 |
|
|
 |
 |
ikaruga
review entry |
|
 |
|
|
treas·ure n.
1. Accumulated or stored wealth in the form of money, jewels, or
other
valuables.
2. Valuable or precious possessions of any kind.
3. One considered especially precious or valuable.
|
Almost
always used in a good connotation, the word "treasure"
immediately stirs up
feelings of happiness and excitement in those who hear it, whether
it's people thinking of all the money they could use to get out of
their dead-end job or those remembering old stories of pirates and
exploring.
To hardcore gamers, though, the definition is different but no less
enthralling. Treasure has become virtually synonymous with high
quality experiences that are truly made for gamers by gamers, ones
that brazenly reject financial gain in favor of a truly awesome game
that people will enjoy, not slog through or simply watch unfold.
It's an impressive pedigree that, some would say, matches or even
exceeds Nintendo's own.
So naturally, the latest game from the esteemed development house is
bound to generate excitement in anyone who cares. Does Ikaruga,
released on April
15, 2003,
have these characteristics of a truly great game?
Graphics
It goes without saying that Ikaruga is not a game that anyone,
anywhere would buy for its graphics, and for good reason: the
gameplay is obviously the main focus.
At first glance, Ikaruga appears to be graphically neutral. There is
nothing in particular that anyone could point to and say, "This
really takes away from the look," or "They could have
easily made this look better." By the same token, though, there
is also nothing that will cause onlookers to exclaim, "This
game looks absolutely amazing!" or simply "Holy ----!"
The ship and enemy models in particular are well crafted but could
stand to have more detail and animation instead of just flying in
and firing. (Note that these complaints do not apply to any of the
end level bosses. These behemoths are truly a sight to see, with
breath-takingly fluid animation and impressive design. Their form is
not only aesthetically pleasing but pertinent to the gameplay as
well.)
The developers took a similar approach to the backgrounds. While
they are more impressive than the character models, the landscapes
that you see flying by are not something to write home about.
However, they do an excellent job of adding to the epic feeling of
the game. Those who are able to take their eyes off the action for a
second and look past will get the feeling that they are flying over
a vast mountain range or industrial factory. One minor complaint is
that there was a lack of interaction with your environments. Being
able to weave about an obtrusive beam or explode objects in the
background to take out enemies would have added a lot to the
presentation of the game. In the end, though, backgrounds shouldn't
be about an impressive draw distance or interactivity; they should
be trying to give the player the feeling that they are truly in that
location. In this respect, Ikaruga succeeds wonderfully.
While the graphics may not be the best technically, the
pre-determined movements and waves of enemies are downright
hypnotic. Similarly to Tetris and Dance Dance Revolution, you will
see scenes from the gameplay when you close your eyes at night. The
way that the bluish-white melts into the reddish-black is
mesmerizing but never so much so that your attention will be forced
to waver from the gameplay. That last bit neatly summarizes
Ikaruga's graphics and nearly everything else about the game:
perfectly suited to the gameplay and little else.
Sound
Let's be clear on something: nobody cares about sound effects. The
highest compliment that can be given is that they're well suited to
the game, and this definitely applies to Ikaruga as well. The sound
of fire coming out of your own ship or the explosion of enemy ships,
while incessant, never gets conspicuous or old.
The music, though, is a much more interesting subject. While you
won't find these compositions stuck in your head for days on end or
catch yourself humming them loudly to yourself during lunch break,
they complement the action on the screen perfectly. The tempo
increases when more enemies are present (though this is preset and
not interactive like in games like The Legend of Zelda: The Wind
Waker or Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II), and when a boss
appears, the music is there helping you feel intimidated yet
determined. Simply put: the music works, but it's not as impressive
when placed separately.
Gameplay
Ah yes, gameplay ... the meat and potatoes of any great game. Unlike
some games, which succeed by engrossing the player in layers of
complexity and strategy, Ikaruga is about one thing: shooting. Okay,
it gets little more complicated than that, but not by much.
If you are already familiar with Ikaruga's gameplay, there is no
need to read the following paragraph.
Anyone who's ever played Space Invaders (or any kinetic video game,
for that matter) should feel immediately at home here. The objective
of the game is to get from the start point to the end point without
dying on a constantly scrolling screen. Of course, it's not quite
that easy in execution. Unlike most space shooters, which give you a
gun and a collection of power-ups, Ikaruga starts and stays with
shooting and one key innovation ... polarity. Every enemy in the
game is centered around either a dark or light polarity, and your
ship can change its own polarity at will. Doing so offers several
advantages. For one thing, fire of one color will be twice as
effective against a ship of the other. (This is particularly helpful
on bosses, but it can also be a liability against normal enemies
since you will be susceptible to their fire.) In addition, you will
absorb enemy shots of your own polarity. Doing so will charge up
your special meter. Depending on how many slots are full, you can
fire a certain number of homing lasers at your adversaries. Controls
are simple: one button for shooting, another for changing polarity,
and the last for releasing a series of homing shots.
While simple in theory, the concept of polarity in an action shooter
raises a variety of strategic questions that would never come up in
any other game. Should you risk facing an onslaught of opposing fire
to defeat this enemy faster or play it safe and slow? Should I
defeat this enemy now or idle for a bit while charging my special
meter? Is it worth repeatedly switching polarities constantly
against these assorted enemies or should I try to stay one color and
use my dodging skills?
It also makes the game especially difficult. With the unprecedented
amount of fire on the screen at any given time, having to worry
about switching polarities is not something that you want to have to
worry about. And yet you will, or you will die. This ultimatum that
Ikaruga presents you with is quite refreshing in an industry full of
tutorials that walk you through the gameplay like a doting mother,
fearing that any discomfort will send you, the player, running.
While it may scare off some, those who remain and submit themselves
to the game will be rewarded with a level of intensity not often
reached in video games.
So the game is simple. And challenging. And intense. And rewarding.
But is it fun? The answer is a hesitant yes. While other games that
focus on pure entertainment (Mario Kart springs to mind) are in no
danger of competition, Ikaruga manages to deliver some fine times,
especially with another player.
The level design simply must be mentioned. With only five stages,
you can tell that Treasure spent months perfecting every last detail
within the levels. Everything moves in completely logical yet random
ways so that you can always figure out where you should be but will
also have some difficulty getting there. Even greater testimony to
the unparalleled level design is found in the fact that there are
dozens of ways to complete any level. You can make it through the
entire game without firing a single shot if you please. You are also
able to hit absolutely every enemy that the game throws your way. It
may seem impossible at times, but you know in the back of your mind
that it never is. With all the concentration that you're putting
into simply staying alive, it's easy to overlook the perfect level
design, but it's worth it just to take a step back and marvel at how
hard it must have been to design and yet how easy Treasure made it
look.
Multi-player in Ikaruga is a two-edged sword. On one hand, it's
significantly more entertaining and less frustrating than playing by
yourself. On the other, it's significantly more entertaining and
less frustrating than playing by yourself. While the second sentence
may sound absurd, there will be players who buy Ikaruga for a
challenge, not for fun. Small mistakes are much more common when
there is another entity adding to the confusion, and sharing tiny
spaces makes for more than a few deaths. Most importantly, though,
is the fact that the levels were simply designed with one player in
mind. It's hard to continually top yourself when another character
is breaking your chains.
Which brings me to what will undoubtedly keep hardcore gamers
playing long after the credits have rolled on Hard difficulty:
chaining. By hitting three enemies of the same polarity in a row,
the game registers a chain. Continue to do this (for example, hit
three black, six white, three black, three white, fifteen black,
nine white, etc.), and you will be able to rack up some truly
massive scores and rankings. Trying to beat yourself (and, thanks to
an included Internet ranking mode, everyone else) is an activity
that should help your couch develop a pleasant groove (as if it
hasn't already).
When all is said and done, the simplistic yet entertaining shooting
is what will start you playing, the intensity and difficulty will
grab you, and the never ending task of topping your own score is
what will keep you around.
Replay Value
Ikaruga is five levels long. Therefore, it's a short game. There's
no getting around that, and it's impossible not to knock off a few
points for the lack of levels. Adding another difficulty or an extra
level or two as incentive for completing a task should have been a
priority.
Instead, we get other phenomenal extras. They're not quite as
exciting as new levels, but they are reason enough to keep you
playing. By meeting certain requirements or simply playing for a set
amount of time, you can unlock art galleries, gameplay modes, and
videos. The latter in particular is exciting; by completing levels
without using a continue, the game opens videos that show you how to
perfectly complete the levels in any number of ways, ranging from efficiency
to pacifism to just plain showing off. These videos are all in slow
motion so you can adopt the game's technique more easily.
The aforementioned multi-player mode is a great addition, but it can
be frustrating if you and your partner are not at equal skill
levels. Playing with someone who is either much better or much worse
at you can be demoralizing for obvious reasons. That said, it's
still a blast to take on the game with a friend, but don't expect it
to rival Super Smash Bros. Melee at a gaming session with many
people.
Even without all these extras, though, the task of topping your last
high score is reason enough to keep all but the most A.D.D.-riddled
of gamers playing for weeks to come. The game gives you goals to
reach and then makes you expect to reach them. Not everyone will,
but those who put in the time and effort to do so will be rewarded
with an unbeatable sense of satisfaction.
Closing Comments
In the end, Ikaruga is pure gameplay. No intrusive storyline, no
lengthy cutscenes, no confusing instructions, plainly no nonsense.
While this is the game's greatest attribute, it is also what could
end up holding it back from true greatness. Five years from now,
nobody (save for a select few) will remember this game as one of
their favorites. Instead, they will pick games that gave them
memories. This game gives great satisfaction, an unbeatable sense of
accomplishment, and tons of extras to extend replay value, but it
doesn't give you any memories that you didn't make on your own. It's
fitting that this double-edged sword should be from a game such as
this, one that intended to do this from the start. You can't fault
the developers for making this decision as any other would have
ultimately detracted from the game, but it's hard to take the game
at face value and accept it as one of your favorites of all time.
However, you shouldn't let that stop you from purchasing Ikaruga. It
has some of the best gameplay ever featured on any console, and all
it wants from you is to sit down, shut up, and play by its rules. In
the end, isn't that exactly what a game like this should be?
Rating
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Jonathan Heldt - Reader |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
