Have you ever had a really bad day? A day that pissed you off so much, that you said “to hell with the world”? We’ve all been there. If you’re looking for a game that will perfectly satiate your angst and help you get through those frustrating moments, than check out Butcher by Transhuman Design. Known for their side scrolling multiplayer shooter Trench Run, Transhuman Design is no stranger to creating awesomely fun pixel games. In their latest release, Butcher, you play as a cyborg programmed to eliminate the last remnants of human life. Your sole purpose in this game is to murder as many of your “enemies” as you can, in the most inhumane ways possible. Take your pick from a variety of weapons ranging from chainsaws, to grenade launchers, and of course everyone’s favorite splatter gun THE SHOTGUN! Based on the trailer, players will have to fight their way through a ton of hellish levels, like underground hideouts, post-apocalyptic cities, and jungles to name a few. Visually, Butcher is bloodier than a Texas slaughter house. Though I haven’t gotten a chance to play it yet, Transhuman Design has been using the tag line “the easiest mode is hard”, to describe Butcher. This can only mean that a great deal of challenge awaits players entering into this pixelated gory nightmare. Call me crazy, but I can’t wait to get a taste of Butchers “ultra violence”.
Check out the Butcher game trailer above and let us know what your first impressions are in the comments section below!
The quick movement and the constant shower of bullets make for an awesome fast-paced experience. You start in a garden without much context. Then, after leaving the garden, you’re thrown into a randomly-generated level. You learn pretty quickly that you need to shoot and destroy everything. There are quite a few unique enemy types, such as flying orbs that shoot on all sides and little blue guys that create huge explosions. When you destroy an enemy, you collect their soul. You use souls to buy upgrades for yourself or your weapon at different randomly-generated altars around the level. Upgrades can up your damage and fire rate, while others can increase your movement or healing rate. There are too many to cover in one article, but they all have pros and cons to them. Some damage boosts decrease movement speed, some accuracy boosts reduce your fire rate, and so on.
Your goal is to get to the end of the level, but I would definitely recommend getting all of the upgrades you can before you go. Leaving a level throws you straight into an amazing boss fight. The game calls the bosses “Holy Champions”, and each is unique and huge. Encountering one for the first time is genuinely breathtaking. Figuring out their movements, attacks, and weaknesses is a really cool part of the game, and it really brings me back to RPG’s from the days of old where a boss fight doesn’t have an obvious way of beating it. These battles exercise the lost art of subtlety in gameplay. You have to figure out the solution yourself without having a huge glowing marker over where to shoot or an NPC shouting at you what to do.
Story
There isn’t much you can get from the game, but PolyGod’s Steam page and press kit from its website tell an intriguing story. You are called “Faceless the Blessed”, and you are an assassin. The Holy Champions work for the Gods, and your job is to destroy all of them in an event called “The Trial of the Gods”. So far, the story really isn’t really a crucial part of this game’s appeal. The main focus is the awesome visuals and the incredible gameplay, so it’s fine.
Conclusion
I would highly recommend trying this demo. It’s free, so what have you got to lose? PolyGod provides fast-paced and frantic gunfights, colorful environments, and solid platforming. When you experience your first battle against a Holy Champion, you’ll discover how exhilarating a boss fight can really be.
Good evening fellow pixel gaming addicts! I wanted to give a quick update about something awesome that I recently had to pleasure of being a part of. Games Like Zone has just launched a brand new series of interviews with gaming blog owners. I am proud to say that i was the FIRST one to be a part of this awesome new series! In the interview you can learn a lot about RETRONUKE, how we got started, our writers, and a ton about my journey into gaming. I put a lot into it and i hope that you guys get a kick out of learning more out our website and growing community.
Text-based adventure titles, popularized by the ability to make your own choices regarding storyline, have been a dying genre of games within the last decade. Although many of the elements established by literary interactive fiction are found in newer games: both have great stories. No matter what type of game is wrapped around this concept, if the storyline is well-constructed and captivating, it’s going to be a great experience.
This is exactly what Code 7 accomplishes, as the title card opens, you are met with a creepy intercut of a woman’s face, eerie music and some interesting design choices. It’s meant to keep you off-guard, a theme that is often recurring within this game. Stay flexible this game demands you to learn the ropes quickly, it won’t be long until you’ll have to recall commands of execution with precision and timing to save a situation.
*The primary display, your view of the game’s unfolding, complete with a log, map, and available commands.
You play as Alex, an operator who has found himself on a ship, and is presented with an interface allowing him access into a computer mainframe. Not much information is shared about him since he does not remember it himself. Soon after, your partner is discovered and your roles within this game are quickly established. Your goal is to safely escape from whatever catastrophe has just occured while in deep space; you are to be the all-important assistance.
I spent a total of two hours typing my way through the gameplay and came up with 5 tips to take this game head-on. Code 7 utilizes a fully immersive heads up display that serves as the game’s main module. From this interface the player is able to guide a NPC team member while simultaneously hacking systems for new info and unlocking new areas.
*A section requiring your precise input to safely guide your partner around guarding robots.
1. This is a skill based game, and not in the traditional sense
Typical games require fast reflexes for button mashing or combos which have become second nature to most seasoned gamers. Code 7 utilizes nothing more than the keyboard, even for someone who can touch type fairly accurately, it was still an extreme challenge to complete some of the chain commands. Gameplay is restricted to keystrokes, all menus included – like you’re a real hacker, go figure?
2. There are many twists and turns, often at your expense
You start the game not really knowing who you are or what your purpose is, once you discover these answers, there are only many more questions that come up. Answers are fleeting as flashing screens and fast-changing circumstances keep you glued to your keyboard; deciphering what other methods of exploitation you can find within the game.
*You will be presented with logical puzzles that keep you on your toes throughout.
3. The player (you) discovers the story as the protagonist does
There are many secrets to be learned and different choices in dialogue that you can take. It could be safely assumed that these directly affect the story line that you experience. You are encouraged to be as sluethy as possible in order to learn what’s actually going on around here. Multiple playthroughs may yield new experiences.
4. You are the support role, lives depend on your abilities
Code 7 can easily become intense because your success lies directly in your skill as a hacker. This places a lot of pressure on the player as you will see the direct results of your attempts, in which consequences are quick to strike. It’s a lot to handle but since there are unlimited attempts, the only obstacle truly in your way is yourself. Keep at it, this game is not an easy one.
*Player 2 has entered the game! Not really, but this newcomer isn’t exactly “welcomed.”
5. You will fail, learn from it
This game is heavily reliant on conversation, logic, and problem solving. Other than the simple suggestions given by your NPC partner, you are largely dependent upon yourself to discover the proper procedure. Trial and error is your primary method of learning the correct methods for progressing through the story. Maintain your cool and try to think outside the box if you find yourself stuck on any given step along the way.
Code 7, a modern text adventure, takes a rather dated genre and turns it on it’s head. Full voiceover dialogue, extreme challenge, and clean design all combine for a very worthwhile experience. The episodic gameplay is sure to have more twists and turns as the story continues to unfold. The demo (which is just a prologue) is available for download here and has recently been approved on Steam Greenlight! Episode 1 is expected for released in Early 2017.
Check out our review of Mustache in Hell, a twin-stick shooter’s trip through Hell!
I’m sure you’ve noticed. It seems like pixel art is a popular element among indie games. The choice to use retro graphics can seem unoriginal at times, no matter how well done the artwork is. With today’s rapid advances in technology, video game graphics are getting more and more lifelike. So why is pixel art so common? Why are we going backwards? There are actually several reasons.
Resources
Usually an indie game is made by one or more people who don’t have the resources that a triple A development company does. Professional companies can hire people that have professional experience in 3D modeling or graphic design. If no one on the indie game team knows how to make photo-realistic video game graphics, it makes sense to just use pixel art.
3D modeling requires a pretty good computer with specific software. Pixel art only needs the built-in drawing software that comes with your operating system and almost any computer will do. These guidelines also apply to the player. A game with old-fashioned graphics is generally more accessible to gamers that don’t have the most high-end hardware.
Success
One of the most popular games of all time is Minecraft. One of the most successful video game Kickstarter campaigns is Shovel Knight. One of the highest selling games on Steam is Terraria. They all use those colored squares to make their visuals pop.
After enjoying games such as these, your mind begins to make a subtle link between your good memories and the pixelated graphics. While scrolling through a Steam sale, this style of graphics is more likely to catch your eye. I know this from experience.
Nostalgia
To build upon my previous point, your memories can really affect what you buy. Thinking back to playing the SNES as a kid or any similar game consoles can make anyone wish that they could revisit “the good old days”. That’s how they can get you.
Seeing a spiritual successor to a game from your childhood can really get you hyped, but it’s easy to remember things to be better than they actually are. At the same time, your memories could be completely accurate. It’s just hard to tell sometimes. Either way, it can definitely sway your decision about what your next video game purchase is.
Conclusion
Pixel art has plenty of benefits. When it’s done right, you can have some really beautiful characters and sceneries. Although it sometimes seems like a generic design choice, the designers most likely have a reason for it.
