EzloSpirit's Little Minish, Big Online Games Blog

Review: Submachine 8: The Plan

2012-10-08T00:09:00.005-04:00

(This review is also an article, entitled "Submachine 8: Well-Planned," that I wrote for the next issue of my school's newspaper. As such, its format is a little different from the standard format of in-depth reviews on this blog. It also has a different, sillier mood.)

Submachine 8: The Plan (2012)
by Mateusz Skutnik

Submachine, which has absolutely nothing to do with guns, is quite possibly the most renowned point-and-click series of the twenty-first century. It has been compared to the TV series Lost, with its incredibly complex and slow-progressed plot, its sense of “What is going on here‽”, and its incredible ability to make players—not to mention its unnamed, unseen protagonist—completely, totally, utterly, and redundantly lost.
Submachine is a point-and-click science fiction/puzzle series with elements of the escape genre that is primarily available for free online on the Adobe Flash platform through various Flash gaming websites. Its “basic” premise is that there is a network of places called submachines that was being explored by a team of scientists, most who went missing or died, under the leadership of a mysterious man named Murtaugh, who has the ability to create portals that can be used to travel to different places in the Submachine Network (or Subnet) but damage reality when created; because of this power, Murtaugh’s former colleagues somehow buried him alive in a lighthouse, but he managed to escape and start a team of scientists that would explore the Subnet, but unfortunately for them, Murtaugh went a bit crazy and killed a whole bunch of them and began searching for a way to pursue those who had buried him alive to take his revenge. (*wheeze* *wheeze* *wheeze* Whew! Sorry! I’m okay, now.) Confused yet? Don’t worry. That’s normal, no matter how many times you’ve played through the existing installments in the series. And…even with all of that having been established over the past seven games, it is still unclear what the goal of the protagonist is! Few questions are answered, and an ungodly number of new ones are opened up, in the latest Submachine game, Submachine 8: The Plan, which was released on the official series website, Submachine World on September 29. The game begins after the protagonist has traveled far outside the Core of the Subnet via one of Murtaugh’s “Karma Portals” at the conclusion of the previous game (aptly subtitled The Core), and now he/she is...well, on a catwalk of some sort…somewhere.
The game ups the ante and brain-pain by introducing the Seven Layers. Apparently, the Subnet has seven layers of reality—seven different “dimensions,” if you will—so that there are seven completely different locations existing in the same place at the same time. These layers are navigated using an also aptly-named device called a Navigator that allows the protagonist to pass between them.

Sector 9 (whatever that means), which is where the protagonist has found him-/herself, is composed of a 9-by-9 grid of, well, game screens, and certain screens (or groups of screens) within a given layer are orphaned from the others. So how can they be accessed? That’s right: by passing to another layer, moving to the equivalent screen on the grid, and then passing back. Unfortunately, each consecutive layer is inaccessible until a device is activated in some way in each preceding layer. It’s not always so clear how to do this, but it doesn’t take too much effort…to figure it out; doing the activation itself is not such a simple matter.

Navigating the game is difficult enough. By the time the protagonist has access to all seven layers, you, as the player, will need to be familiar with the layouts of seven different areas and which layers should be visited to enable access to different screens in other layers. Meanwhile, you are picking up items and other things that will allow you to advance and eventually activate every layer device and then grant the protagonist access to a place in Layer 5 called The Temple, thus completing the game. (I couldn’t possibly explain it any better! Again, it’s like Lost; you have to actually play it to understand it as fully as is humanly possible!)

I fell in love with the Submachine series earlier this year, using walkthroughs to enable myself to actually progress through each frustratingly-puzzling game (in a good way) and see what happened next in the intricate plot. One of my favorite aspects of the series is its dark, foreboding atmosphere that makes you feel very much alone—there are no characters who are actually seen, as the games’ world is seen through the protagonist’s eyes—and therefore want very much to keep moving so you can maybe get closer to civilization of some sort. That atmosphere is as present as ever in The Plan.

This installment is a stand-out among its predecessors with regard to its gameplay; the Seven Layers hook makes for some headache-inducing puzzles and problems that make you work both the logic and memory centers of your brain more than any Submachine has before. As in the rest of the series, you really need to think outside of the box to advance, a staple of Submachine that almost defines it.

While it does little to advance the plot like the past four games have done, Submachine 8 preserves the series’ sense of wonder and awe. Mateusz Skutnik, the mastermind behind everything Submachine, has such a wild and intelligent imagination that I would be lying if I said that he couldn’t possibly be some kind of genius. I would never have the capacity to create such abstract, clever tasks, and while games have used the parallel universes thing almost to the point of cliché, to include an astonishing seven parallel “universes” was a very bold move, and it is done seamlessly.

I can’t write a review about a Submachine game without mentioning the music, called “ambients” by the creator and the game’s fanbase. Once again produced by New York-based group Thumpmonks, The Plan’s music is appropriately haunting and mysterious. Very ambient!

This eighth game marks the first time that a separate “HD” version of the game has been released alongside the usual free browser version. This version of the game can be played offline and in full screen, and it also includes the ability to save one’s progress, which is absent in the browser version. Possibly best of all, the download comes with the official nine-track soundtrack in MP3 format! The HD version costs a measly $2, so if you like the game, purchasing the HD version should have little impact on your wallet, and it helps Mr. Skutnik fund his next game, which will probably be Submachine 9: The Temple, due for release next year! (Then, again, The Plan was originally slated for release in 2011.)

If you like surreal, mind-bending, puzzling games, then I can not recommend the Submachine series to you any more highly, and that, of course, includes The Plan. If you are a sci-fi nerd like myself or a brain-teaser/puzzle enthusiast, even if you are not much of a gamer, you will also most likely appreciate the masterpiece that is Submachine 8. The game continues the mystery and subtle suspense that the first seven games and four spinoffs so perfectly established. The Seven Layers mechanic is executed fantastically. And the atmosphere is beautifully haunting. So what are you waiting for? Go play Submachine 8: The Plan right now! Actually, wait, no. Like with Lost, you should probably start at the beginning! Submachine 1: The Basement is available on the series website, along with the rest of the games. Check them out at Submachine World!

Gameplay: 10/10

Design: 10/10

Graphics: 10/10

Replay Value: 9/10

Soundtrack: 9.5/10

Overall Grade: 9.7/10 (A+)

Play (or purchase) Submachine 8: The Plan now!

Play other Submachine games on Submachine World!

Review Blurb: Of Light and Shadow

2012-10-07T23:23:00.003-04:00

(Another freeware-related review!)

It was an admittedly spectacular concept,
but this guy and his teammates need to
not jump the gun and release a game
before it can come close to realizing its
full potential to be one of the
greatest platformers of this generation.

This is the Ball Revamped 1 of platforming. The physics are god-awful, the collisions are unforgiving, and somehow, the game expects you to have no trouble at all. (Look at the "leaderboards.") It also seems to be designed for Xbox, so the tutorials were useless. I only gave it four stars [on Backloggery] because the gameplay is innovative, and the obstacles, albeit high-difficulty, are outstandingly clever. These developers need to bring this back into the workshop before releasing it again, however.

Oh, and the graphics are pretty dang impressive, too. Gotta mention that.

Review Blurb: Sushi Cat 2: The Great Purrade

2012-09-04T17:52:00.001-04:00

Look deep into his mustache...

The second installment in the most adorable Flash game series on the Internet has officially received its level pack, The Great Purrade! With sixteen additional levels (clearly meant to be played after completing the original Sushi Cat 2 game, as these levels start out pretty difficult) and four additional sit-back-and-relax bonus levels, this level pack is just as fun as the original game. It also contains two levels inspired by games by Jmtb02 that Jimp (who does the art for the Sushi Cat series) did the art for---Jmtb02's Elephant games and Chuck the Sheep---for all of us Armor Games fanboys and fangirls to squeal over! And if you need additional incentive to play through this game, Nyan Cat---yes, the Nyan Cat of meme status---makes an appearance as the special bonus item for Levels 16-19!

Play Sushi Cat 2: The Great Purrade at Armor Games!

Review Pod: Ib

2012-05-27T11:25:00.001-04:00

(NOTE: Okay, this isn't a Flash or Java game, but it's downloadable freeware that is just too good to not mention on this blog. By the way, I'm going to be writing a full review of this game sometime soon, as well. This should just give you a rundown.)

Ib (2012)
by kouri

I don't like horror movies, horror books, and certainly not horror games...except for Ib. This game is simply outstanding. The atmosphere is terrifying--for maximum chills, turn up the volume--and the story is engrossing and mysterious. I particularly like the setting of an art gallery. (Okay, "art hell" would be a better term.) I have never played better downloadable freeware. The game is extensive, the atmosphere is set perfectly, and the gameplay is at once incredibly simple and extremely complex...otherwise known as perfect!

I would dish out money for this one.

Gameplay: 10/10

Design: 10/10

Graphics: 10/10

Replay Value: 9.5/10

Soundtrack: 10/10

Overall Grade: 9.9/10 (A+)

WARNING: Ib contains many intense, frightening situations generated by psychological horror elements. It also contains violent references and some (often visually unidentifiable) blood. This game would probably be rated M, or at least T, by the ESRB. PLAYER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

Visit the official English Ib site (where you can download the game, too) by clicking here!

UPDATE (5/29/2012): I've gone ahead and converted the entire Ib soundtrack (found in the "Music" folder of the installation ZIP) to mp3 format and retitled the tracks to sound more...normal. I have also put the tracks in order of appearance within the game (except for the extended title/game theme, which I stuck at the end because it seemed appropriate). Finally, I also edited many of the tracks to include extra silence at their ends so as to make more of a transition between tracks when playing the whole album. Oh, and I gave the album a cool name. (Yes, the name is ironic so as to be a bit unsettling.)

You can download the entire (edited) Ib OST, Ib: Roseate Melodies, by clicking here and hitting the "Download" button! (Disclaimer: All of the tracks included were originally available royalty-free, and as such, my editing and distributing of them here for free does not violate copyright law. However, I credited the game's developer, Kouri, with every track because I was unable to find whom to credit. If you know who originally composed/arranged each track, please let me know.)

Retro Review: Ball Revamped

2012-01-14T13:27:00.001-05:00

Ball Revamped (2004)
by Jmtb02 (John Cooney)

Ah, the forgotten Ball Revamped game: the first one. Most of the series staples wouldn't be established until the next game, but this set the stage for the core gameplay of the series. Back in 2004, John was just starting out, so this is understandably low on his list of enjoyable games. The physics and controls are the worst out of all of his games, which make this an extremely difficult game. The game starts out pretty simple in the Novice's Realm, but by the Beginner's Realm, players should already be getting nervous. The game's difficulty ramp is approximately at a 75-80° angle; the game starts out pretty simple, but it doesn't take long to realize that BR is one of the most brutal Flash games ever programmed.

The power-ups don't help either; there are more negative power-ups in this first BR game than in any of the subsequent games in the series. That, and all power-ups appear in randomly-generated locations that change (or go away entirely) every time the player has to restart a level. So while this is the only BR game to have "Jump Level" and "Forgiving Walls" (which makes every part of the Ball invincible to walls except the Ball's center) power-ups, they could easily appear in impossible-to-reach places...and then they may not appear for another twenty deaths.

Then there are walls that move out of the way and back (in a second) every ten seconds or so, making these levels require excellent timing, as well. And the shoddy physics and mediocre collisions make these levels some of the most excruciating.

All this aside, the first Ball Revamped game, while it would be a bit too bold to call it a classic, is still a good challenge for those who like difficult games. For its time, BR was an innovative (not quite so much as its sequel, however) skill game, with clever level design and a simple yet fun concept. However, this game is only for the hardcore "casual gamer." One should probably play the other five BR games before playing this for two reasons: this is easily the worst game in the series, so it might give the wrong impression to BR newcomers, and it takes the basic stuff that would mercifully be made easier in future installments and displays them raw and uncut and really difficult. If you decide to accept this challenge, go with the comfort in mind that you will leave the game with a new best friend: the bird that laughs at you every time you lose.

Gameplay: 6/10

Design: 5/10

Graphics (for its time): 7.5/10

Replay Value: 4/10

Soundtrack: N/A

Overall Grade: 5.6/10 (F)

Play Ball Revamped at Jmtb02 Studios now!

P.S. I have only beaten this game twice, in a total of about five tries spread over about five-and-a-half years. My best score, from my second playthrough (which was about 20 minutes ago), is 1773 seconds, or 29.55 minutes. Yeah....

Review Pod: Culmination

2011-12-06T16:10:00.000-05:00

(May contain spoilers. If you're a spoiler-free kind of player, and you may play this game or the series at some point, steer clear of this Review Pod.)

Culmination (2011)
by Sun-Studios (Daniel Sun)

A brilliant end to what is now officially my favorite Flash series ever (finally beating Ball Revamped, which held the "throne" for five years). While the ending is anticlimactic, I know that this game actually takes place in the middle of Armed with Wings 3, in which the Lone Warrior does die (now we know how!).

The Easy mode is exactly what it sounds like. So is Hard. Actually, it is very hard. To all of you players who believe that this is a really easy Flash game, play this in Hard mode. And enjoy the fury that will accompany the difficulty!

Back to my review. Controls are probably the best they've ever been. The WASD scheme for attacking works great. The story is back-to-basics (like the first game), but it still fits perfectly into AwW3. The combat is a tad frustrating, especially in Hard mode, but it's still fun. I miss having the Eagle to solve puzzles with, but again, the Lone Warrior is no longer armed with wings, so it makes perfect sense. The boss battle? Awesome. I loved controlling Vandheer Lorde again, although it would have been nice to know that I was controlling him all of a sudden, as I died twice before I realized I wasn't the Lone Warrior anymore. Fighting Vandheer Lorde was just as fun, too!

Culmination is a fabulous, simple game that takes the series back to its roots for a satisfying finale. I am almost devastated to see this series come to an end, and I would love it if Sun-Studios would find some way to continue it, but these five games were absolutely phenomenal. Thanks, Sun-Studios, for such an amazing game and series!

Gameplay: 8.5/10

Design: 9.5/10

Graphics: 10/10

Replay Value: 8/10

Soundtrack: 9/10

Overall Grade: 9/10 (A-)

Play Culmination at Sun-Studios.net now!

(NOTE: Culmination is also known, unofficially, as Armed with Wings: Culmination because this is what is displayed in-game, and this title distinguishes the fact that it is part of the Armed with Wings series. However, Sun-Studios, as well as most Flash gaming sites, refer to this game simply as Culmination.)

UPDATE (9/4/2012): A month ago, Daniel Sun himself gave a shout-out to this review pod on his Twitter! I just wanted to respond: No problem, good sir! Your Armed with Wings series has further changed the way I see Flash gaming, and it has also had a huge impact on how I tell stories, as I am actually writing an unofficial novelization of the first game at the moment! Anyway, keep up the good work; your games (and your artwork) are amazing!

Rejoin Review Pod

2011-10-31T15:31:00.000-04:00

While infuriatingly difficult at times and blissfully easy at others (randomly), "Rejoin" is by far one of the best puzzle-platformers in the Flash gaming world. It takes ideas from other games of its kind, smashes them together, and turns them into something new, something better. At each new level, there is a new challenge with new twists and new tricks that try their very best to trip you up and make you lose. This is one of the most challenging games of its kind, making you go cross-eyed as you do your very bet to focus on controlling two different characters going in two different directions (usually), jumping across rarely identical courses until the two characters meet up...somewhere. Adding to the challenge is the fact that you can never be sure without thinking an entire level through exactly where in the level your goal is. Heck, there may be multiple possible goals!

Overall, "Rejoin" is a highly intelligent, ridiculously challenging game from little-known programmer VR GENESIS. I can easily say that I want to check out more of VRG's stuff, and I can also say (though a bit less easily) that "Rejoin" is even better than the Shift series. Sorry, Tony!

(My only qualm is the mountainous, unpredictable difficulty ramp. And the peaks of those mountains.)

Overall: 8.5/10 (B)

Play "Rejoin" at Armor Games now!

(SIDENOTE: I've had a full "Raze 2" review in the works since the game came out in its stable release, but I completely forgot to finish that. I'm going to do that. AddisonR: prepare for your game to be scrutinized. Deeply.)

Kingdom Rush Review Pod

2011-10-08T19:36:00.000-04:00

Give me a TD (tower defense) game, and I'll tell you it will have to be exceptional and original if it is going to capture my interest for more than five minutes. My problem with TD games is that they are so dag nab repetitive that it's nauseating...and all TD are like this by default.

Yes, even Kingdom Rush, the highest-rated (9.6/10) on Armor Games as of this writing.

I have only ever really loved the Gemcraft series when it comes to TD games...until now. I don't even know why! I just like KR. As a TD game, it's anything but original. Why, it's pretty much identical to almost every TD game I've ever played (minus Gemcraft, of course)! But it's fun.

Maybe it's the art. Maybe it's the plot (which is also not entirely original). Maybe it's the myriad of varieties of enemies (which is what TD games need more of). Maybe it's the four, easily-distinguishable kinds of towers. Or maybe it's the actually-relatively-easy difficulty when on "easy" (which is not the case in every TD I've ever played before now).

I think it's the enemies and the tower-enemy matchups (Pokemon-ish-style) that makes this so fun. And it is so fun, that I give it a 9.5/10. And I've done that maybe 5 times before (and almost all of them were Jmtb02 games).

Great work, Ironhide Game Studio. And here's to more from you in the future!

GRADE: 9.5/10 (A)

Play Kingdom Rush at Armor Games

Phage Wars - Review Blurb

2011-07-12T13:14:00.000-04:00

Great difficulty level and ramp (I only lost three times throughout the whole game), innovative gameplay, fast-paced action, and just plain fun. Great blob-motion/physics engine, too!

9/10

Play Phage Wars now at Armor Games!

Soviet Rocket Giraffe Go Go Go! Review Pod

2011-05-14T14:34:00.001-04:00

Apparently I was one of the first 5,000 people to play "Soviet Rocket Giraffe Go Go Go!" (on AG, the original site) when it was released a couple days ago. Anyway...lack of directions for controls or how top play makes this game confusing. I am still not sure what purpose grinding serves besides making you go faster and, as a result, going out of control. The game is simple, but it gets boring really quickly. I haven't made it super far, so I can only hope that the game isn't endless and that there's another fun Jmbt02 boss at the end. But I'm not sure. Anyway, it's still nice to have something from John while we wait for Exit Path 2, which is still awaiting its beta testing phase.

Verdict: If you're bored, play this game!
7.5/10

Play "Soviet Rocket Giraffe Go Go Go!" on Armor Games now!

EDIT: 5/25/2011

Okay, I'll admit it: this game has grown on me, especially when I finally figured out the purpose of grinding. I also got the iPod touch version free as part of a one-day promotion, which is better and more varying than the flash version in numerous ways. Do I change my rating of 7.5? No. It still gets boring after playing 1-5 times, depending on how long you last each time. But still: I shouldn't have been as harsh on it initially. I still wish there was a boss. But there isn't.

Crush the Castle 2: Players' Pack

2011-04-10T12:36:00.000-04:00

(First post!) Anyway, CtC2 is back with the Players' Pack! This game is made up entirely of castles (levels) made by players in the level editor of the original Crush the Castle 2. Let me say this: some of them are very impressive! However, others are really dumb. And did anyone else notice that most of the levels were made by the same 5 or 6 people?

Well, this aside, the game is fun. It's nothing really new from CtC2, but this is expected, especially since Players' Pack is essentially just an expansion of the original. One welcome change is that you get entire categories of projectiles at once, rather than one projectile at a time. It makes for more strategy within each area; it also increases the overall difficulty of the game (believe it or not) because you have more options, and only one or two of those options will actually help you. You'll also find yourself using less bombs and more boulders and iron balls throughout the game, which is a bit of a downer. Also, some of the bigger castles cause the game to lag a bit, even with a reasonably fast connection, which is kind of insane. The plot is dumb, but it actually works, making it slightly more memorable than it would be if it didn't work. Some of the levels are painfully frustrating, but this is a "must" in a CtC game and is certainly nothing new.

Two new projectiles have been introduced for post-game fun. I am only aware of one of them (a giant boulder), as there is absolutely no guidance on how to get either one (although, since I never move onto another level until I get a gold medal, I got the giant boulder right away when I beat the game; you need to beat the game with all gold medals in order to get it).

Overall, Crush the Castle 2: Players' Pack is a pretty big disappointment. I absolutely loved the original CtC2, especially post-game, when I could go back to the beginning and burn the first few castles with the fire potion (and other things, like the Warp Potion). In Players' Pack, while I welcome the incorporation of actual strategy in terms of which projectile to use, the overall execution of the game is poor. Few levels are particularly memorable, and most of them are by the same few people. Yes, this is a Players' Pack, but the first Crush the Castle: Players' Pack was significantly better (although that one, too, was worse than its predecessor, though only slightly). All this being said, if you are one of the many die-hard CtC fans who bash games similar to it (such as Siege Master, which I feel is superior to the CtC series) even though CtC is itself a "copy" (of Castle Clout), you should still try out CtC2:PP for yourself. However, if you aren't a die-hard CtC fan, you might want to wait until CtC3 inevitably comes out.

Gameplay: 9/10

Design: 5/10

Graphics: 7/10

Replay Value: 7.5/10

Soundtrack: 8/10

Overall Grade: 7.3/10 (C)

Crush the Castle 2 Players Pack | Armor Games: "With hundreds of castles submitted, the Crush the Castle 2 Players Pack was made for the fans by the fans. Thanks to everyone who submitted. :)

A plague has befallen the people of King Blutias's empire. Those who are infected seem to be possessed by some kind of voodoo. The Redvonian King is afraid the plague will spread to his empire so he has sent you, his trusty Siege Master, to destroy the castles of those who are infected.

New special 'foundation' blocks have been added as well as a new Undead Mode that tests your trebuchet skills.

Produced In-House by Armor Games Inc.
Programmed by Joey Betz.
Art by Chris 'Con' Condon and James 'Jimp' Pearmain
Special thanks to John, Dim, Joel."