Title: Ethan: Meteor Hunter Developer: Seaven Studios Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, PS3 Price: $9.90 --- Braid, SuperHOT, Prince of Persia....time manipulation remains a fascinating and stylish game mechanic that adds another dimension to any genre. Ethan: Meteor Hunter takes the precision platforming of games like Electronic Super Joy and Super Meat Boy and uses the ability to stop time to provide gamers with a mix of challenging gameplay and puzzles.
The story is simple: our hero, a mouse named Ethan, embarks on a treacherous quest to retrieve meteorite pieces. The story isn't the focus here; the gameplay is and in that aspect, Ethan is a resounding success. Even without the ability to control time, the game would be a brutal platformer, where progress is more easily measured in deaths than victory. A varied and expansive gauntlet of traps and obstacles stand between Ethan and the level exit: crushers, incinerating jets, acid, grinders, explosives, collapsing platforms, electricity, dozens of saw blades, and more. Quick reflexes and precise timing is a must to navigate these hazard-ridden worlds and collect the meteorite chunks that litter each level.
The game is brutal enough without the time-based puzzles, but the Pause ability allows for even more inventive and varied challenges. By collecting tokens, you gain the power to stop time and manipulate objects in the world. From simply moving blocks to make a staircase to moving platforms mid-jump while avoiding other hazards, this ability opens the door for scenarios and challenges just not possible in other platformers and Seaven Studios crafts a wonderfully varied range of devious and inventive time-based platforming puzzles. It's one thing to avoid saw blades; it's another to avoid saw blades while strategically pausing time to block flame jets and create a safe platform to land on.
For all its fantastic puzzle platforming, Ethan Meteor Hunter is not without its flaws. For the most part, the controls worked fine but there were times where the jumping and movement feel clunky and imprecise; luckily these moments seemed pretty rare. Furthermore, I could have done without the levels that abandoned the time-controlling platforming to mix up the gameplay, such a Doodle Jump-esque level where you hopped up platforms and over hazards on a pogo stick. Any times these levels came around, I just wanted to get back to the time controlling and white-knuckle platforming. Lastly, I felt the environments grew repetitive over time but thankfully the gameplay itself made up for the lack of variety.
Flaws aside, Ethan Meteor Hunter will challenge you throughout its entire campaign, thanks to its brutal precision platforming and inventive time-stopping puzzles. Prepare to be sliced, crushed, melted, fried, and just die a lot and you'll enjoy your time with Ethan Meteor Hunter. You can purchase the game from the developer's site and vote for it on Steam Greenlight.
Title: Assault Android Cactus Developer: Witch Beam Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, Vita, Wii U Price: 14.99 --- Dual stick shooters and bullet hell mechanics come together in Assault Android Cactus, recently released on Steam. Look beyond Assault's colorful veneer and you'll find a frantic shooter with style to spare. You can tackle Assault Android Cactus' mechanic hordes alone or with three others and while the extra firepower is helpful and adds to the onscreen chaos, it's not necessary to succeed. Assault plays just fine as a single player game, allowing you to choose from several different characters, each with their own unique weapons. From common firearms like assault rifles to shotguns to more exotic weaponry such as plasma field generator and a cannonball launcher, weapons are varied and feel powerful.
Besides weaponry, power ups and battery energy pick-ups spawn throughout the arena, granting you drone helpers or increased maneuverability. And you'll need all the help you can get, as enemies and bullets flood the screen from every angle. But Assault Android Cactus's standout features - besides the intense action - are its visuals and animations. Levels shift and change at moment's notice, enemies skitter towards you, turrets emerge as bullets and missiles fly everywhere...all with zero performance issues even on older computers
You can buy Assasult Android Cactucs now on Steam Early Access. The game is also set to release on PS4, PS Vita, and Wii U.
