Death is Only the Beginning
If you had told me that one day I would love a game that will kill you at every possible turn, and that when these multitude of deaths would occur, I would laugh and start over, I would have called you a madman. But as I sit and play through Spelunky I do just that, I shrug it off and start all over again!
Normally a game where death awaits you so frequently would be a huge turnoff for me, its not something that I generally enjoy happening. But Spelunky somehow manages to make the deaths charming and funny, when I accidentally land on those spikes I have been trying to avoid, I just can't help but chuckle, and after the laughter ends, I can't wait to get right back to exploring.
The procedurally generated levels always keep things interesting. If I were to die frequently and then have to repeat levels with the exact same layout I could see it getting tiring very quickly, however since every level is always random, it feels less like a game of memorizing where death awaits you, and instead instills more of a sense of exploration. And for a game about treasure hunting in caves, there should definitely be that sense of exploration.
The game mechanics are fantastic, your character moves just how you would want him to. The items you can get to assist you in your exploration are usually helpful without feeling like they take away too much of the challenge of the game. While some items are definitely humorous in nature, I feel like they are a welcome addition to the gameplay.
The enemies, while perhaps not the most varied you would find, still manage to find the sweet spot between challenging and downright infuriating. Things like hidden treasure rooms that you can break in too, all while dodging a crazy old prospecter with a shotgun, add variety to levels that is also a welcome addition to the game. (And I find that the persistence of said prospecter with a shotgun to mercilessly hunt you down after you have plundered his treasures to be humorous rather than irritating.)
If you are looking for a game that you can sit and play for just a few minutes, or a few hours if you want to, this is one of the two games I would recommend that you get, it is a uniquely fun and interesting game in the sea of garbage that is Xbox Live.
