Review | ‘Splosion Man
Format: Xbox360 | Genre: Platformer | Publisher: Twisted Pixel | Developer: Twisted Pixel | Release date: 22/07/09 | RRP: 800MSP
By Greg Giddens
There has been a very noticeable shift in XBLA games being released recently. Each one seems to be taking a positive step towards a more resounding gaming experience, and a step away from the more traditional, casual arcade experience.
‘Splosion Man, one of the most enjoyable and unique games to surface in some time, is testament to that. Its quirky humour, fast pace and challenging action contribute towards a title that stands out amongst the arcade crowd, and proves that the platformer is not by any means a dead genre.
//Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire
For an unknown reason, your character is imbued with the ability to explode in a laboratory. He must then escape the confines of the lab, killing scientists and avoiding their traps along the way. He’s a delightfully deranged protagonist, with crazed ramblings and goofy expressions, and the whole game has a cartoon-esque feel, making it sinister and welcoming at the same time. But you mustn’t be fooled by the unassuming aesthetic, as underneath the simple platformer premise is a challenging and enduring experience.
Simplicity is initially what ‘Splosion Man is all about. You have one move – exploding – and with it you jump, attack enemies and interact with the environment. The premise seems simple – traverse each level with the aid of explosions – but you’ll soon find that the initially simplicity is an illusion, as the puzzles and obstacles soon demand much more from the player, providing a challenging and intriguing experience.
You can ‘splode up to three times in a row before having to reignite yourself by walking or sliding on a surface. The majority of the time, you’ll need to explode off walls to reach higher areas; you’ll also need to explode near barrels to propel yourself to even greater heights. The obstacles become progressively more challenging as the game moves forward, with multiple barrel explosions and specific directional control being required to complete each level.
Great thought has been put into each of these to keep the game varied. Unfortunately, the locations themselves lack the same variety, so the background template remains similar throughout the stages. There are only thee of these stages in total, but each consists of 16 to 18 levels, so there’s plenty to keep you busy – and the levels are designed for speed runs, so the time trail mode adds even more replayability.
The well-designed multiplayer elements further add to ‘Splosion Man’s replay value. Instead of being a tacked-on extra, it’s a resounding addition, with 50 entirely different levels based on co-operation with up to three more ‘splosion men. It’s one of the best uses of co-op multiplayer around, but it certainly tries the foundation of a friendship as the puzzles involved require perfect timing from all players. The challenge of the puzzles could lead towards frustration, but thanks to multiple well placed checkpoints this is minimised. Add to that the fast pace of the game, and often you won’t even have time to become irritated.
//Humour is a reason gone mad
‘Splosion Man’s ‘2.5D’ presentation is perfect for a platformer such as this, and the cartoon aesthetic and excellent music are complimented by a dynamic camera that zooms in and changes angle to provide the best view of the current obstacle. Unfortunately, it does occasionally misbehave, giving you a less than helpful view – but this is rare, and doesn’t really make the obstacles any harder.
The game design’s plenty unique, but it’s the humour tied to the game that really brings it home. The main character is insane, as is the trio of bosses, and some of the songs are hilarious. It’s a shame the experience has to end, which is the only real problem with ‘Splosion Man. Three bosses and only three very samey locations just isn’t enough, regardless of the amount of levels. The amusing treats really enrich the game and make the whole thing beam with personality, but more would have been nice.
Still, Twisted Pixels have created something really special with ‘Splosion Man, and have pushed the boundaries of what we expect from XBLA games even further. A few more locations and more bosses would have made the game exceptional, but what we have here is still one of the most resounding arcade games released so far this year.
8/10
