Game:

It’s a concept so simple you think “it has to have been done before”. Solve It – Pack 1 calls itself “a game about giving instructions” and while that may not sound too catchy, it is a perfect summarization of this logic puzzle game. Move your little pig-in-a-hat (or maybe a rabbit now that I am thinking about it…) through various platforms by giving a queue of commands that require you to strategize when and where you will need to jump, turn or walk straight. To add further complexity, you can program a small series of commands into small side menu and use a quick button (L1 or R1) to input said macro into your general command list. Trust me; it’s not as complicated as it sounds.

Creating addictive puzzle games seems a sure win for an Indie developer. They are simple, entertaining and sure to make a return. So what sets Solve It apart? Well… not much. In terms of originality it’s nothing that hasn’t been seen before, but is it entertaining? Let’s just say at 80 Microsoft Points, it’s not a waste. It is entertaining yes, bright colors, fun bit-styled music and twisting challenges every 10 levels. I was disappointed however when on one level, there was actually an obstacle that promised “death” to my cute little avatar and when I deliberately sent him into oblivion all he did was sink into green sludge never to be seen again (for 3 seconds). Maybe I’ve played a little to much Saints Row 2, but part of me wanted the little bastard to scream, flail and melt, or for there at least to be some kind of consequence? Oh well.

The truth is, a game like this could have been half-assed and easily just as addicting as it is in this incarnation, but some effort was put into the game to make it a pleasing little mind-twister that is not anywhere near as simple as it appears to be. I could feel the logic side of my brain waking up for the first time in a decade as I pushed through the levels as well a twang of embarrassment over how gratified I felt each time I solved a complex level. All in all it’s worth the buy and recommended. The “Pack 1” promises there will be a pack 2 and if that’s the case then this game is worth more than its weight in salt. I’ll be keeping my eye out for it.

Get Solve It – Pack 1 at the XBOX 360 Indie Marketplace

Developer Summary

In the near future pigs gain superior intelligence and learn of their eventual goal, The Slaughterhouse. They band together and create ships to leave earth! What will all the farmers and chefs do without the delightful pig to serve people up bacon and ham! The farmers and chefs join forces to go after the pigs into the far reaches of space, where the final battle of PIG KIND will take place!

What We Think

Sporting gameplay mechanics akin to Geometry Wars and Super Stardust HD, Space Swine puts players in a spaceship and repeatedly asks them to believe that the game has something to do with pigs.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Pilot the ship with the left analog stick, and fire at enemies by aiming with the right. Fly over upgrade icons for increased firepower. Clear all the enemies on screen to advance to the next wave. Occasionally you’ll have a temporary ring of white orbs that appear randomly in a stage (pearls before swine, perhaps?) and you can fly your ship inside the ring for a temporary respite from the barrage of energy weapons. You have a freeze-cannon at your disposal (though the charges are limited) and you can also throw up a shield, allowing you to take four hits before your ship takes damage. Should you sustain enough hits, your craft will erupt into strips of bacon. You’ll also be confronted with occasional boss battles.

The bosses are really the only connection between this space shooter to the pig theme the game’s title implies. Though there is a decent variety of enemy craft in the game, none of them (including the boss ships) give any indication that they belong to the jilted pork industry. Once you’ve encountered them all, the waves start to get pretty repetitive. After you’ve fought the sixth boss, they also loop. I played into the 100th wave and a few waves past and there was no indication of any looming final boss confrontation.

You can play the classic mode, or Boss Rush, in which you assault all six bosses in succession. The game also features multiplayer and co-op modes.  Try Insanity Mode for a foray into bullet hell.

I've been told there are pigs in this game...

Another Swine Mess

I’d like to make a plea to any budding game designers that are out there who are thinking about incorporating voice acting into your upcoming XNA indie title: If you can’t do it well, skip it. The voice acting in this game is terrible. On every tenth wave, you’ll confront a boss. His ship will appear in the center of the screen, and the boss piloting it will appear to taunt you with slight variations on the theme “My kind eats pigs. You are a pig. I will eat YOU!” and all die by sharing a slightly different version of “A pig beat me? How is this possible?” (swine flu joke: Check!) If my guess is right, it’s one guy doing all the voices.  The bosses are all hackneyed clichés both in their sprite design and in vocal delivery (hicks, rednecks and French chefs OH HONH HONH) and still aren’t delivered well. If you don’t have access to someone with at least a little talent in creating voice characters, don’t bother putting your own recorded voice in the game; it can actually make the game worse.

Also, I know that the concept of pigs piloting spacecraft is a silly one, but when I see a one-toothed, slack-jawed yokel in his overalls and I’m asked to accept that he is also flying a spacecraft, I feel as though there is too much suspension of my disbelief required. Meet me halfway. Have his ship look like a jug of moonshine or something…at the very least, give him some kind of helmet.

Ham-Fisted

Space Swine is a decent shooter title, but it is ultimately hobbled by some of its questionable design choices.

Rating: ★★★☆☆