Outland
Getting closer to the Christmas period, I'm finding it hard to find time, and games, to play. This week I turned to Xbox Live Games with Gold and found Outland; a 2D, Puzzle/Platformer game, resembling Limbo by way of Tron, brought to use by developers Housemarque and published by Ubisoft.
You play some guy that's having dreams and visions of long ago. After taking medicine to rid him of this visions proves ineffective, he decides to consult a shaman. The shaman proves pretty useless as well, until he tells us of a battle that waged thirty thousand years ago between a hero attempting to stop the Sisters of Chaos from destroying the world. This isn't really well explained, seems they just want to destroy it just so they can rebuild it and so on, like a child with a Lego set. Long story short, the hero died, the Sisters were imprisoned and you're the reincarnation of said hero.
So, instead persisting with the ridding of the dreams and visions per originally requested of the shaman, our protagonist embarks on a hero's journey five minutes after hearing of his lineage. Off we go then, tutorialising on the way, platforming through a maze-like environment. A game can't survive in this world on the basic Puzzle/Platformer model alone as the Mario games have proven. So Outland changes up this formula by making it's core mechanic colour switching. Once you have obtained the Light and Dark abilities, you can shift between them to pass through barriers and soak up bullets of the corresponding colour, or destroy enemies of the opposing colour.
The inspiration is taken from games like Ikaruga and DonPachi; Bullet-hell games. These games stretch back to the 70's with classics like Asteroids and Space Invaders, just sped up a lot more.
Having to dodge projectiles is difficult enough, let alone having to flit back and forth, soaking up bullets, making sure you don't take any unnecessary damage in the process. This mechanic is used for some nice puzzles in this game, all executed well. You see, this game is deceptive. It all looks pretty straight forward at first glance, but all changes as soon as you make your first attempt. Be it because of colour changing, wall mounted cannons keeping you on your toes, or an enemy that swoops down from on high catching you by surprise. It's frustrating but in a good way. There's a bit of your brain that knows its possible to complete the level, but maybe you just cant get the timing right or you're a bit too trigger happy on the switch button and drop right through a platform. Because of the endless stream of enemies and red and blue bullets flying around, fighting your way through a barrage from every angle and performing awkward precision platforming sections at the same time, makes it feel all the more rewarding when you're finally successful and make it to the boss.
The combat in Outland isn't particularly challenging. Yes, I died a few times, but that's the point of Bullet Hell games. They were the daddy of arcade games, sucked up the most money and provided the best stories of completion passed from person to person almost to the point of legend. Tip for combat; slash up, jump and slash three times.
There are four areas, Jungle, Underworld, City and Sky, each presided over by one of four protectors. The protectors have been corrupted by the Sisters of Chaos and now choose to wreak havoc, instead of defend as initially intended. Defeating all four results in entrance to Eternity, the place of the Sisters imprisonment thirty thousand years ago. The bosses are nicely thought out, except for the Sisters at the end, which is like Ikaruga on crack. Ranging from the simple; dodge attack, hit boss, run away, repeat, to strategically dodging bullets while positioning canons to blast a boss away. These are well designed boss fights and the fact that there is only four allows for very different mechanics for each, without overlapping much. They really are test of your skills learned thus far and lets face it, that's what a boss fight should be.
While traversing these various locations, you will stumble upon big, glowing arches that will teach you a new ability, ranging from a charge up move that pushes certain walls out of your way, to a straight up Hadouken. Most of these abilities take up an amount of your energy when used, but can be regained from collecting coins by smashing pots or killing enemies. All of the abilities you pick up are useful, unlike in some games where you might settle on a few and forget about the rest. An interesting ability involves sucking in all the bullets and damaging enemies of your current colour, maybe even creating a path in the process. There is something very satisfying however about clearing a whole corridor of enemies with a Hadouken and being able to walk on through without a worry of being ambushed.
A little nod to the level design, and Outland's levels feel very vast and winding. After working out my path to the objective, I find myself coming across a ledge along the way which, if followed, could lead to treasure boxes or extra lives. I like to see this kind of exploration in a 2D game, keeping it from feeling linear and becoming boring. Even when looking for secrets, glowing gold helmets in Outland's case, they aren't obnoxiously hidden but on a path you may take at random, therefore rewarding you instead of making you feel like an idiot for following this path to it's dead end.
Finally the look and, as I alluded to earlier, this game isn't particularly detailed. The main character is just a silhouette adorned with blue or orange neon. The bosses are fairly detailed and, with the aesthetic of Outland being quite dark, stand out from the equally intricate design of the platforms and walls that create the pathways of your adventure. The back drop of whisping lines and tribal marks, all infused with neon bright oranges and blues, make for a lovely environment that doesn't get boring no matter how many attempts you need.
I love Bullet Hell games and Outland feels like a very good attempt to capture the same feeling produced by other games of the genre. The graduallity and patience of Space Invaders with the difficulty curve and speed of Ikaruga, and odd mix maybe, but ultimately testing your reflexes and strategic skill. Like I said, its frustrating, but also rewarding. It's also very addictive due to the short time between dying and repawning, you find yourself saying "I'll just see whats up here." or "I'll just play to the next boss." and before you know it, you're heading up to the final, climactic fight.
Outland is a good five/six hours of play and easy to understand. Sitting patiently, trying to recognize the pattern of all the projectiles to time your jump right, isn't for everybody however and this game is full of it.
All in all, I would recommend Outland. A fun, interesting little arcade game that can be frustrating at times, but is good at drawing you in, even if the story is pretty thin, with solid game play and an interesting core mechanic. Definitely one to pick up if you're looking for something new.
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