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LTTP: Sound Shapes, or: How to teach game mechanics

  • Thread starter Deleted member 125677
  • Start date
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Deleted member 125677

Unconfirmed Member
sounds-shapes-game-608x334.jpg


I've always thought this game looked fairly interesting, even before I owned the device to play it on. It's fair to say the game did deliver.

Campaign
The campaign mode is divided into albums, all with level design and music made by different developers / musicians. For example the album 'Cities' has level design by Pyramid Attack, music by Beck, 'Corporeal' has leveled designed by Superbrothers, music by Jim Guthrie, etc.

This gives the game a fair amount of variety, and I enjoyed exploring the different soundscapes that each album provided. The campaign is not very challenging at all, and its purpose seems to me to be based around experiencing the different worlds and music rather casually. Collectables are distributed freely, mostly directly in path and in plain sight. It's a very enjoyable experience, helped by one of the better soundtracks released in the last couple of years.


Death Mode defense force
Now this is where the fun begins. It's a set of arcade like challenges based on some of the mechanics - one for each of the levels in the campaign. I'm aware that these levels are not universally appraised. A lot of people disliked them because they were generally too hard, and to some degree based on luck as you get a random distribution of a set amount of notes to collect within a given time limit.

Here's an example. One of the harder challenges: "Break-a-Noids".

Another one: "Galaxanoids":



Why are these levels so interesting? I've always enjoyed really trying to get a grip on the game mechanics that a game offers. Speed-running levels is usually a good method to do so. However, when speed running memorizing levels are an important part and as such, it often becomes a matter of remembering inputs as you rush through.

But in this scenario, the random distribution of notes, combined with the harsh time limit, forces you to learn how to move about as quickly as possible in a limited terrain (the challenges are all one-screen levels). Since you can never be sure of where notes will spawn, memorizing paths and inputs will get you nowhere. Instead you have to focus on learning to maneuvre your blob in the best possible way, knowing when to speed up, when to cling, and when to fall.

The counter argument to this will be: "You'll have to get lucky with the note distribution to succeed." Maybe so. I'm not sure, but I felt like after playing each level for a while, pretty much any distribution of notes could theoretically be collected. Even in Galaxanoid. If, in the end, the challenges rely on both a bit of luck and skill, I'm at the very least certain that skill plays the most important part.

I got hooked and finished the game in three sessions.
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tl;dr: Fantastic experience, great design, visuals and music. The Death mode challenges in this game forces you to learn game mechanics in an unrivaled fashion, and it's therefore a really interesting game.
 

Foshy

Member
Yeah, it's really a great game. I held the world record for all the deadmau5 levels at some point, probably got beaten by now but it's been fun :p Also had a nice rivalry with fellow GAFfer Arukado going on.
 
One of my favorite games of 2012. Visually, the Superbrothers levels are my favorite and I think they are also my favorite for the music as well thanks to Jim Guthrie.
 
You did great finishing the game in three sessions! Took me a long time to want to go back to the death mode, but I did finally complete it at which point I fired up my PS3/PS4 and claimed my additional 2 Platinums!
 

GeometryHead

Neo Member
I like it, but for some reason the Death Mode levels frustrate me more than other challenging games (like Trials), so I've yet to finish them. I've completed about half of them, but only have patience for one or two every time I play.
 
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Deleted member 125677

Unconfirmed Member
Yeah, it's really a great game. I held the world record for all the deadmau5 levels at some point, probably got beaten by now but it's been fun :p Also had a nice rivalry with fellow GAFfer Arukado going on.

I haven't really tried speed running the regular levels yet. Need to check it out, but I guess the online community is pretty dead?

You did great finishing the game in three sessions! Took me a long time to want to go back to the death mode, but I did finally complete it at which point I fired up my PS3/PS4 and claimed my additional 2 Platinums!

Well to be fair, it was three rather long and intense sessions :p
 
I understand there is obviously costs involved, but they missed a huge opportunity to release new "Albums" from different artists. I am pretty sure I would have bought every single one of them.

Also Death Mode does rely on luck to an extent. There are some levels where you can get really screwed if notes appear on the opposite side of the screen often. Then you will luck out and get notes in clusters and finish with a lot of time left.
 
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Deleted member 125677

Unconfirmed Member
I understand there is obviously costs involved, but they missed a huge opportunity to release new "Albums" from different artists. I am pretty sure I would have bought every single one of them.

I couldn't agree more!

I was so disappointed finding out almost all DLC was beat-school stuff. :(
 

LakeEarth

Member
Played it at a Vita kiosk and kinda fell in love with it. I was going to wait for a PS+ sale but with the music rights involved I don't know how likely that is.
 

GYNGA

Member
*bro-fist*

Death Mode was the best part of the game for me. The only DM level that I really disliked was Thermogenica, which is way too much luck-dependent IMO
 
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Deleted member 125677

Unconfirmed Member
*bro-fist*

Death Mode was the best part of the game for me. The only DM level that I really disliked was Thermogenica, which is way too much luck-dependent IMO

It had a fixed pattern for the sparks, but yeah, it was hard as hell!

Played it at a Vita kiosk and kinda fell in love with it. I was going to wait for a PS+ sale but with the music rights involved I don't know how likely that is.

I waited for a sale since November (EU), never happened so I just caved in and got it at full price. It's not so steep, defintely worth it.
 

Xenon

Member
I should have loved this game but the whole thing came off very clinical to me. I don't think I tried death mode though.
 
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