My thoughts on VVVVVV: A mini review

[CheezyW]

Well, just bought this game yesterday and beat it today. All trinkets found, but haven't attempted the 'special modes' yet. 400ish deaths (surprisingly most of them were in the final rooms instead of the infamous 5-part madcap spiked chasm). Played at 80% speed because I'm old, wrinkly and my nerves are shot from all those other "Stupidly Difficult Crackerjack Timing Twitchfinger" platformer games like these: http://mattmakesgames.com/games.php Granted, it's not purposely (or is it?) unfair like "I wanna be the guy", but it still wittles down your fingers, and sanity, and soon things become not-so-fun. But that's just me..

But VVVVVV is not entirely that. Sure, it has moments where you must time your flips, drops and bounces (more-so than other moments of just winging it), but this game is generous enough to put minisaves right before and after each challenge so you're not feeling sour because you have to do two or more screens all over again (except for those trinkets. Oh god, those trinkets). Most of the challenges have more than one way to get around obstacles and more often than not, you'd get lucky and avoid that glaring red and deadly "DEATH" text letters zooming past your square head by a mere pixel. Everything is a minor set back. Even the slow-mode has a minor penalty of not being able to do the timed trials (no big deal. Not into those anyways.) Whatever you play in the demo is exactly what you get..

... well, for 30% of the game. The other 70% is just dead space. Empty rooms with obtuse architecture, padding and outlining. Like the forests in all the Zelda games, but with no dungeons or treasures. Like the overworlds in rpg's, but with no towns or scenery. Just literally black space with just a little bit of tiling so you don't fall into the void. Oh, sure, there's one or two easy trinkets hidden within that void, but filling is just filling and that's exactly what it is. I think the most insulting empty void room I landed in was a simple spiral I had to navigate around, a 2 x 2 room with just tiling and a warp to the next map.

I felt a little ripped off. I thought to myself "All this dead space could be TWO to THREE NEW LEVELS". Could've really milked one or two new platformer mechanics, but.. eh.. The music is nice, the graphics (as simple as they are) hit all the nostalgic sweet spots, and it really is a memorable experience. But the pricing is a little steep. Fifteen bucks? Really? ... Really? I know this game ain't no Knytt, but you've gotta be a little more fair for a game that's almost a little too bare bones in every department.

In short: I'm torn in the eternal debate on whether the price justifies the game.  It just doesn't feel right. Maybe I have to play the Extras and that'll ease my karma. Maybe those time trials based on the good 30% of the game will make things better. Maybe those finger snappin, toe tappin tunes will wash away my lost lunch money blues. In the end, I have to give this game the only expression I could make, a green: 

PS- This game desperately needs a level editor. Or an expansion pack.  If you want to give them more bang for their buck, maybe try introducing double-flip sections or sped-up/slow-mo sections.. Hey, those keys and powerups don't seem like such a bad idea now..

[Applekid]

I'd put Dimension V at maybe 40% of the game instead of 70%. It's large, sure, but you're right, not much actual gameplay happens there. It's merely a relatively safe conduit to the next area with few dangers and a place to hide a few trinkets and an elephant. Can you spend 70% of your time there, well... I suppose. Until I got better at playing I wound up spending most of my time redoing stuff. You can spend 100% of your time just playing on your ship, too. 

I always took it as the same reason why there are intermissions in Pacman, relatively empty overworld between dungeons in RPGs, "next level animation" in Tempest: they're for breathers. Keeping up a frenzied pace at full kilter all the time is pretty stressful and kind of blurs everything together. It's easy to skip breathers and make it 100% full throttle all the time, and, IMHO, it's a a mistake a lot of indie developers make.

[CheezyW]

I suppose so. I'd go so far as to wish those empty parts had even more secrets and stuff in them. I don't mind them as much playing it over again. Doesn't seem so bad when compared to the V dimension parts and awesome awesome music.