Introduction/Indie Game Madness

Hello again. Sorry for the delays in posting; I am very new to the video posting policy here at blogger, and it took me longer than I hoped it would. Today, I would like to take a moment to introduce myself and tell you the type of things you can expect to read on my usual Friday block (I may do other, random things throughout the week when I have time; be excited).

I’m a video game, fantasy literature, super hero movie, comic book, and internet video nut. I’m one of those people that doesn’t do things halfway; when I get into something, I get into it (insert unnecessary innuendo here). I’m pretty obsessive that way. I have over 100 Xbox 360 games, along with an additional 40 on Steam and 25 on the Wii I share with my younger sister. I have a comic book wish list (my most recent hobby) that’s over 11 word document pages long. And you better bet I spend plenty of time on the internet learning every little bit of otherwise worthless information that I can possibly find. 

In other words, I’m about as weird a nerd as one can be. And damn proud of it 🙂

Usually, I’ll use this space to talk about games, movies, t.v. shows, books, and comic books that I really love or I really loathe. If I can get my hand on these things early enough, I would love to do some reviews (though given my status as broke college student, I wouldn’t count on it), but most of it will probably have to be retrospectives or commentaries on more general topics that have piqued my curiosity and demand my attention. 

Oh, and I’ll rant. A lot. It’s fun.

But today is a little different. Today, I’m going to talk about two video games that you have probably never heard of unless you actively search out indie games, but you should DEFINITELY be playing. These aren’t the indie darlings like Limbo where everyone and their dog has seen the praise it got, as well as the numerous awards the video game industry bestowed upon those geniuses at PlayDead Studios (I’ll comment on that at a later date). No, these games are the true indie games, with low budgets that forced them to find ways to make games truly enjoyable without relying on cinematics or special effects. And at only $3, you better believe these games are worth your time.

The first game is Cthulhu Saves the World, an RPG made by Zeboyd Games. Now, I never played their first game, Breath of Death VII: The Beginning, but the title (I see what you did there, and I approve) and word of mouth from my friend who had played the game made me interested in this new game featuring everyone’s favorite Lovecraftian horror.

The name tells you everything you need to know about the plot, really. Cthulhu washes up on the shore stripped of most of his powers by some holy force that basically serves as the plot driver and he has to kill everything in his way, which ironically helps save the world. There’s not much there, but there really doesn’t have to be. You’re f***ing Cthulhu, and you get to kill things, what more do you want?

The selling point of this game is the absolutely hilarious writing. Cthulhu’s constant bickering with the narrator never ceases to amuse, and the characters in the game react exactly as you’d want them to. His followers are crazy lunatics despite him having lost his power to drive them insane (which causes him to question the quality of his followers in a witty aside) and a fangirl that follows him and enters the party has an overwhelming crush on him, which Cthulhu has no idea how to handle.

Read that last sentence again. One of your party members is a woman with a passionate crush on Cthulhu that he can’t get her to lose regardless of how clearly evil he truly is. This game is simply awesome.

While I personally loved every ounce of dialogue (as I’m sure any fan of Lovecraft or Cthulhu will), the gameplay is what makes the game work. Remember Chrono Trigger? You know, that classic turn-based strategy game that literally redefined turn-based strategy. Do you ever wish you could go back to those days when turn-based combat was still pure and uncorrupted by gaming’s desire to add unnecessary combo meters or incredibly convoluted character alignments? (Glares at FFXIII)

If so, you’re going to love this game. The art style and gameplay is pretty much Chrono Trigger on the dot. You choose your attack or ability, you choose your enemy to hit or your ally to aid, and you move on to the next one. Simple, pure, and, most importantly, fun. As you do better, you’ll find chests that give you gold and weapons so you can improve stats, and at each level-up, you can choose two options that add an extra layer of depth. Do you want a 10 point boost to most of your stats, or would you rather have an increase in skill points so you can use more abilities? These decisions actually matter and make me feel like a have a much better control over the type of squad I want to control, unlike games like Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn where the stat numbers randomly increase each time regardless of what I want them to do.

There’s also a ridiculous amount of content available. There are 19 unique areas, including a bonus area with an insane test of skill with fan service to those who played their first title. Did I mention that this game is only $3?

$3! That’s the same price as a comic book from DC, about a quarter of a movie ticket, and 1/20 of a full priced AAA video game, with plenty more hours of enjoyable content provided. For the price, you can’t find a better quality RPG. Buy it on Steam, buy it on XBLA, just buy it already!

On a completely different note, Techno Kitten Adventure, produced by Elite Gudz and 21st Street Games, is the most fun I have ever had playing games with my friends. The name alone probably gives away the awesomeness involved, but in case you missed it, this is a game where you control a cute kitten as epic techno music (and I don’t even like techno) blares loudly in the background while gorgeously weird images flash across the screen.

I’ve never taken hallucinogenic drugs before, but this game is as close as you can possibly get without experiencing the real deal.

Sure, it’s not complex; it’s a standard helicopter game in which you press the button to go up and let go to go down. It’s that simple. But as the levels go on, what seems simple becomes far more difficult. The stars you have to avoid to keep your kitten alive (though I will point out the pitiful kitten meow upon dying is absolutely hysterical every time; seriously never gets old) can easily blend in with the background, and as the music intensifies, the game pulls tricks to make the stages infinitely harder. Hear the word “shining”? Prepare for the screen to blink white, making things invisible for a brief time. Is the beat about to drop? Don’t be surprised if your controller starts vibrating like mad. Moves like this are never frustrating, however, as that cute sound I pointed out early lightens the mood, and the quick respawn takes away any potential frustration.

The crazy effects on the screen make it difficult to play for a long time if you have any susceptibility to headaches, but this isn’t that type of game. This is the game you play with your friends for 30 minutes to laugh at each others failures, cheer on the seemingly endless runs through the star tunnels, and adore the unique art style presented by the game. Sure, there are only three levels and only two kittens to unlock for each, but the game’s charm (in typical lolcat fashion, most words are misspelled for hilarious effect) more than makes up for it. It’s pure fun, and for $3, that much fun seems pretty awesome to me.

So there you go: two games you probably didn’t know about but should definitely look into. Feel free to comment and tell me what you think. Until next week, farewell, and happy gaming!