Now Playing: Space Pirates and Zombies
SPAZ, as it calls itself, is a rather simple game idea. Combine top-down shooting with a level-up system, a squad-based combat system, and a space-trader-esque explore the galaxy system that allows you to purchase new techs.
Basically, you control your ship in a flat field. Think Asteroids, and it keeps the inertia system for the most part. Shoot towards your mouse. Shoot incoming enemies.
Now add the ability to go to your hangar at any time and change the weapons and utilities on various hard points on your given ship. Or, if you've collected enough data, use a different ship style.
Now add the ability to get OTHER ships to work with you, controlled by the AI but able to be controlled through a tactical screen (which pauses the game temporarily) or by direct control.
Then, add a level-up system where you increase the efficiency of your weapons, armor, and other minor abilities by killing enemies and researching their tech by means of simple power-up collection.
Season with a 'select materia' option as you collect upgradable 'specialists'.
And then let you jump from star to star in a procedurally generated galaxy, where each star has factions to fight, missions to run, and bits of tech that you can use is spread liberally throughout the galaxy.
I'm going to start with Story this time. SPAZ is not bad with it. There's a decent backstory that gives reason for the space travel, a decent reasoning for your actions. There's a twist, or a few. I'm still working on beating it, so I'll get back to you on what the ending looks like. Overall, though, the story is more an excuse to do something than a story itself.
Controls are simply. Basically a one-click interface on most every screen. Right click is all but unused outside of battle, and it's simply click and click for most everything. The menus are done well, though I do wish some things were a little better labeled. The 'hold over this to show more information' feature is quite helpful. As for in battle, it's simply a WASD movement with mouse to aim and both mouse buttons to fire. Space is used to pull up your main menu, tactical or otherwise. The control scheme is very simple.
The sound itself is... Unremarkable at best. The music isn't particularly enjoyable, and basically fits 'zombie', if you think of anyh zombie game. Somewhat thriller, somewhat futuristic. Nothing amazing. The sounds of lasers and the like feel okay. Maybe even stock. The sound isn't unique. The voice of the narrator is okay and fits, but that's about it. There are no other voiceovers, no really catchy music that you'll think about later.
Graphically, the game's pretty decent for what it is. The backdrops for each level look wonderful, and the game does use layers to make them move in reaction to your movements. There's funny signs floating in space to read, there are lensflares that moving planets will cover, things like that. The actual ships don't have as much detail as I'd like, but that ends up being fine. You don't end up looking close at them anyways. They look like spaceships, they fit their descriptions, and there's a decent variety. The graphics simply fit the game, nothing stellar.
I would like to add 'performance' here. The game does slow down in its framerate from time to time. Yes, there's a lot of stuff going on at once. Floating particles, drops, explosions, lasers, many ships. But I have a pretty good rig here, so dropping framerate seems very odd.
What's the game selling for? 14.99. What's it worth? 14.99. It should be noted that the game was made by two people. No more, no less. And that's acceptable. For two people, they did very well. But the game doesn't feel worth more. I don't know how much replayability it'll actually have.
I'm adding another qualifier to my review now:
The Hamburger Rating. A friend of mine, who is not particularly affluent, told me something. He told me that he can get a hamburger at McDonalds for $1. And that'll give him happiness for an hour, since he gets to eat it and feel full for a while. If a game doesn't give him enjoyable gameplay for an hour per dollar he spends, it's not worth it.
So, does SPAZ succeed in the Hamburger Rating? Yes. I've done 30 hours, so 2:1, so far. And if you're a completionist, you'll get your money's worth.
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