Knytt Underground Review (PS3/PS Vita)

For many years Nifflas has been developing games on the PC. The two most notable of these titles are Within a Deep Forest and Knytt. Within a Deep Forest had players taking control of a sentient bouncing ball that had to save the world from a bomb. The game focused on the bouncing physics of different types of balls of different weights and materials.

Knytt focused on a little hero of the same name needing to find parts to fix a crashed spaceship so that he could get back home. The mechanics here dealt with the notion of climbing and sticking to walls. Both of these games have now been combined to create Knytt Underground which marks Nifflas’ first move into the realm of console gaming.

Split into three chapters, Knytt Underground has players take on the role of the mute Mi Sprocket as she explores a huge environment. Her aim is to look for human artefacts and complete quests in a Metroidvania style. The first two chapters act as short tutorials to help players understand the mechanics of how Mi and then Bob the ball handle. By chapter three the two characters have magically been morphed together allowing players to change from Mi to Bob at will.

This allows for some situations requiring lightning reflexes as you change from Mi to the bouncing ball mid-air to cannon off the landscape at all sorts of weird and wonderful angles in order to reach new areas. As well as the bouncing and climbing there are different coloured plumes of smoke which give temporary abilities. These range from turning Mi invisible, making her jump higher or turning her into a set that can shoot horizontally or vertically.

Everything is designed as a means for you to get to another locations and this is where Knytt Underground really works well. Nifflas games before this have always focused on short bursts of quick reflexes and skill. When Knytt Underground asks players to do the same it comes to life in a flurry of ever changing physics and colourful plumes of smoke. (Note to developer – a colour-blind filter would really help with those plumes of smoke)

However, in Knytt Underground there are often long stretches of exploration through empty screens to reach these areas. Sometimes the beautiful graphics and sound create a haunting and ambient environment which you don’t mind trekking through. At other times it can all be a little dull as you wander through empty screen after empty screen.

When Knytt Underground works it works well but when it doesn’t it feels empty and lifeless. This isn’t helped by the seeming lack of progress you make. There are numerous quests and items to discover but on completing or collecting them it doesn’t seem to mean much. Of course it all adds up in the end but the game could do with tweaking its risk reward system to help players feel a greater sense of achievement after they have overcome some of the incredibly fiendish screens.

It is worth highlighting just how lovely the game looks and sounds. This game is beautiful and the music is of the highest standard. We expect no less from a Nifflas game and in that department Knytt Underground can never be faulted. When transferred to the Vita (Knytt is cross buy), it looks all the more beautiful.

The Vita seems to be the natural home of Knytt Undeground, which makes it all the more surprising that save points are often miles away from each other. There are a lot of them, but instead of putting them at the start of tricky sections (like in Within a Deep Forest ), they are often located away from the area requiring players to back track.

Back tracking is something that can begin to hinder the experience. We lost count of the amount of times we trekked along a tunnel for five or six screens only to reach a character telling us we needed to bring a certain item to them. This then meant trekking back through all the screens again. There really isn’t a need for this and you wonder if the game would have benefitted from a slightly smaller, more focused, map without many of the empty screens.

Overall, Knytt Underground is a promising start for Nifflas in the realm of console gaming. The look and sound of the game is gorgeous and easily rivals the best of the Playstation Network. The game itself gives players a huge world to explore but many may well feel that it lacks focus and a real sense of rewards for the skill you need in order to progress. Those looking for an adventure set at a slower pace will love it, while others will be left wanting a bit more excitement.

7/10

Read our review of Within a Deep Forest.

SURGE Review (PS Vita)

Future Lab is a relatively new development company, but already they have a strong record in the realm of portable gaming. No matter what they produce it seems to raise the bar with regards to what we expect from our mobile devices. Our love for Velocity is well documented but since then the Brighton based studio has been developing a number of Playstation Mobile games, the latest of which is ‘SURGE’

SURGE is a puzzle game which utilises the touch screen. The aim is simply to connect blocks of the same colour to one another with an electrical current. Using your finger you need to drag from one block to the next to create as big a chain as possible. Like all good puzzle games the premise is simple but in practice it all becomes highly addictive.

The idea is to clear the screen before a pressure gauge explodes. In order to stop this happening you need to clear an entire horizontal row an open valves at both sides of the screen. This releases the pressure and adds a point bonus to the blocks of corresponding colour. On top of this ticking time bomb there is a normal time limit as well. When that expires more blocks fall into the screen. It starts out simply but by the end descends into panic stricken madness of the best kind.

Along with the standard coloured blocks are a number of special ones. These consist of things like bombs (which clear the screen of all blocks of that colour), wild card blocks (which can be used as any colour), and blocks which continually change. The best special block though is one which, for a short period of time, changes all the blocks to the same colour allowing you to rush for a quick clearance and chain bonus.

What really elevates the title is its presentation. The theme of electricity is constant through the design and the blocks glow with neon colour, the electrical lines drawn to connect them fizz satisfyingly and the sound track gives off an industrial electro vibe. This keeps the adrenaline pumping and the enjoyment high. When everything starts working together it creates a real state of flow that’s hard to match in many other puzzle games and gives a real gravity and impact to the game.

Adding to the competitive side of the title are online leader boards and in game trophies. When you start a new game the name of the person who has the score directly above you is plastered right in the middle of the screen for a few seconds. This adds to the ever growing reasons to keep coming back for just one more go. 

There is one problem that could do with being addressed though. The game doesn’t contain any sort of colour blind filter or way of identifying blocks in any way other than the colour they are. This won’t be a problem for most of you but for some it means high scores will remain permanently out of reach. It only really comes into play with the yellow and green blocks - which are near indistinguishable to someone with partial colour-blindness. It isn’t enough to ruin the game but it does become incredibly annoying at higher levels when speed is everything. The addition of some kind of symbol for the colours would be most welcome if it could be implemented in the future.

Overall though, SURGE is another example of Future Lab making us expect more from our mobile games. This is a cut above almost all other mobile device games in terms of presentation and is another utterly essential game for those that want something they can play on the move. The studio seems to move effortlessly from strength to strength and we look forward to seeing what they come up with next.

8/10

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow Review (DS)

Following on from the excellent Aria of Sorrow comes the next imaginatively named chapter in the Castlevania story. The title continues the tale of High school student Soma Cruz as he is drawn to a mysterious village to try and stop an evil cult from resurrecting Dracula. The story may not be original but then this Is Castlevania and as the plot has stayed the same since the days of the 8-bit era it would seem a shame to break tradition now.

Aria of Sorrow showed a number of small steps away from the 'classic' Castlevania mould and these departures are continued here. Once again Soma can use any number of weapons to defeat the hordes of beasts rather than being restricted to the vampire slaying whip of the Belmont clan (though a member of the Belmont family is also investigating the village).

Another departure is the gradual change in both music and graphical feel of previous titles. Aria started it with hints of Neo punk overtures. Here the style is integrated a little more into the games structure. This most noticeably with Soma himself being portrayed in a long white coat and looking like a standard Anime hero during cut scenes. The music has also taken on a more Japanese synth feel to it, which, while not unpleasant and expertly composed, does not have the same power to conjure an atmosphere as the elegant chords of something like Castlevania IV.

Dawn of Sorrow may not be classic Castlevania in the strict sense of the word but that does not mean that the game is anything short of remarkable for fans of the series. After calling for Konami to try and make the player feel they are exploring more than simply another castle for the hundredth time we are pleased to see a fresher approach to the game area. For instance, Soma starts out on the outskirts of a village and only a few screens in do we reach the Castle. Even when inside the variety in graphics makes the game world a much more varied place to explore than the last few titles.

Soma himself handles like a dream. There is a certain grace and smoothness about movement in the game- a good thing as enemies do their best to come at you from awkward heights. After three games on the GBA and Symphony of the Night on the Playstation it seems the control system has been refined to near perfection. As classic as it is, Symphony of the Night was a little sluggish and awkward when you needed to react quickly. Soma is far more flexible and agile meaning quick reactions should see you safe from harm.

Making a welcome return from Aria of Sorrow is the Soul capturing ability. Any Enemy Soma kills may release a soul orb that will grant him an extra power. These range from throwing weapons, stat enhancements or the ability to summon monsters and allow the player to find a balance that suits them. The only problem is that collecting souls is all down to chance. This means that while one player may pick up powerful souls early on, someone less lucky may have to struggle through without them.

Boss battles are suitably grand and imaginative affairs. Creatures are huge and foreboding giving a sense of achievement when they bite the dust. They also bring into play the somewhat pointless use of the DS stylus- with players needing to quickly draw a magic seal once the monster has been pounded to the brink of death. Failure to draw the seal in time leads to the boss gaining a small amount of health back and the battle continuing.

Castlevania DS falls is a strange thing. There is very little to pick fault with here and there is certainly nothing you could describe as bad design. However, this is the Fifth version of the non-linear Castlevania series and there really is only so much wandering around a map you can do before you start playing on instinct and memory rather than finding yourself experiencing anything truly new and exhilarating. The game itself is a great title but we can't help wondering how many more times players can be sent around a castle before they start living in a permanent case of De Ja Vu.

Overall Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow is a stunningly made title; yes it may be 'castles' again. But there is no questioning that this is the best handheld version of the series and arguably the best of the non-linear series (yes arguably even better than Symphony). The Idea as a whole may be heading closer to cliche but once you actually start playing it is nigh on impossible not to feel the Castlevania magic take you over. A must for fans and one of the DS's most accomplished titles.

8/10

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow Review (GBA)

Set in the year 2035, Dracula has been completely destroyed and his castle imprisoned in a solar eclipse meaning he cannot reform. The Belmont family have long stopped waiting for his return and disappeared into history (until Dawn of Sorrow).

Enter Soma Cruz who, along with his girlfriend, is mystically transported inside the eclipse. Here a new threat is awakening, as Dracula's powers will soon begin to burn in the heart of an heir. Aria of Sorrow marks a change in style for the Castlevania series; both in terms of look and play mechanics. Long gone is the medieval Gothic feel. Instead characters lean towards a much more Japanese cyberpunk style, all androgynous men and long white hair, far from the headband wearing valiant knights of yesteryear.

The new Japanese style works brilliantly to reinvigorate the mood of the series. There is also a move back to Symphony of the Nights multiple weapons. Furthermore as the adventure unravels Soma begins to find he can absorb powers from defeated enemies. This adds a lot more depth to your play and gives yet more weapons and magic spells to be played around with.

Graphically the game is gorgeous, with ridiculous levels of detail apparent in the background art and the castles evil minions. This is the game that the developers finally realised that though big castles are meant to be dark, the Game Boy Advance does not like it. The move to cyberpunk allows a much lighter colour scheme which allows the player to see what is going on.

Soma Cruz is just about the most playable character to be found in a GBA game. He jumps, dashes, fights and flies with an ease and grace that shames most games. The excellent controls coupled with the games addictive quality will keep you pushing forward to find the next section long into the night.

Cleverly, the learning curve has been set just right. Very rarely do you find yourself in a situation where you feel overwhelmed by what you're facing. When something truly nasty is about to test you to your limits you can be sure there is a handy save room nearby. This means you never come across a boss monster with one hit point and no magic left. Everything just seems a whole lot more fair than in the previous two GBA outings.

Overall, Aria of Sorrow improves and develops upon its predecessors. Better graphics, sound, story, gameplay and style all add up to a brilliant action adventure with a touch of RPG about it.

8/10