Crazy Flipper Fingers

I've warmed up to The Saboteur considerably since Thursday, it just takes much too long to get going and it wasn't until it finally let me run free about Paris, and thus allowing me to throw Nazis off of very tall structures, that I started to enjoy it. I'll probably have more to say about it later.

Anyway, the point of this post is to talk about the latest indie PC game darling, VVVVVV, the first commercial release by Terry Cavanagh, designer of acclaimed Flash games I've never heard of. The game with the unpronounceable title is all about simplicity. The simple story is that you play a spaceship captain and your ship gets sucked into a different dimension. While abandoning ship the crew is scattered across this dimension, now you must save them. The graphics are very simple, clearly attempting to recreate an old Commodore 64 game. It controls like a simple platformer with one basic mechanic: you cannot jump, you can only flip. The game then finds new ways to change up how you use that mechanic, with each "level" requiring you to use your lone ability in a different way. I say "level" because after the introductory area, the game lets you loose in a large Metroid-esque hub world which you navigate to find the specific "levels" where your fellow crew members are trapped.
It is both a blast to play through and explore, the level design continually testing your abilities in new ways. I was eager to see the next challenge, what kind of variables would be in play and then have to figure out how to navigate the space. Then there are the brutally difficult areas, the kind where you die several dozen times and consider hurling your PC out the window. This area in particular I spent at least twenty minutes trying to clear, which was maddening, but the satisfaction of finally getting it right was palpable.
The music is the only part of the game I wouldn't describe as simple and you can tell how significant I feel it is because I started a new paragraph for it. I've never really been into the whole chiptune scene, but the music in VVVVVV is outstanding, perfectly complimenting the action while emulating the feel of an 8-bit classic. It is strong enough to stand on its own, which is why I'm glad it does.
The only problem I have with the game is the cost, I don't regret spending the money at all, but $15 seems a bit steep for something I cleared in under two hours. There are additional modes to unlock, like time trials and the insane-sounding "no death" mode, but you're still playing the same areas. If you don't mind spending the extra coin to support an indie developer, then by all means pick it up, otherwise you might want to wait and see if this pops up on Steam at a lower price point. At the very least, go take a look at the demo, because it's at least worth your attention.

-K.