The EB Expo Wrap: Part Two – The Games

It’s time to get into the meat of the EB Expo 2012, the games themselves. I mentioned a few of the indie developed titles briefly during part one of my wrap up, but here’s a much closer look at everything I saw:

Orbitor (by Evil Aliens) – Orbitor was the first title I got my hands on, and immediately I was impressed. You pilot your ship around a giant play field of stars and items, with the simple aim of navigating or ‘orbiting’, as the name suggests, as many items as possible to build your high score. It’s a simple premise, one that harks back to the art style of Super Stardust with a mind all of its own, with that addictive nature I so love in these kinds of games.

The controls took some getting used to, but once you find a groove it’s beautiful to watch as the ship loops in and out at high speeds. Evil Alien has a kickstarter set up at the moment which is very much worth supporting, or you can vote for it on Steam Greenlight. In the meantime, try out the online demo!

Frozen Hearth & Runic Rumble (by Epiphany Games) – Epiphany Games had two titles on display, the real time strategy of Frozen Hearth and the already released and addictive action fighter Runic Rumble. Frozen Hearth is definitely one to keep an eye on, with some high quality production values within a saga that would make any Warcraft fan smile broadly.

Two factions war over various environments with hero units and plenty of spells and unit progression, wrapped up in a very original setting that’s the first part of a much broader world called Ámorrá, which I’m looking forward to reading more about as the development kicks on.

Speaking of, Runic Rumble is a spell fighter that has you casting different attacks by gesturing and swiping across the screen which is also set within Ámorrá. Spells fall across the spectrum of different types, fire and water among them, and there’s plenty of challenge to be had in casting the right spell at the right time in order to knock out your opponent. You can find Runic Rumble on iOS and Android right now!

Grapple Knight (by Red Knight Games) – Platform games are generally my style, and there were a few on show during the expo, including Grapple Knight by Red Knight Games, which has you swinging and grappling across the scenery within a very retro inspired visual style. The grappling hook is your main item, with which you can climb across and up hills and trees and, more importantly, grab onto enemies and pull them in to take them out.

I had a chance to play the opening level which showed off some of these key features, and the grappling mechanic is actually rather smooth and fun to play, though I’ll warn you, some of the enemies are a challenge to take down. There were some glitches, but the game is definitely on track and looks the goods. You can find Grapple Knight online as a demo to give you an idea of what to expect, and it’s on Steam Greenlight too!

Triangle Man (by Convict Interactive) – You remember Super Meat Boy, right? Well, allow me to introduce Triangle Man, Convict Interactive’s punishing platform game. That’s their words and it fits, the game will have you pulling your hair out as you navigate the 2D world, at times controlling multiple triangle men in order to reach each level goal.

I played one level that had me navigating three characters at once for example, each character was within a separate section of the level with different platforms to jump to and different enemies to avoid. I can happily recommend this one, with a warning to be ready for a very challenging experience. If you’re game, you can buy the alpha version of Triangle Man via Desura today or download the demo online!

Spirit Hunters Inc. and escapeVektor (by Nnooo) – Something a little different now, from the team that brought you the addictive puzzle game Pop!, Spirit Hunters Inc. is headed to the Nintendo DS eShop and is a unique combination of augmented reality gaming using the DSi or 3DS camera and a full on RPG where you can upgrade your abilities in order to defeat spirits of various elements. Think Pokemon and you’re halfway there.

I was greatly impressed with the camera integration, but the ability to choose from a massive range of abilities that will have you swiping, tapping and interactive with the bottom touch screen of the handheld was even more fun and added a healthy dose of strategy to the typical catch/beat formula. To get a better idea of what to expect, have a look at some of the preview videos online or on the 3DS eShop itself.

escapeVektor is like a classic puzzle game that for some reason reminded me of old school arcade game Q*Bert. The aim is to change the colour of the play screen in order to open the exit gate and escape. Again, a very simple premise but very well produced, to the point that Nnooo has a 3DS edition of the game with full 3D support, along with a release on PlayStation Vita, both of which are due out real soon. If you can’t wait until then, Chapter 1 of the game is available on Nintendo WiiWare and is well worth your time.

Tasty Fish (by Dime Studios) – Oh man, I’m entirely hooked on Tasty Fish, which has you moving your school of fish out of the way of nets, sharks and crabs in order to build as high a score as possible, by touching and sliding around the screen. If there was ever a game made with me in mind … well, it would have me in it, but I’ll give Dime Studios the benefit of the doubt.

It’s one of those reflex like titles that has the sweat settled heavily on the brow the longer you last, though there are some helpful fish to unlock that can help you along the way, such as scaring away sharks or breaking nets! Tasty Fish is available now on iOS and there’s a number of content updates to come, though I recommend playing on an iPad for the optimum viewing size.

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Be sure to check back soon for part three where I’ll finish things up with another load of great titles seen at the EB Expo!