Soundtrack Feature: Hue

Hue is a puzzle game that focuses on using colors to manipulate the world around you. It's packaged with an incredibly thought-provoking narrative, and a melodic soundtrack that beautifully captures the soothing atmosphere of the game. The music was scored by Greek composer Alkis Livathinos, and has an emphasis on melodic piano. Hue's main theme can be heard multiple times throughout the album.

The Hue soundtrack can be purchased or listened to for free at Bandcamp. It can also be purchased on iTunes and Amazon, and listened to on Spotify. The game itself is a very enjoyable experience. If you enjoy inventive and relaxing puzzle games you should check it out. Hue is available for Steam, PS4, PS Vita and Xbox One.

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My full Soundtrack of the Month series has gone on hiatus and for the time being has been replaced by much smaller soundtrack features, which I am simply calling Soundtrack Features. Yes, it's quite original.

Game Review: The Next Penelope

The Next Penelope: Race to Odysseus is the classic tale of Homer's Odyssey... set in a cyberpunk world with futuristic racing.

It's been ten years since Odysseus departed from the kingdom of Ithaca, leaving his reign to the anarchy of an absent leader. Desperate to save the land she loves, and sick of her suitors' unwavering advances in the absence of her husband, Queen Penelope sets out on a journey to find Odysseus—by exploring planets, racing her suitors, and fighting epic bosses.

The Next Penelope is a top-down racing game that appears to have been heavily influenced by F-Zero. It reminds me a little of Super Laser Racer, another such game that was focused on translating the gameplay from F-Zero into a 2D top-down format. That game, while extremely fun, was little more than a bare-bones F-Zero clone. The Next Penelope adds story, bosses, an upgrade system, a somewhat unique weapons system, and a lot of interesting and fun challenges.

This adventure is not particularly long. If you know what you're doing you can certainly beat the game in under a couple hours. However, the strong difficulty curve your first time through and the endgame bonus levels are sure to keep you occupied for a good many hours. If you strive to complete all of the achievements, as I did, you're sure to have your work cut out for you for a while. The nice part? You'll have fun the entire time.

I've always had a love-hate relationship with Greek mythology. I love it for the lore and the mythos, but I hate it for the arrogance, narcissism and stupidity of a great many of the prominent characters. With that being said, I've had a strictly love relationship with this game since the moment the concept was introduced to me. It's Greek mythology... plus futuristic racing! Add that to the insanely fun gameplay, and you've got yourself a beautiful piece of art.

The game was developed by one man, Aurelien Regard. He created the story, artwork and music all himself, and programmed the entire game. It's always a treat when a game this well-polished and well-designed is developed by a single person or a small team. Such a man is more than worthy of my respect.

Overall, The Next Penelope is a great concept, complemented by great gameplay. The artwork is beautiful, and the sweet elrectonic soundtrack is sure to get stuck in your head. I certainly got my money's worth from it, and I can't wait to see what other great projects the developer comes up with in the future.

Check out The Next Penelope: Race to Odysseus on Steam.
It's also in development for Wii U, and may be released on other consoles as well.

Game Review: Sneaky Sneaky

Here's a little game I came across recently. It's called Sneaky Sneaky, and in it you do a lot of sneaking.

A while ago I was going through my old Thursday Impressions posts on this blog and I realized that I kind of missed doing it. However, I don't have nearly enough time to write up a first impressions piece every week anymore, so I decided to compromise and do one every month. So then I played the first game on my list, wrote up an impressions piece, and then went and beat the rest of the game long before the post was scheduled to be published. So, screw impressions pieces. Here's a review.

Sneaky Sneaky is a grid-based strategy game controlled only by the mouse, in which you sneakily defeat your enemies and grab treasure on your way to completing each level. When an enemy discovers you (or when you sneakily get the first strike) the game switches into a turn-based mode until you or your enemy has been defeated, or until they've lost track of you (because you like to sneak away).

The gameplay is fairly unique. If at any time an enemy sees you before you attack them, they are able to move before you, and you're not allowed to move out of the way (or attack back) until it's your turn. Additionally, if you're able to sneak up behind your enemy without them seeing you, you can deal a much more powerful blow, which may take them out completely. Thus, stealth is a heavily encouraged strategy. Hiding in bushes for the right time to strike is a technique that works very well, along with sniping your enemy with arrows while you're out of their sight range.

The game isn't very long, and can be completed in just a few hours, but it's most definitely worth the low price. Not only is the art style really cool (and rather adorable), with great music that fits well, but also the game is pretty flipping fun. The difficulty curve is somewhat sharp if you're not prepared, and you might have to replay some already-completed levels in order to get enough money to buy an upgrade or two, but overall it's a brilliant gem of a game.

Sneaky Sneaky is awesome, and I'd love for the developers to make a sequel someday. I'd play the heck out of it.

The game is available on Steam and iOS.

Thursday Impressions: The Results

Many long years ago (that is, February 2013) I started a blog series called Thursday Impressions. It lasted for a little over six months, and I thoroughly enjoyed doing it. At the time I had a great many games on Steam, and I thought it would be cool if every week I'd play a game for 30-90 minutes and write up what my first impressions were. This was a great excuse to check out a good number of games in my Steam library that I might not otherwise get around to playing.

At the end of each mini-review, I'd give a verdict. The two main verdicts were "Keep playing," if I thought the game was good and that I'd want to keep playing, and "Stop playing," if the game was bad or I felt that I, personally, wouldn't want to continue. I also took creative liberties and stuck in some other verdicts as well. I'd also give a little blurb summarizing why I'd chosen each verdict. Additionally, the verdicts chosen were based on my personal opinion, and so the "Stop playing" verdicts did not necessarily mean the game in question was not a good game. It simply meant that it was not what I like to play.

Now, clearly a lot of time has passed since I did this series. It's been over a year since it ended, and a lot of things have changed. I thought it would be cool to go back and look over all my Thursday Impressions, and let the world know how they all turned out. Did I actually keep playing some? Did I actually stop playing others for good? Well, you should keep reading to find out.

If you want, you can go and read through all of the Thursday Impressions articles here. I apologize, as many of the image links appear to be broken.

Thursday Impressions: Offspring Fling!

Offspring Fling! is a puzzle-oriented platformer game. You are a mother... something... and you have to find and save all of your children.

Right off the bat, I like this game. Great presentation, sweet visual style, and well-polished gameplay. While I find puzzle games very difficult, due to a mental condition, I still had a lot of fun with this one. Whether or not I would be able to complete it to the end, however, is another question entirely.

The soundtrack exceeds expectations. It fits the game perfectly, but at the same time it reminds me of Japanese RPGs, such as the Tales Of series. I actually own the soundtrack, and that makes me quite happy.

Verdict: I really don't know.
I love the game, but I don't know how far I'll be able to get before the puzzles are too much for me. They were already starting to get that way a bit when I stopped. Also, those bees are mean!

Thursday Impressions: Zen Bound 2

Zen Bound 2 is a game where you wrap rope around various objects. Yup, it's just about as boring as it sounds.

Ever since I got this game (through a bundle that had other games as well), I always thought that it looked boring as heck. While it's not exactly... boring... it's certainly pointless. My thoughts beforehand were basically, "This is going to be far too easy, until a point where it's too hard and thus becomes boring." What do you know? I was right.

Verdict: Stop playing.
It's not as boring as it looks or sounds, but it's pointless and I see no reason to continue.

Thursday Impressions: Fortix

Fortix is a game where you save a kingdom and slay dragons. How do you accomplish this? By walking around things.

It's difficult to explain, but it's fun. Your character certainly gets a lot of exercise. The music's good, the visuals are decent, and it's pretty addicting. In fact, I completed the entire game in easy mode before I typed this up, because it's that addicting (and that short).

Of course, there are resolution problems. So many games have resolution problems. In this case, neither fullscreen mode nor windowed mode worked properly. All I can say is I really hope such problems were fixed in the sequel.

Verdict: Keep playing, I guess.
Y'see, I already beat the game in just an hour. How do you keep playing when you're already done? Well, I guess there are other difficulty levels. I'll get on that.

Thursday Impressions: Geometry Wars

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved is a 2D space shooter where you try to survive all the obstacles coming your way by shooting them. Yup, this is a brand-new and original idea that I don't think anybody has done before. Also, I'm good at sarcasm.

In all seriousness, Geometry Wars is pretty decent as far as space shooters go. It's pretty fun and the visuals are really cool. However, I did have some gripes. First of all, there are only three resolution options, which means I need to either play with a slightly stretched resolution, or play in windowed mode, both of which take away from the experience a bit.

Also, the game was made specifically to be played on the gamepad, meaning the developers didn't take time to really work on controls otherwise. Using the keyboard to aim your bullets really didn't work. Other games have done it well, but this one really fell short. I opted to use the mouse to aim instead, and that was a lot better, though still kind of awkward.

Verdict: Stop playing.
It's a fun game with potential, but it's not friendly for keyboard users. Until I get a gamepad I won't be able to get a very high score at all.

Thursday Impressions: Aquaria

It is six days until the six-month anniversary of the Thursday Impressions series, and I thought I'd celebrate the occasion by playing an old friend. Aquaria is a game I owned over two years ago, but due to certain things (it's a long story), I lost access to it. I haven't been able to play it since, until now, thanks to Humble Bundle.

Aquaria is a 2D action-adventure game that stars the aquatic creature Naija. Its story is unique, immersive, and decently dark (from what I've experienced), and the world you explore is beautiful. The soundtrack is beautiful as well, and it's actually a bit nostalgic for me. When I used to own this game, I didn't actually get very far. This time I intend to follow through and see where the story goes.

Verdict: Keep playing.
It's gorgeous, and I love a deep story. Count me in.

Thursday Impressions: Vessel

Vessel is a 2D puzzle platformer set in a strange, steampunk world.

First off, this game looks gorgeous. Secondly, if this game played as well as it looks, it would be a masterpiece. Many parts of the game, such as the art and presentation, are definitely top-notch, but the gameplay itself is pretty far from it. The entire backstory of Vessel is told through a series of photographs, and the entire narrative is told through your character's journal entries. This is really cool.

Vessel would have made a great platformer, but the developers instead decided to go in the direction of being primarily a puzzle game. Because of this, they didn't focus nearly as much on making the gameplay as smooth as they should have, and the game feels awkward to play. I also, personally, strongly prefer primary platforming with secondary puzzles to primary puzzles with secondary platforming. That is just a preference, and not the game's fault.

Verdict: Stop playing.
The game had a lot of potential, but it fell short because the developers wanted to make a puzzle game, and the end result just didn't turn out as well as it could have. I struggled numerous times just to get as far as I did, and the story barely progressed at all during that time. In the end, this is a game that I would much rather watch than actually play.

Thursday Impressions: Little Inferno

Little Inferno is, at first glance, an entirely pointless game. Well, if you can even call it a game.

Basically, you're in an apocalyptic world in which the entire planet is slowly freezing to death. You're given a furnace for entertainment. You can burn things in the furnace, and you get money from doing so. You use the money, then, to buy more things to burn, and the cycle continues. You're given very few limitations, and there's no overall goal except to try to find combos so you can unlock more stuff.

So, as mentioned, this game seems entirely pointless at first glance. Some would argue that it is. However, occasionally you get letters that you can burn too, after you read them. These are from the company that makes the furnaces, from the weather company, or from your ecstatic neighbor who has a "Little Inferno" herself. Through these letters you're gradually given a picture of the world outside; one of those rare, very subtle ways of telling a story.

Overall, through these letters the game becomes intriguing, sad, and even a little depressing. It's brilliant, though, and no matter how absolutely pointless it is, it's incredibly addicting. I've spent more time playing Little Inferno then I've spent playing any other Thursday Impressions games before writing the blog post.

Verdict: Keep playing.
I want to see how the story ends.

Thursday Impressions: Uplink

Uplink is a hacking simulator. You're an Uplink Agent, which is someone who hacks into the servers of various corporations to access files, alter information, and do whatever else you're told to do.

When first being introduced to this game, my initial thought was, "Okay, this is really cool, but it's not my kind of thing." However, after getting a decent ways through the tutorials, I instead started thinking, "This is starting to get really fun."

There's not really much to say about this game except that it's a hacking simulator. I could go into detail, but that's some complicated stuff. This is definitely a game in which you want to keep a notebook nearby. You're going to need a lot of information on hand, and it just ain't easy.

I tried to hack my first company without the tutorial's help, but I was tracked and disconnected by the company just as I was finishing my business. They sent me an email and charged me 1,000 credits to illegally snooping around their servers, which I willingly paid because, unbeknownst to them, I had already finished my mission and had been paid in full, so I had the money to spare. Ha!

Verdict: Keep playing.
This verdict surprised me. I'm not much in simulations, or many games that require a lot of focus, but Uplink is actually quite a captivating game.

Thursday Impressions: Anodyne

Anodyne is a Legend of Zelda-style adventure game that places you as a man named Young who is appointed by very suspicious sages to save the world. Before long you pick up a broom, rather than a sword, and you're ready to take on evil at full force.

This game was very highly recommended by critics, and it did not disappoint. I only played up to and through the first dungeon, but in that short time it could both feel just like an old 2D Zelda game, and also like a completely new, original adventure.

The developers do have a bit of a sense of humor. This is another one of those games that are "by gamers, for gamers," meaning the creators wanted to create a game that they, themselves would love to play. Yet another reason why the independent gaming industry can be superior to the mainstream gaming industry.

Verdict: Keep playing.
I love it. My only concern is whether or not it will be long enough.

Thursday Impressions: And Yet It Moves

And Yet It Moves is a 2D platformer set in a world made of torn-off paper. Unfortunately, that fact is the only thing about it worth noting.

This is one of those games where you can alter the gravity in four different directions. I've played many games like this, and this one seems the least original. Everything about the game is slow, and the mechanics are horrendous. It's so easy to die again and again (by the fault of the game, not you), and every single time more and more frustration gets loaded onto your nervous system by the bale.

It's not fun, the puzzles are annoying and unoriginal, and the music is just dull. I never thought I could ever dislike something so much from my favorite genre, but this is one of the worst 2D platformers I've ever played. It's definitely not worth $10, or any price other than free. Don't get it.

Verdict: Stop playing.
There were some redeemable moments of gameplay, but it's nowhere near worth it.

Thursday Impressions: Closure

Closure is a 2D platforming puzzle game in which nothing that is unseen exists. For example, if you shine a flashlight on the ground, it's solid and you can walk on it; but if the ground is unseen by light, you will fall right through.

It's a fairly creepy game, but it's an original and quite cool concept. If you can't get past a wall, alter a nearby lamp so that it's no longer shining in that direction. Then you can just jump through the darkness where there once was a wall. It makes for cool and interesting puzzles.

The simplistic graphics style is perfect for the game. The soundtrack is very good and can be quite creepy; but when you jump into water, the music gets downright terrifying. It's kind of awesome.

Verdict: Keep playing, if I can beat that level.
It holds a lot of promise and I'm already excited to keep playing. However, I did rage-quit my playthrough, due to being stuck for too long. That could be a problem, heheh.

Thursday Impressions: Proteus

Proteus is a simulation created for no purpose except to explore.

You're placed on a randomly-generated island. At first, it seems like you don't have anything to do, but that's a pessimist's perspective. Look around a bit. Go hiking. There's a lot more to this virtual land than meets the eye.

One could argue that this "game" is pointless. There's no goal, and no purpose except to walk around and explore. Honestly, though, who doesn't want their own personal island to explore? When you need alone time to think, you can just shrink into your beautiful, soothing little virtual world.

The world changes around you. Day to night, and even different seasons. There are so many things to look at that sometimes you just don't know which direction to go. Initially, I had a small complaint that you cannot go faster than a certain speed, but then I found out that walking into a swarm of bees makes you sprint. I also walked into a circle of lightning bugs and suddenly beheld an entire season passing before my eyes.

Controls are a bare minimum. Basically, you can walk around and look around, and that's about it. I would have liked a jump button to be implemented, but it's not at all needed. It would just feel right to have one.

Verdict: Approved.
I can't very well say "Keep playing," because this isn't the kind of game that you "keep playing." It's a beautiful world, to visit when you're feeling down or in need of something serene. The developers promised a different experience every time, and I can't wait to go back.

Thursday Impressions: Thomas Was Alone

Thomas Was Alone is one of those stereotypical 2D indie platformers that use shapes as characters because the creators didn't know how to draw a sprite. Or... not. Though I am a fan of the genre just mentioned, this game is not included in the category.

"Thomas was alone. Wow, what a weird first thought to have."

The player is introduced to Thomas, a rectangle who knows nothing about his existence except that he exists. Before long, Thomas discovers he could move, fall, and perform a sort of inverse-fall called "jumping." Along the way, Thomas records his thoughts, for posterity.

What makes Thomas Was Alone different from other games that look similar is the fact that the entire game is narrated by the shapes controlled by the player. Are those supposed to represent characters who live in a world of squares? Well, there's that, but the characters are exactly what they actually are: shapes, making their way through levels by the work of a player. They don't pretend to be anything else. Yet, they record their thoughts and adventures, turning this from any old adventure to an intriguing and lovable adventure.

A half an hour into the game introduces Thomas to other rectangles who can do other things that he cannot, such as jump at different heights and use various abilities. I have no idea how many characters will be introduced in total, but Thomas is certainly alone no longer.

Maybe I love this game just because I'm a platformer fan, but I think the charming narrative and atmosphere will be enjoyable to gamers of all ages. This game is something else. Something unique.

Verdict: Keep playing.
It's fun, intriguing, and actually kind of deep. The puzzle elements stress me out a bit, but to the average mind they would be no problem. Many thumbs up.

Thursday Impressions: Spectromancer

Spectromancer is a game I avoided for a long time, because it just looked boring. In retrospect, I'm not entire sure why. It's a turn-based game in which you control a mage who summons creatures and spells in order to defeat your opponent. It was obviously inspired by card games such as Magic: The Gathering*.

It took me about an hour to figure out how to play (and I'm not entirely sure I figured it all out, yet), but once I got the basics down I had a lot of fun. I only played some quick single-player matches, but the game also includes a campaign mode, online multiplayer, and a lot of other cool features. I haven't even scratched the surface in my short time playing.

Verdict: Keep playing.
Whether you're interested in a quick match or a full-fledged campaign, this game is sure to get some enjoyment out of you. That is, if you're into this kind of thing.

*In fact, Spectromancer was co-designed by the creator of Magic, but I didn't know that until I'd already written this piece.

Thursday Impressions: To the Moon

To the Moon is an interactive short story about a man at the end of the road. Johnny Wyles has lived a long life and is nearing death. Though he's certainly had many regrets, there was one regret that stood out: He'd always wanted to go to the moon. A pair of doctors have a way of making his dream come true, somehow, by travelling through his memories.

From the beginning, the player is met by amazing presentation. The visuals are unique, combining SNES-era pixel art with objects and locations that can be found in modern day. The player is immediately drawn into the surreal world and life of Mr. Wyles. The soundtrack moving, and for its quality, it could be priced much higher.

I only played for about forty minutes, but during that time I was definitely intrigued and drawn into the story. Occasionally I felt like so much time was put into the story, the visuals, and the music that the programming wasn't as polished as it could be. The resolution doesn't fit my monitor screen, with the only real solution being to play it in windowed mode, and the point-and-click controls didn't always work properly.

In the end, though, To the Moon looks to be an amazing and emotional story. I can't wait to see the end of it.

Verdict: Keep playing.

Thursday Impressions: NyxQuest

NyxQuest: Kindred Spirit is a 2D side-scrolling platformer that takes place in a post-apocalyptic Ancient Greece, if that makes sense. The story focuses on Nyx, who in Greek mythology was the goddess of the night.

A man named Icarus had been crafted wax wings and had taken to the sky to explore, and thus found the wonderful land in the sky in which the gods and goddesses reside—including Nyx, whom he becomes quite fond of; and she becomes quite fond of him. One day on one of Icarus's flights, the sun decides to send out terrible beams of light and melt his wax wings, sending him plunging to the Earth below. Disobeying the laws set in place by the gods and goddesses, Nyx travels to the world below in search of her friend. Unfortunately, she finds that the entire world is now in ruins because of what the sun did. The only living creatures to be found are strange, flying shadow beasts.

Thus, you are entered into the game to control the goddess of the night, though I'm not certain that she actually is a goddess in this interpretation of the story. I originally played NyxQuest years ago, but it ran terribly on my old computer, and I pretty much forgot about it until now. I can safely say that I'm kind of glad I did, because now I can appreciate it a lot more. I'm familiar with more names, places, etc., and that makes the game a lot more intriguing.

NyxQuest somewhat reminds me in gameplay and setting of another game I've played and beaten, Prince of Persia: The Fallen King. While that game wasn't bad, it wasn't really good either. Similarly, I feel that NyxQuest really has its flaws. The developers worked hard to make the world beautiful, but at the same time the environments could use a little bit more variety. It's decently fun to play through the game, but at the same time it's ever-so-slightly... boring. The soundtrack partially makes up for that, though.

Verdict: Indifferent.
It's a pretty fun game and it has potential, but there's nothing in it that has drawn me in or really made me want to continue playing. I both love and hate Greek mythology, so I'll probably end up beating the game someday, but that might not be for a very long time.