[Gold Award] (','..',') By Myownself - EGD 2012 Review

Review by spinachie on Sunday, September 16th 2012

Epic Game Day, months of back-breaking preparation for one single day of nothing but games and game makers, EGD has managed to bear many revolutionary titles. Every year, around 50 creators put on their best show in front of a panel of judges and show their mettle in game design.

This year was no exception. Most of the games submitted to judging were brilliant, with 2 making it into the EGL. Yet, shadowed by the 4 or 5 kings of the ring, there was an abundance of honorable mentions. This is where (‘,’..’,’) comes in. (‘,’..’,’) is Myownself’s (Forum Lieutenant) entry into EGD 2012. It is a Sci-fi adventure about a lost archeologist searching relentlessly for an escape route off of a treacherous planet.

The gameplay in (‘,’..’,’) is similar to the dungeon crawling in The Legend of Zelda (1986). The outlandish world in which the game is set is almost labyrinth-like, being called a labyrinth in-game. This, along with enemies used as traps instead of enemies, creates a genuine Zelda-like experience.

That being said, you can safely assume that (‘,’..’,’) is the first dungeon- crawler on Sploder for quite a while. This statement is correct, for the last decent dungeon-crawler I can recall seeing was by Tookewl in 2010-11. This also balances the clichéd dungeon-crawling gameplay from the Zelda series and various others. Sub sequentially, (‘,’..’,’) is more unique then it first appears.

Double-sided Nightmare

The game presents itself to you in 2 completely contrasting parts, both featuring a different gameplay goal. Part one sees you searching for an escape off of an alien planet. Part two, however, involves taking out a colossal 100 extraterrestrials to open a portal back to Earth. In fact, the contrast is so apparent that the two parts share next to no similarities.

Put together, this duo is just shy of impossible to complete, but on their own, they’re a nightmare. This counts especially for part 2, with a slight lack of vital power-ups. Truthfully, I believe the game only just hit the feature-worthy mark due to its intense difficulty.

The real problem, as fore-mentioned, was a lack of power-ups where power-ups were needed. For instance, 8 out of the 10 times I played Part 2 I was forced to engage 3 centipedes with less than a ¼ of my health. Can you guess the part I was stumped at?

In truth, this issue could have been avoided. The remedy would have been to move the power-ups found before weak enemies to the stages before the more boss-like encounters. This way, the game would’ve been much more accessible to less able players while still maintaining the desired intensity.

Toss the Villains to the Dungeons

On a more positive note, (‘,’..’,’) manages its enemy placement quite well. Sure, enemies are only placed at key points, which can be an advantage or a hindrance, depending. However, it isn’t where they are placed that matters, it’s how they are placed.

You see, Myownself places these enemies sparingly and strategically. Essentially, he is taking tedious old enemies and turning them into dynamic traps. This nearly unseen tactic creates a more exclusive gameplay experience.

Let’s look at a more obvious example. You have to move around an octagonal room to reach a switch. To make this scenario a bit more thrilling, Myownself added mudpolies and a Disruptor. The Mud slows the player down, making it easier to get hit, and sets hit players up for combos. This simple implementation gives the game variety and makes it a bit more exhilarating.

Over Nostalgia

I could say that (‘,’..’,’)’s enemy placement is close to perfect. I could say its gameplay is a great mix of old and new. This is more than I can say for its puzzles, though. They’re repetitive and slightly tedious. Additionally, anyone who’s been a member of Sploder for a while may be able to compare these puzzles to rather notable sources.

Yes, most of these puzzles are defectively disguised puzzles from the likes of Tookewl, Obeliskos and Lahlahdee. I’m not saying that they were bad puzzles, in fact, they were quite the opposite. It’s just that nothing’s as good the second time, and the new fads become bland norms.

However, this cloud does have a silver lining. I assume you remember the enemy placement. The way Myownself combines this with these clichés to create a harmonious addition to the regular gameplay.

To sum it all up, Myownself manages to create nice gameplay mechanics through puzzle-enemy integration. However, a vast majority of these puzzles are recycled ones that have been given new twists. This, consequentially, decreases overall appeal of the game, but gives a sense of familiarity.

Moody Colors

The richer, darker tones of part one gives a bit more of a sense that you are in the labyrinth, not just viewing it. Moreover, it creates a mysterious feeling that suits the archaeologist’s ventures. The bright greens of part two, however, are a bit more in your face. They cultivate a battle ready mindset, and show the sterile and sinister technology of your alien captors.

The Verdict

A brilliant dungeon crawler that presents a nice challenge for experienced players.