Bombs, Shotguns and fittingly, Death
Spelunky is not a forgiving game, at least not all of the time, but that is to be expected where random world generation is concerned and areas where enviromental hazards and health-sapping creatures are an ever present. You play an archeologist exploring first a cave system then later jungles, icey caverns and temple ruins. The ultimate goal is really survival but along the way you'll collect treasure, prevent dangerous traps and creatures from pasting you, trade money for valuable resources (or try and steal them) and rescue helpless damsels, dudes and dogs.
No one game of Spelunky is intended to last. Death is a certainty, particulary when still learning game mechanics. Even the fully tuned in will still fall victim to a well placed arrow trap or blunder into a snake filled basket. You start with 4 hit points and whilst rescuing the damsels, one of which belongs to every level, will restore 1 vital heart, many more entitys in the world will look to drop you to zero. You need to concentrate to do well in Spelunky, taking your time with each precipice and enemy. It really isn't an unfair game, though it often feels like it when you refuse to take your time. And it's easy to rush given how controlled your character feels. Sprinting in mid-air instantly boosts your acceleration, lengthy jumps leaving you clinging to ledges feel satisfying and jumping feet first onto bats, spiders and scorpions (but not man-eating plants) feels as wholesome as any Mario game ever did.
Bombs and ladders are your key tools in Spelunky, one for progressing into sealed off areas and one to escape should you fall too far down for your spring filled heels to let you escape. You start with 4 each game and whilst its possible to buy more from the occasional shopkeeper or find them in scattered in crates you will always feel you could use more. Outside these core items there are many special tools you will find in the world; capes - for slowing descent into unexplored pits; climbing gloves - allowing you to scale any surface; spring boots - now that italian plumber has a high jump rival. Few are as joyous as the rarely encountered Jetpack though.
And so, sometimes a game of Spelunky goes just to well. Maybe you got lucky and found said Jetpack in the 2nd cave level (there are 4 levels for each of the world types), maybe you ran into a large cache of bombs. Maybe you picked up a freeze gun, shattered the greedy shopkeeper, stole all his gear and flew off brandishing his shotgun. You'll think you are invincible briefly until it all falls apart and you get skewered by an arrow trap, smacked by a scorpion and sent flayling helplessly into a spike pit. And when you start again, it's all gone. Suddenly that cocky little Indy Jones is history and you are back to being a meager explorer with a few bombs, ropes and a puny whip. And then the descent starts again.
5/5
