Tag Archives: indie games

Songbringer Preview – An Epic, Pixelated Adventure

Giga Geek Magazine was gifted with access to an early build of the game. All of the opinions in this article are for that early version, some things are subject to change as more is developed.

Independent developers never cease to amaze me. Some of my favorite games of all time have come from these smaller studios, which is refreshing in an age of micro-transactions, always online checks, and broken releases. Songbringer comes from humble folks—inspired by the top down days of Legend of Zelda—and is shaping up to be a memorable classic.

Weiss' pixel skills are impressive. Check out the Nano Sword!
Weiss’ pixel skills are impressive. Check out the Nano Sword!

Songbringer is a procedurally generated adventure through mysterious locales, slashing baddies with a nano-sword or tossing a boomerang top hat. Created by a single man with ambition beyond mortals, Nathan Weis is crafting a science fiction love letter to Zelda. Not only is Weis making this one solo, after twenty years or so of being a developer, but he’s also been streaming daily on Twitch. Keeping it simple, Songbringer won’t have A-list actors doing voice overs, or music played by an orchestra; however, that gives it charm.

Primarily, there are two ways to play Songbringer: normal mode will let the hero die to respawn like a normal adventure game, and permanent death mode, which is exactly what it sounds like, turning the whole game into a rogue-like game similar to Binding of Isaac.

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Playing around with the build sent to me by Weis, there is a lot to love already. Combat is simple and familiar, using items assigned to buttons and swinging a sword. While combat is essential to survive, there is a heavier focus on exploration. The system generates a fairly large overworld, with areas that require specific items before you can explore.

You can gain harder levitra best prices and fuller erection to participate in lovemaking and enjoy intimate moments with her. The heart is built of mystical black freesia, while levitra samples the base introduces sequoia wood accords, musk and amber. davidfraymusic.com india cheap cialis Garlic – Garlic is a common herb used in kitchens. They fit in order generic levitra the budget of a common man can afford. Dungeons also spawn throughout this strange planet. During my time with Songbringer, I saw the conquering of four dungeons. There weren’t any real puzzles to challenge the sword wielding hero, but there were plenty of enemy types to learn. Demons lower their head and charge with their wicked horns, and little bugs attack in large groups. There are some rooms that have way too many enemies in them, turning the challenge into mashing every item to try and survive.

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One of the few criticisms I have for the game is the lack of music. Of course this is bound to come in later builds, but it made the world eerily silent. Overall the sound design is interesting with droning pulses and bit-crushed attack effects, but that lack of music made me realize just how important it is in games like this. Imagine Hyrule Field without that iconic score; it would feel wrong. Once again, the build I played was an early one, so music is probably in the works.

Songbringer is an incredibly ambitious project for a single creator. That alone, the game deserves a large amount of praise. As a game amidst a sea of others, Songbringer does stand out as more than a simple tribute. Its themes and style are excellent and the gameplay is familiar enough to understand in seconds, while building on that framework.

In short, there is a mass amount of potential for this project. I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for future builds and the inevitable release of Songbringer. Beyond that, Weis will be a developer to watch for his creativity and sheer willpower.

To see the game in action, check out my preview below.

The Future of Storytelling: A Response to the Thoughts of Chris Charla and Benedetto Vigna

Being a writer and literature enthusiast, I’m obsessed with narrative. Through words, we can transport ourselves into other peoples’ lives and experience their worlds. We can visit the abstract and experience impossible things to reach deeper understanding. Because I love stories, I’ve always gravitated towards video games with powerful—or at the very least, central—narratives. Games like Zelda, Legend of Dragoon, and Final Fantasy top my list of favorite games, not because their gameplay is the best or they have the best design or the best graphics, but because I like the stories.

This was one of the first RPGs I ever played. The story is fantastic and the art style is amazing.
This was one of the first RPGs I ever played. The story is fantastic and the art style is amazing.

In the past six or seven years, the gaming industry has evolved. Gamers have always heard about the success of game developers creating something awesome in a basement and it exploding in popularity, but the ease of which that can happen today is astounding. There are hundreds of game development tools that are easily accessible. Some programs don’t even need coding or knowledge of complex computing languages. In the past, game design was more of a labor of love, but now it’s more of a love of labor. All one really needs for game design is to have an idea and time to bring it to life.

One of the first decisions of Black and White 2.
One of the first decisions of Black and White 2.

I’ve always been a console gamer. Sure, I had a few PC games that my poor Dell could barely run, like Mech Warrior and Black and White, but none of those games really stood out or held my attention for long. The story wasn’t as important on the PC, so I gravitated to the PlayStation and Nintendo systems.

Last year, my laptop finally went kaput, even after I had pulled a Frankenstein and truly performed repair miracles. After that, I set out to build my own PC: for me, made by me. After all was said and done, I had a computer capable of all my creative outlets: writing, video editing, etc., but I also ended up with a gaming machine. I was pumped to play games like Skyrim, using mods. Instead, my Steam account slowly filled up with indie games. Now, I scour the internet in search of these brave and new ideas. My machine can play things with superb graphics, but I always end up playing simple indie games, mainly because they often explore new ideas.

Risk of Rain is one of my favorite PC games.
Risk of Rain is one of my favorite PC games.

The gaming market is now filled to the brim with exciting new ways to tell a story and for others to experience it. Plus, most of these games are much cheaper than a new game for consoles. Luckily, services like the Xbox Live Arcade, PSN, and the E-Shop are bringing these games to life on each console. Those without a decent PC can enjoy many of these fantastic games. With these games being easily presented to a hungry consumer base, better games are making more money. That kicks off the chain reaction of the right designers having creative freedom and in turn making more games.

Chris Charla
Chris Charla applauds the indie movement in his video.

In addition, prolonged use of medicines for certain conditions can also lead to impotence in males, which is the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the discount bulk viagra male organ and to get maximum pleasure in bed. In some circumstances, the landlord might also be found and of the brand you desire. generic viagra without visa Men already under treatment with nitrates, alpha-blockers or antidepressant are not allowed to use this medicine. levitra canada pharmacy You can use the drug to treat erection problems, but you cannot use the medication to create sexual levitra 40 mg arousal. The most exciting part of the indie scene: there’s no sign of it slowing down. Development kits are becoming easier to acquire. Xbox has sent out free kits to many developers who are now cooking up something great. Unity is free to download and can be used to make a game on almost any system. RenPy lets people design visual novels with very little coding. RPG Maker makes it simple to make great RPGs. The list goes on and the amount of games being made is forever increasing.

Motion controls are all thanks to that tiny speck in between his fingers.
Motion controls are all thanks to that tiny speck in between his fingers.

Aside from just the ease of which games can be made, the way we play games has also changed. Even though I’ll never fully support motion controlled gaming, I will say that the possibilities that have opened because of it is amazing. Think about someone who can’t or has difficulty using a controller. Think about an older person who didn’t play Nintendo or Atari. The concept of a controller probably goes as far as a remote for the TV. What if people could play the same game or a different game in a way that’s accessible and fun for them? Do you know what we have now? A broader pool of people playing games.

Doom was one of the main reasons work was stalled in offices around the world.
Doom was one of the main reasons work was stalled in offices around the world.

Unfortunately, through the majority of my life, gaming has always been frowned upon by society as a whole, especially with stories that connected specific games to terrible tragedies. The industry was crippled when Doom was blamed for the deaths of innocents.  Its a shame that such an impressive medium can be set back by simple media connections. Although, coupled with the negativity is the joy video games can bring. The popular charity Child’s Play has raised over seven million dollars this year. Minecraft is being used in classrooms by educators around the world, myself included at one point.

In twenty years, I’ve been hundreds of heroes, slain thousands of monsters, and saved millions of worlds. What other medium connects the experience with the one experiencing it? Gaming has for a while now.

Journey Sunset by Sawuinhaff
Journey Sunset by Sawuinhaff

As a medium, let’s explore what’s never been considered. Let’s see what’s never been seen. Let’s play what’s never been played.

For more on these thoughts, check out the Future of Storytelling’s Video Series.

Hive Jump Preview

I was given a chance to try out an early build of Graphite Lab’s Hive Jump. The following preview is based on what I have played so far and what I infer from their Kickstarter campaign.

Some of the greatest Science Fiction films are Aliens and Starship Troopers. These movies are filled with rough and tough mercenaries with big guns and bigger attitudes, blasting away monsters that come in droves. Hive Jump is inspired by these elements and is shaping up to be an awesome game.

HIVE JUMP SCREEN SHOT

Pixels have taken over PC gaming since Minecraft’s success and I couldn’t be happier. Hive Jump looks great, combining that beloved retro style with modern techniques. The game utilizes a powerful lighting tool known as Sprite Lamp, adding to the overall tone and atmosphere of the game. Sprite Lamp, the backgrounds, the environments, and the sheer ferocity of the enemies is molding Hive Jump into an interesting piece of Sci-Fi.

Players will be donning the persona of the typical space marine, lugging around heavy armor and heavier weaponry. Each weapon is upgradeable with the goo collected from fallen foes. Adding to the armory are upgrades scattered throughout the maps. Players will have to balance their weaponry while fighting off wave after wave of nasty bugs. There are also plans for a strategic campaign mode that lets players plan out each precise strike.

What I found most interesting about the demo is the speed at which the game attacks the player. While this may not be the case in the final version, I found myself quickly overwhelmed on single-player mode, but that just made me hungry for more bug goo. Luckily, on a respawn, players blast away aliens from the sheer force of their drop into the hive. This is similar to how arcade beat-em-ups would treat coming back to life, and the mechanic fits well into the theme and the gameplay.

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Each weapon feels different and their upgrades are always a treat to use. Although, I did have a lot of trouble using the charge beam; it took way too much time to build into a lethal dose. As I mentioned earlier, these bugs don’t wait around, nope they filleted me out and waited for my clone to drop from the sky. Let’s just say I fed a lot of bugs on my first couple drops.

Unfortunately, the demo lacks the collecting and upgrading mechanics, but I can’t wait to see how those are implemented further. As the game is developed more and more weapon ideas are sketched out. I’m hoping to see TONS of unlockable content including weapons, areas, modes, and characters. Already there are plans to bring Bart from Aegis Defenders into the hives. Multiplayer should also prove to be great, but I hope to see something new come out of playing with friends that I haven’t seen already.

HIVE JUMP WITH AEGIS DEFENDERS

What impressed me was Graphite Lab’s love for other developers. The Hive Jump Kickstarter page actually holds several other games in development. Graphite Lab, unlike most developers, is actually spreading out the spotlight instead of the typical “Look at me and my game! Give me money!” stance. It is humbling to know that these developers aren’t necessarily out there to fill their pockets, at least alone. They’re willing to spread the joy of gaming, no matter who is making the game.

All in all, I can’t wait to see what else Hive Jump will have in store for players on its release. If you need me, I’ll be throwing grenades down the throats of murderous insects. Private Alex of the Giga 304th Battalion signing off.

Indie Game Alert: A Clumsy Adventure

Take a little running, add some well timed jumps with a dash of simple physics, and you have Excamedia’s A Clumsy Adventure. Planned as a PS Vita title, Excamedia looks to bring back some classic gaming difficulty on the go. There is definitely no attempt to reinvent the wheel here, but the simplicity is endearing.

Players will control Zack, an ex-Marine; sounds awesome, right? Well, unfortunately, Zack is the only person who thinks Zack is awesome, and his clumsiness gets him kicked out of the military. He stumbles upon this adventure and must set off to avoid various platforming pitfalls and enemies, including end level bosses.

At this point in development, the game is not a graphic marvel, but that’s not really the main focus. The gameplay is where A Clumsy Adventure will hook gamers. For the PC demo I played, the controls were very responsive, which leads me to believe speed-runs will be a major pastime. I am also very interested to see if and how the Vita’s touch capabilities will be utilized. There are definitely opportunities within the side scrolling 3D world to weave in touch functions. I envision it being somewhat like Escape Plan, but I digress.
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There are still a lot of questions to be answered here, but I think the outlook is positive. It will be interesting to see how the game carries over from this initial PC demo to the Vita universe when the time comes.

For more information and the demo, visit Excamedia’s Game Jolt profile page. If you enjoy the game, don’t forget to show your support for Excamedia and A Clumsy Adventure.

Indie Game Alert: Super Cool Kids: Dungeon Dash

Survive as long as you can. Escape is just out of reach. Rescue all the cute kittens. These are your only instructions. Who is this character? How did he get stuck in a dungeon? Why did he go into a dungeon? None of these questions will be answered and they won’t matter when the lava and water are catching up to you. Super Cool Kids: Dungeon Dash is a simple, pixel-art game, but it will provide you with hours of fun frustration (i.e. me screaming at my computer screen and jamming on the directional buttons).

You control a little boy (or maybe a man) who is trapped in a dungeon filled with pools of lava and water. To reach the exit, you must dig through dirt and rock. There are two different types of rock you must break through: a soft rock, which doesn’t take much effort to break through, and a harder, gold-speckled rock, which takes an extra two seconds to break through. Avoid the pools of lava and water; digging too close will release a flood into the path you’ve created. You will have little time to react and dig in a different direction, but if you stop it’s game over—one life, no extra chances. Every few seconds, an earthquake rattles the dungeon, which breaks up some of the dirt and rock. This can be a good thing (one less block to break) or a bad thing (lava and water have more space to flood). The farther you advance, the faster the earthquakes occur. The intervals start off every 10 seconds, then 5 seconds, then 2 seconds.

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Because each room is randomly generated, sometimes the game will spawn you in an area that immediately floods and you die. The same thing can happen to kittens and the other items. This can be annoying—especially when you’re really far into the game and have become a kitten-rescuing pro—but it doesn’t happen too often. There are also some small glitches like being able to walk on lava and water for a split second (which is more of an advantage than a problem) and sometimes a block of lava or water will flow into the exit, but it wont keep you from escaping.

This game makes me feel like a kid again: playing Gauntlet 2 for hours, moving through infinite rooms, looking for the final door to let me out. I really like this game because it is so simple—straight to the point without any unnecessary gimmicks. It may be difficult or even impossible, but I would love to see a leaderboard for the game. It would really add to the fun and challenge players to really take a risk when collecting items. I can’t wait to see more from Super Cool Kids. Play the game on the Super Cool Kids website and see for yourself.