Lots of people seem to hate on this game because of the controls, which in a way I understand, but I am of the opinion that the controls are what make the game awesome. This is what I don't think people "get" about the game. The entire game design revolves around not being good at the controls at first, and slowly mastering them, much like learning a musical instrument. The controls being hard to master isn't because some game designer couldn't think of easier ways for the player to get their character from point A to point B, it's what the entire game is about. This is similar to NiGHTS, where some people just couldn't understand why the enemies were sparse with very little AI, when that's not what the game was about.
Why i like Gunvalkrie's controls:
The control scheme is very hard at first to "get". The game starts out with a level that is pretty hard that forces you to become somewhat comfortable with the controls in order to pass. As the levels progress the game awards you with more abilities as the controls become more intuitive in a way that is extremely satisfying. If you started out the game with maximum capabilities you wouldn't know what to do with them, the greater abilities pretty much require a certain level of expertise, but once you are at that level, the new abilities allow for MUCH more freedom of movement in a way that feels much more active than your typical "I got a more powerful gun, but the enemies now have more hit points". Some of the levels designs are genius, forcing mastery of the controls and newly gained abilities in really, really creative and active ways. I almost want to compare it to Metroid in that sense, but the game plays nothing like a Metroid game. For instance there are levels where you're basically in freefall for just about the entire level, and you really have to use the controls to their maximum. There are levels where you are platforming upward for what seems like miles, and you have to use some problem solving to find ways to get your jetpack to the next platform. The end result is that by the end of the game you feel a sense of accomplishment that is not present in any other game i've played.
Graphics:
Awesome(for the time, obviously). The player controlled characters have superb animation and look incredible. The awesome animation actually helps put you into the game. There are some great effects, and I think to that point in the xbox's lifespan, it was one of the best looking games out. The drawbacks are sub par enemy design and the environments can get somewhat repetitive.
Sound:
If you like "old" Sega music, you'll love the soundtrack to this game. One of the biggest reasons for me being a Sega fanatic back in the day was that that their older Saturn and Genesis games had incredible soundtracks. To me this game is no different, and brought back some of those memories. The music perfectly fits the space/exploration theme of the game.
I don't think the game has a ton of lasting appeal, it's more one of those games that after you beat it, you might pick it up a year later and play through it again, but the first playthrough is great. If you can get past the idea that the controls NEED to be intuitive immediately in order for a game to be fun, you'll like this game. I would actually agree with that sentiment for most all types of games, but this is an exception, I feel, because the other game mechanics and level design are not at all like most games, and are built to perfectly complement the controls. If you put these controls in a typical platformer or shooter I would probably throw the disc immediately into the trash, they wouldn't make any sense in that context. Smilebit knew exactly what they were doing, they were an amazing dev team. People just "get" this game because of ingrained preconceptions or because they didn't give it much of a chance.
Why i like Gunvalkrie's controls:
The control scheme is very hard at first to "get". The game starts out with a level that is pretty hard that forces you to become somewhat comfortable with the controls in order to pass. As the levels progress the game awards you with more abilities as the controls become more intuitive in a way that is extremely satisfying. If you started out the game with maximum capabilities you wouldn't know what to do with them, the greater abilities pretty much require a certain level of expertise, but once you are at that level, the new abilities allow for MUCH more freedom of movement in a way that feels much more active than your typical "I got a more powerful gun, but the enemies now have more hit points". Some of the levels designs are genius, forcing mastery of the controls and newly gained abilities in really, really creative and active ways. I almost want to compare it to Metroid in that sense, but the game plays nothing like a Metroid game. For instance there are levels where you're basically in freefall for just about the entire level, and you really have to use the controls to their maximum. There are levels where you are platforming upward for what seems like miles, and you have to use some problem solving to find ways to get your jetpack to the next platform. The end result is that by the end of the game you feel a sense of accomplishment that is not present in any other game i've played.
Graphics:
Awesome(for the time, obviously). The player controlled characters have superb animation and look incredible. The awesome animation actually helps put you into the game. There are some great effects, and I think to that point in the xbox's lifespan, it was one of the best looking games out. The drawbacks are sub par enemy design and the environments can get somewhat repetitive.
Sound:
If you like "old" Sega music, you'll love the soundtrack to this game. One of the biggest reasons for me being a Sega fanatic back in the day was that that their older Saturn and Genesis games had incredible soundtracks. To me this game is no different, and brought back some of those memories. The music perfectly fits the space/exploration theme of the game.
I don't think the game has a ton of lasting appeal, it's more one of those games that after you beat it, you might pick it up a year later and play through it again, but the first playthrough is great. If you can get past the idea that the controls NEED to be intuitive immediately in order for a game to be fun, you'll like this game. I would actually agree with that sentiment for most all types of games, but this is an exception, I feel, because the other game mechanics and level design are not at all like most games, and are built to perfectly complement the controls. If you put these controls in a typical platformer or shooter I would probably throw the disc immediately into the trash, they wouldn't make any sense in that context. Smilebit knew exactly what they were doing, they were an amazing dev team. People just "get" this game because of ingrained preconceptions or because they didn't give it much of a chance.
