PixlBit

May has been a decent month for finishing some games but I haven’t had time to write about them, unfortunately. I had hoped to do proper reviews for these games but with our move coming up a week from tomorrow, I doubt I’ll have time. So, I just want put some thoughts out there for whatever they’re worth.

Right at the beginning of May I played Rocket Knight, a PSN revival of a classic series that graced the Genesis and SNES back in the day. The games star a jetpack-toting possum knight named Sparkster (yeah, it really is that awesome) who must defeat a bunch of evils wolves trying to invade the kingdom (spoiler alert: the pigs are actually behind it). It’s a 2D platformer with light combat but what sets it apart is the jetpack. With a touch of a button you can zoom a short distance in any direction, which opens up the design for interesting level layouts. It’s a fun mechanic and RK does a good job utilizing it in the levels. Some shmup-type missions also help break up the action and add some variety from level to level. The bosses, however, were a disappointment. I’ve only played the SNES entry in the series, Sparkster, and I remember the bosses being a highlight. They’re more of a chore here and at least one of them felt a little cheap. One other disappointment is the graphics. RK uses 3D models on a 2D plane and even though the characters are expressive and the world is detailed, it’s missing that charm that only sprites seem able to give. Going with 3D is an understandable business decision and maybe I’m just a grumpy old gamer but dang it, I miss sprites in my 2D games!

Rocket Knight is not a bad game by any means. Like I said, the level designs can be quite good. It just fails to live up to its own legacy. Still, I’d recommend it if you like 2D platformers, especially if you happen to find it on sale.

One of the early levels

The other PSN game I finished is also a 2D platformer but it could not be more different from Rocket Knight. BloodRayne: Betrayal by WayForward is widely considered the best BloodRayne game or even the only good one but since I haven’t played the others, all I can say is that Betrayal taken on its own is an excellent 2D action game. Button mashers need not apply because this is a very precise game that requires mastery of Rayne’s combat move list if you want to get far, and that goes for the platforming as much as it does the fighting. Betrayal is difficult in an old school sort of way that will leave you frustrated at times, sometimes at the game but more often at your own mistakes, but finishing a brutal section will leave you with a tremendous satisfaction only difficult games can give. Finishing this game is an accomplishment.

But my favorite part, I think, is actually the aesthetics and music. The game looks like a cartoon in motion and excellent use of reds and greys coupled with the castle architecture lend the game a great Gothic feel. It does a great job selling you the atmosphere, and then the music sets the mood. The Baroque-style solo piano on the title screen does not feel at all out of place. The majority of the music for the levels, though, is a great combination of the orchestra (strings mostly) and the electric guitars and drums of a rock band, a sound reminiscent of some of the best Castlevania songs.

Betrayal isn’t a perfect game, of course. My biggest complaint involves Rayne’s dash move, which makes you invulnerable, but the dash will not interrupt any animations you’ve already begun. So if you’re in the middle of a combo and you see the guy at the other end of the screen about to shoot you, there’s not much you can do. Combat requires total vigilance, at least in the later levels, and Rayne is entirely capable of attacking everyone/everything on the screen. It was just something I found a little difficult to get used to. But overall BloodRayne: Betrayal is an excellent game and I hardily recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good challenge.

The title screen and first level