Independent games definitely seem to be finding their place these days, especially with digital distribution starting to come into its own as a viable distribution system. As such, Microsoft’s XNA Game Studio software has been a great way to provide indie developers with tools necessary to get their games from the planning stage and into the hands of gamers. Microsoft’s Dream.Build.Play Challenge is an annual contest meant to encourage indie developers to make games for the Xbox Live Arcade. One of those games, Prismatic Solid, an intense, forced rail shooter and fourth place winner of this year’s challenge, was released back in June for 80 Microsoft Points. Check out more after the break.
Right off the bat, the price should tell you something. The game is not a complex, plot-heavy cinematic experience that will keep you busy for 20 hours. However, the game is still incredibly fun. Created by Japanese developer Yoichi Hayashi, you take control of a ship across six different stages, each with a unique guardian/boss at the end of the stage. The game itself is very colorful, to the point where it can almost be considered a sensory overload (though whether that’s a desirable or undesirable situation probably depends on your eyes). Most enemies, in lieu of standard ships or other generic enemy types, are simply comprised of 3D geometric shapes, including the stage guardians, giving the game a unique look.
In terms of gameplay, Prismatic Solid is quite simple. In addition to your standard ship, which is green and controlled by the A-button, there are three colored orbs floating around your ship, positioned, controlled, and color-coordinated to the face buttons of the Xbox 360 controller, at least in their default configuration. These orbs are very useful as they each deliver a special attack as well as deflecting enemy attacks. Some of the tougher enemies in the game drop small, colored stars, which powers up their corresponding orbs, enabling the use of their special attacks and increasing their defensive ranges. However, there is a bit of a trade-off, as using its energy for special attacks drains the orbs’ energy meters, causing their defensive capabilities to drop as well.
There are several different weapons for your ship, all of which are available from the start. However, using different weapons effects the configuration of the orbs, with some configurations leaving you wide open to attack. As a result, it is necessary to be practical when switching weapons, as enemies in this game litter the screen with their attacks. Stage guardians take that even further, some of which take up almost the whole screen. The game may be a short six stages, but the difficulty will probably keep you playing for quite some time.
As I said before, the game is fun. It looks incredible, sounds great, and, if you can deal with a slightly unforgiving difficulty curve, is definitely worth playing. And, at 80 Microsoft Points, what have you got to lose.
Prismatic Solid is available on Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade for 80 MSP. Review code courtesy of Microsoft.