Review | PikGem
Format: PC | Genre: Arcade Platformer | Publisher: DConcept | Developer: Sébastien D’Heeger | Release Date: 17/12/09 | RRP: $20/€16
By Jennifer Allen
It’s annoying, both as a writer and as a gamer, when faced with a title like PikGem. You see, PikGem would have been quite fun, once upon a time. At least, it would have been back in the 1980s or early 1990s. I know I’d have loved it back then. Now, though, it rests entirely on a dated premise – and when even that’s not implemented with any sense of entertainment value, it’s extremely difficult to recommend.
PikGem dispenses with a storyline, not even mentioning the name of the rotund, cutesy character who – according only to the game’s website – is called Gulpy. Your mission? To run around the grid-based level collecting up dots while avoiding or shooting monsters. All very Pac-Man, esque really. There’s no explanation as to why Gulpy needs to do this, but I can’t really see anyone being too bothered about the lack of gripping narrative. What you see is certainly what you get with PikGem.
//Monster’s Ball
Running around the levels to collect dots is frequently a very easy to fulfil. The only real obstacle in your way is the monsters. These tend to follow a set movement pattern, making it relatively easy to dodge them, thus saving your shots for the more adventurous monsters that can follow you. There are a few other obstacles, such as collapsing platforms and pits to leap over, but these sound much more exciting than they actually are. The very fact that you can’t control your jumps once in the air takes away any real control you may have while dodging the pits and monsters ahead of you. PikGem attempts to provide some variety through the use of a few power-ups that are 
frequently scattered across each level. These are quite typical for the arcade nature of the game, offering advantages such as a speed boost or temporary invincibility. A rather inexplicable addition of a wagon which could run over the monsters is also on offer. The power-ups do provide a slight advantage in proceedings but they’re far from essential as the game is already easy enough to complete. This is greatly helped by the fact that you can always restart at the level you died during, even once you’ve run out of lives, providing you don’t mind losing your high score.
While writing this, I can feel myself stifling a yawn, and that’s the problem with PikGem. It really isn’t very interesting. It’s perfect to drop into for 10-15 minute doses, as each of the 60 levels is quite brief and straight-forward, but why would you bother? Other than the fact that you’ve spent $20 on the game and you’re determined to get your money’s worth from it, rather than admit that the purchase was a big mistake. It’s very nearly an ideal title for young children, thanks to its simplistic control system and easy level progression, but the price tag is still rather off-putting.
There is nothing fundamentally wrong with PikGem, there’s just nothing really going for it. Think of it as like the chocolate toffee left over in the Quality Street tin after Christmas. It’s harmless enough, yet the only reason why you eat it is because it’s the last chocolate there and you feel obliged. Except, in the case of PikGem, you don’t have to feel obliged. You can just leave it behind and go play a number of vastly superior indie titles.
3/10
PikGem is available to purchase from this link here.
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