Tag: Sci-fi »

Plasma Pig initially entices with a great, central idea. However, it doesn’t quite take that idea as far as it should go. It’s a great game, but the slightly wasted potential can’t help but sting. Still, landing among the stars is a good consolation prize for shooting for the moon.

When Pigsley, a simple Earth pig, is transported to the planet Lardo, he soon becomes the target of the bacon-hungry alien overlord, Than. Now, only the player’s finger can lead him home. In Plasma Pig, players draw ramps and platforms to guide the circular Pigsley to the level’s exit. The mechanic will be instantly familiar to anyone who played Kirby’s Canvas Curse on the Nintendo DS in 2005. That game set a new, high standard for what touch-based games could be and its hook is no less magnificent here than it was years ago. Players can also tilt Pigsley to help nudge him in the right direction, adding more finesse to the gameplay. While early levels are disappointingly sparse, with too many empty spaces, later worlds eventually introduce bounce pads and other tricks that give the game a satisfying amount of complexity. 

Still, throughout its 100 or so levels, Plasma Pig only does the most basic things with level design. Often, the most immediately obvious path to draw to get all three stars will be the one that works. The limited amount of ink or “plasma” occasionally forces players to be more thoughtful and efficient with their scribbling but the levels themselves should provide that challenge, too. It’s not like the game is some platforming adventure where new ramps must constantly be drawn on the fly. Each stage is just a self-contained, overly straightforward puzzle.

At least they are good looking puzzles, though. While it may appear overly simple at first, Plasma Pig’s various worlds, including desert, jungle, and ice environments, impress with subtle depth and textures with a kid’s book, construction paper quality. Pigsley himself may not be too interesting but his surroundings are. The music also does a great job at putting players in the “space adventure” state of mind.

Plasma Pig may not make the most out of its killer hook, but it certainly doesn’t squander it either. It’s a fun, creative game that just doesn’t completely leave orbit. 

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This is it - the first ever look at Industrial Toys' upcoming sci-fi shooter, Morning Star, a core gaming experience made just for the iPad by industry vets Alex Seropian (Bungie, Disney) and Tim Harris (Denuo, Alley Cat Comics), as well as a superstar team of music, art, and story, including comic artist Mike Choi (Marvel/DC) and author John Scalzi (Old Man's War, Redshirts).

The trailer shows us a maddeningly brief look at the universe of Morning Star, including the depths of space, the skip ship Joplin, and some scary-ass aliens that we seriously just want to shoot in their toothy faces.

“With Morning Star, we’re looking to change expectations for what kind of experience core gamers get from their mobile devices,” said Industrial Toys CEO Alex Seropian. “We’re breaking new ground on everything from the visuals to the story to the ongoing support we’ll provide in the way of content, events and player involvement. It’s gonna be nuts.”

The development team promises a reimagining of the sci-fi shooter, a no-brainer considering that Seropian was one of the co-founders of Bungie, responsible for Marathon and Halo. They've made it their mission to create an exciting, action-packed game with controls, community and competitive multiplayer features designed directly for mobile platforms like the iPad. It also uses the Unreal Engine to make it look super amazing and badass gorgeous.

Set 120 years into our future, Morning Star takes players aboard the MSRV-Joplin, a research vessel newly outfitted with military weaponry to explore a mysterious signal coming from within our Solar System. When inevitable disaster strikes, they’re transported across the cosmos to take part in an epic war that is not their own to undo a bunch of awfulness that goes down.

For more info, check out the official website of the game, which is expected to release sometime in Spring 2013. Hit the jump for even more screens and concept art.

Source: Morning Star Game Website

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