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. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Monolith Review

Image
Roguelite Majesty-A  Monolith Review Monolith is a blatant hidden gem, and a concept I haven't seen done much recently. Yes, it is a roguelite, the superhero movie genre of video games, but it employs mechanics from most modern bullet hell space shooters to create a more unique experience.  You are a little spaceship in search of exploring the procedurally generated vault of levels to reach the end and obtain the power that lies within the monolith. Ain't much more than that, and what else is needed? Claustrophobic Combat The game has a great sense of space, forcing you to make split second decisions and rely partially on your instincts. As you improve, you learn to utilize all of the space you've been given, no matter how tiny the room. By shrinking the scope of the playable screen, combat is always active and keeps you focused through an entire run.  Couple this combat with expert visual design and a killer soundtrack, and each combat encounter is both a
Read more

Exo One Review

Image
  Missing the Mark-An Exo One Review Previously I really enjoyed these sort of open ended and abstract experiences, specifically Giant Squid's Abzû and its great sense of aquatic atmosphere. Having not played many of the other examples of the genre, namely Flower and Journey, I decided to check out the newly released Exo One from Exbleative to make a return back into these types of games.  Misreading the Room Ultimately, Exo One falls short of capturing the essence of what made these games engaging enough to enjoy. Looking to Abzû, there was an emphasis of smooth and coherent movement-you could kick your flippers through the water rhythmically to gain speed or grab onto animals and use their unique features to ride through the water. Exo One has a similar sense of momentum, as you turn into a ball to roll down slopes then transfer out into a disc to fly forward at maximum speed.  And this deeply satisfying, however, this is all Exo One ever does for the entire playthrough, and fai
Read more

The Importance of Itch.io

Image
  The Importance of Itch.io In following the recent events surrounding Apple and Epic Games and their battle for revenue shares , I wanted to take some time to examine what I deem the most influential marketplace for indie games of the 21st century, and that site goes by the name of itch.io. What Exactly Is Itch.io? Essentially, Itch.io is comprised of a similar makeup of other games marketplaces-think steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, etc.-yet it operates in a much more developer friendly manner (we will touch on specifics later). While other marketplaces claim to support their developers, the people who literally provide the content hosted on their services, many hold the grueling industry standards for things like revenue shares. On March 3, 2013, owner Leaf Corcoran launched the site in direct competition with the massive overlords of the industry. While not entirely the same, Itch.io specifically holds its niche in selling indie games and hosting game jams, the small little upstart st
Read more