ideas like making the screen wrap around to make puzzles and bouncy floors that flip gravity when you land on them are all over this title, improving the experience by making you switch up your thinking. 


You're tasked with rescuing all the abandoned crewmembers (some crewmates even require you to lead them to rescue, a puzzle in itself) after your ship crashes, as captain you'll flip around this open world and explore linear levels when you find them. Its a great mix of exploration and then focused gameplay that makes VVVVVV stand out. Although it isn't as expansive as the more modern worlds of indie games today, finding all 20 of the hidden trinkets through optional challenges added a nice bit of depth here (as well as some truly masochistic achievements if you're into that). 


Also, in an era now saturated with retro pixel graphics, its always interesting to see how far developers have come in art strides since this game out 11 years ago. Nowadays even the more simple art styles have all sorts of enhancements even in the indie sphere, so looking back is always an interesting prospect. VVVVVV surely won't wow anyone in the graphics department, but its deliberately concise graphical style never leaves you guessing on what is an obstacle and what isn't, a must have for any overtly difficult platformer. 

Speaking of difficulty, there's a great sense of constant. but not overbearing. challenge in VVVVVV. Some areas will test your aptitude more than others sure, but you're meant to encounter any crewmember at any time, resulting in a very consistently difficult yet fair game. I found that going for those aforementioned rare trinkets was just enough to reach the level of difficulty I was looking for. Also I should mention the lack of lives which I feel is a must for these kinds of games, so good on Terry Cavanagh and Simon Roth (yes, this entire game was made by a studio of 2 developers).

Verdict

VVVVVV is more of a museum piece of Indie history than just a game, and for that reason I wont give it some formal number rating. If you want to appreciate indie history and or haven't played it at all-give it a shot for sure. You literally can't go wrong with VVVVVV. 

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