I’m reviewing Liberated Pixel Cup games. There’s 48 games. I’m reviewing one by one.
Disclaimer: I am also competing in the contest.
AfterImage [Play me!] [Download me!] [Download newer version]
I uploaded v1.1, which isn’t the version that was submitted for the contest. It has ‘bugfixes’. For best look & feel, use your browser’s Zoom In to full-screen the game.
This is an HTML5 Game. And its pretty *and* fantastic. It reminds me of Chrono Trigger and Zelda: Link to the Past. The first thing you’ll notice is that there’s music and sound effects. There’s some rain going on the screen, and when you change routes, a sign shows up on top and fades out. The presentation is very nice.
The story plays out with a hooded character in a forest. You can walk around and explore the land. You’ll eventually find some treasure chests that are “locked”, but the game developers kindly mention that “There is no key, do not spend any time looking for one, [they'd] feel sad if [we] did so”. Exploring a bit through the forest, you’ll find some thick grass blocking your way. You can get your sword from the tree behind you. Past the grass there are some logs blocking your way. Walk back a bit, and you’ll trigger “Desolation”. It’s a nice way to ‘warp between parallel worlds’. While the normal place looks green and lush, Desolation has all the trees dried up. It also has your first enemy: A plant that spawns bees.
The combat system is unique and refreshing. Using the arrows helps you move around the enemy in any of the four cardinal positions, then you can press the spacebar to use your sword against the enemy. You have to wait for its mouth thing to open to actually hurt it, and it’ll spawn bees that head in your general direction, which means you have to move around to dodge the bees while trying to hit the enemy.
After the battle ends, you’re told that you can use R to switch between Desolation and Normal planes, and you’re lead to the castle where you can use the mechanics to go around places that were normally locked or blocked. As soon as you enter the boss / king, you’re told another piece of the story.
I believe the game is incomplete, because after one quick smack at the Boss / King, the screen faded black and I can’t seem to do anything else.
Overall, I liked the (short) game, and am looking forward to more from the developers. You should definitely try it out!
