Cave Story+
Platform: PC (reviewed), WiiWare, DSiWare, 3DS
Developer: Studio Pixel
Genre: Metroidvania
Released: November 22, 2011
Metacritic: 83
What is it: Talk to bunnies, jump around, shoot stuff, something, something, dragons.
0:00 – A dude with green hair sits at a computer and types some exposition in the form of an IM chat. Apparently he’s escaped and needs help. Eh, not the worst way to launch a story I’ve seen. And we’re off!
0:01 – First thing I notice is the controls are rather weird. You move with the arrow keys, up is jump, down is interact, and the z button is jump. Really? Z? Not the big ol’ spacebar right next to it?
0:03 – This is another game that goes for the whole “retro” aesthetic. The music is quite nice, but the visuals? Just not feeling it. Also, I just got a gun. Yay?
0:08 – Another random green hair dude scene after I deal with a door that tries to kill me. Now I’m talking to rabbits. Video games!
0:10 – One cute touch is if you press the down button when there’s nothing to interact with a little “?” appears above our as-of-yet-unnamed protagonist’s head. Then again, I’m a sucker for anything that reminds me of Metal Gear Solid.
0:18 – Lots of looking around the village to figure out what to do next. Found a silver locket, no idea what to do with it.
0:20 – Correction: found what I need to do with it, now I’m in a boss battle with a large TV-looking enemy who burst through the door Kool-Aid Man style. Also had a visit from a character that fits perfectly into the “odd hair colored, magic using evil woman” archetype. Still not sure what to make of this game. It’s alternately charming, unique, and derivative.
0:22 – Or I can just skip the boss fight by saying I don’t want to fight him. …forget that, that evil TV is going down.
0:24 – Suck it, evil TV Kool-Aid man! Also, one of the rabbits got kidnapped. Now back to figuring out what the heck to do.
0:30 – So I’m off to the town graveyard to get a key to a house from the grave of the recently deceased town hero. Defiling corpses… for justice! Also, the new enemies are cure mushrooms. For such a cute game it sure has some dark undertones.
0:31 – Finally level up! My reward? My crappy gun now shoots two short ranged shots instead of just one! Yay?
0:35 – And now teleportation. I’m off to a place called the “Egg Corridor.” There I fight elephants and blobs while a robot gives me advice. I swear, this game…
0:38 – Max level achieved. Looks like I’m leveling up my weapon, not my character. Well, then give me some new guns rather than wasting all this XP I’m getting.
0:39 – A giant, evil-looking bunny just beat up a smaller one. I’m going to assume that has something to do with the plot and not just the developer hating bunnies.
0:40 – A cloaked figure in a place called “Cthulu’s Abode” comments I must have lost my memory before chuckling to himself. Ominous. Also, amnesia? Really? Amnesia has to be the most overused plot element in games today. This is a video game, not a soap opera.
0:45 – A missile launcher! Now we’re talking! Oh, and something about dragon eggs and poisonous red flowers. Whatever. Missile launcher!
0:48 – I just cannot get used to these controls! The button I think should be jump is shoot and vice versa. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if you’re going to make a PC game, let players rebind the controls as they want. (Edit: Looks like there is an option to rebind controls, but it’s not accessible in game, just through the main menu. A baffling design choice if you ask me.)
0:59 – A bit of problem solving, a bit of dying due to control related issues, and I face off against the giant evil rabbit, appropriately named Igor. Lots of shooting him later and I’m supposed to find a password to hatch an egg to get off of the island I’m currently on. Looks like the game is starting to develop a plot. Awesome.
Conclusion: Despite the first 30 minutes being unremarkable, CS+ started to show some interesting plot threads and some challenging combat towards the end. I’ll be surprised if it ends up being on par with the likes of Metroid of Castlevania, but CS+ looks to be a solid entry in the genre.
Will I keep playing it: Yes, but with not before tinkering with the controls or using a gamepad.
