Dagnabbit, am I really writing another one of these already? It's barely been two days since I waxed lyrical on Telltale's The Walking Dead: Season Two, and here I am with another beaten game to discuss in another Backlogtober update. In case you're late to the party and haven't seen any of my previous updates (seriously, where have you been? I've done, like, ten of these now), allow me to explain - Backlogtober is a self-imposed drive in which I attempt to beat as many games from my insurmountable Pile of Shame as possible during the month of October, in the hope it might make it seem a little more... surmountable. Since the month started I've managed to beat nine distinct titles, and have been chronicling my progress through regular blog updates here on Giant Bomb.
While I may well be metaphorically "on fire", this update focuses on a game with a protagonist who is literally on fire - it's 'Splosion Man, the zany platformer from indie developer Twisted Pixel. I went into it thinking I probably wouldn't get much out of it, a preconception born from a poor initial impression of the game when I tinkered with it a few years back, and having been burned by an indie platformer once already this month. Similar to And Yet It Moves, 'Splosion Man is hinged on a single mechanical distinction, and I was worried that it would also fall into the trap of tiring its gimmick long before its end. After all, how much mileage can you get out of your protagonist being able to explode at will?
Once I actually started digging into what 'Splosion Man offers, though, I found myself really warming to it. While 'sploding may be its core mechanic and gimmick, it isn't the focus of the game in the same way as And Yet It Moves' world rotation. It's something more akin to Mario's jump, or Sonic's spin-dash, an all-purpose utility move that plays into navigation, combat and puzzle-solving. With that established, the real star of the game - its excellent level design - comes to the fore. 'Splosion Man features fifty single-player levels (and the same again in its co-op component, I believe), and almost every single one of those levels is a blast to play through. There's a surprising amount of variety on offer too, with some levels focusing on sheer speed and reflexes, and others challenging the player to solve some kind of puzzle to proceed past the next force-field door. What's really commendable in all this is how the game always manages to keep your next step in plain view, whether it be a clear wall-jump opportunity or a green barrel that'll propel you to a new objective. Nothing ever feels unachievable, or like a leap of faith, and that feeds back into a 'one-more-try' mentality that kept me playing even when I was repeatedly getting my ass handed to me on some of the later levels.
Another thing that won me over with 'Splosion Man was how evocative it can be of some of my all-time favourite 2D platformers. Some levels generate a blistering sense of speed and momentum that took me back to my earliest days playing video games with the original Sonic games on the Mega Drive. Other levels throw unforgiving, perfect-timing jumping puzzles at you à la Super Meat Boy. Others still ask you to put together the pieces of a multi-part puzzle to progress, reminiscent of Portal (which... isn't 2D, but my point still stands). All of these different approaches lead to increased variety, which helps combat player fatigue, but it also makes the game feel familiar in a ton of different ways. 'Splosion Man is a game that wears its influences proudly upon its smouldering sleeves, and pretty much every one of those influences is something that I can relate to on some level.
Where the game really stamps its own identity on things is with its zany sense of humour. The game has an appropriately madcap art style, complemented by the overblown animations and other distinctive visual touches (I don't think I'd ever get tired of turning the enemy scientists into assorted cooked meats). Much of 'Splosion Man's character is portrayed through tiny sound-bites, usually incoherent babbling, that go a long way towards painting him as mischievous and playful. At no point while playing did I ever feel like I was doing anything out of malice - 'Splosion Man chooses to 'splode simply because it's fun. That feeling of fun in turn translates to the player experience. It certainly won't be for everyone, but the silly irreverence of 'Splosion Man is something I can definitely get behind. Finally, I feel like I would be remiss if I didn't mention 'the Donut song' that plays whenever you pick up a hefty scientist. That ukulele-backed tune is happiness and warmth distilled into musical form, and I know it's going to be my ear-worm for the foreseeable future. I mean seriously, hit play on the video below and tell me honestly that something inside you doesn't melt into warm squishy contentment.
From here the last ten days really start to look like the home stretch. Next up to play is Zeno Clash, the bizarre first-person brawler from Ace Team. All estimates point to it being a short but rewarding experience that I can probably blow through in two or three sittings. After that, I plan to turn my attention to the pièce de résistance of Backlogtober - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. I realise there's a pretty high probability that I'll wrap up both of those before the month is out, especially if I can maintain the pace I've kept up so far. Should that happen, I have a couple of contingency plans that I can fall back on in order to keep Backlogtober moving toward the finish line. My next update is likely to land this weekend, when I'll hopefully be sharing some thoughts on a recently-completed Zeno Clash. Until then, thanks for reading. Take care duders, and I'll see you around.
Dan
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Currently playing - Pokémon Alpha Sapphire (3DS)
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