Light Fall

Light Fall is a new 2D platform game developed by “Bishop Games“. It’s coming out in March on the Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PS4 and PC. This game has got a number of fans excited and looking forward to it. Let’s take a look.

Light Fall takes place in the forgotten world of Numbra. Off course like any other game the land is in trouble. Imminent danger. Players control a small little black flame looking dude which has the shadow core. The shadow core is key for success and survival for there are many challenges and enemies along the way. We definitely hope the enemies are actually interesting and pose a real threat to the players. 

It says on Steam that, “Control the shadow core and use it the way you see fit”. Now this can’t be true. Games like this normally have obstacles that require a certain way to get past them. This means at most there could be two ways of doing this. You can smash through certain things. Use the core as a platform meaning it’s quite limited, so we will have to see how much freedom we are actually given.

Light Fall

What’s interesting in Light Fall is that the dark prevails over the light. Probably one of the biggest mechanic of the game is the side kick. The side kick is ‘Stryx’ who is described as a old and grumpy owl. This owl will either give you useful advice to help you or will mock you when you fail. Stryx is also  Light Fall’s narrator. So players may not like this owl but we are sure it has a lot to say so make sure to listen to it.

Light Fall does offer a lot for gamers to do. It’s suppose to be a large world. There are many locations to explore like the Vipera’s Forest, Lunar Plain, the unknown Depths and even the Marshlands  of Sorrows. There are alternate paths and short cuts sort of like Super Mario Bros 3.  Also for the completionists out there are hidden Easter eggs and off course collectibles. At this point, games like this need this kind of stuff. So it’s more than just a simple platformer.

We checked out some gameplay and from what we have seen it looks cool. There is a free mode where you get complete control of the shadow core but then your character stays still. The movement seems quite quick, the wall bouncing is nice. Also when and where you jump of objects or hills effect how far you go, so things like getting a running start does change things. You can use the core to smash things, block lasers, push buttons etc. There are what seems like bosses to beat in the future like Orlog, Shen and Firas. The difficulty seems very low, especially since you can create a platform at will multiple times to cross large gaps. We hope it gets real difficult.

Overall Light Fall seems like a cool game. Graphics are excellent, animations are great here. Definitely made very well and has the setting and concept to definitely stand out but we haven’t seen anything that makes us at X35 Earthwalker want to play it. This game is similar to Outland but Outlamd set the bar far too high. Games like Light Fall do not reach that bar. So we would rather just play Outland again. Light Fall needs to answer why we should bother with this game. We will have to see.

The developers ‘Bishop Games’ did a good job with this game but we have written about other games similar and this one doesn’t stand out more than the others. We at X35 Earthwalker need to see more of what Light Fall has to offer. Now the Light there may be falling but there is one thing that can’t fall and that’s… the ‘Earth Walk!’

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celeste

Celeste is a new Platformer game developed by ‘Matt Makes Games inc’. It’s coming out in January 2018 for the Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Apparently this isn’t some ordinary mountain. Let’s take a look.

Celeste is simply about climbing a mountain. The mountain is said to a power, which is pretty much the main mystery of the game. Everything else is what you would expect from a platform game. Celeste has over 600 levels! That’s huge!This won’t be some game that you complete in a day by the looks of it, which is a good thing. The 600 levels are split into 8 chapters and for those completionists out there, there is said to be a lot of secrets in across these levels.

The graphic style off celeste course should remind most gamers of Terraria. Now players control Madeline. She has simple controls. She is a great climber as she can climb any surface and cover distance using her air-dash. If we know games (and we do), simple controls means a bigger skill gap and potential. We are off course correct. Celeste is meant to be a very difficult game. Like with some rage games you are expected to die a lot. 

The most interesting obstacle in Celeste is the fact that you can get chased by your own reflection. This is a very awesome but scary mechanic. X35 Earthwalker when he was much younger played one of the early Rayman games and had a level where a dark version of Rayman will follow you and do everything you do at the moment in time when you did it. This meant if you ran at point A and the shadow spawned at point B further behind it will walk to point A and then start to run like you did. If you collide with your reflection then you die. 

We checked out some gameplay and we at X35 Earthwalker like what we see. It’s pure platforming. nothing but jumping, moving, dashing and evading. There are traps around the levels sort of with a similar style to Spelunky. Blocks falling down to crush you, spikes around to impair you and off course drops to your death. Lots to keep up with. Mastering the air-dash will save players a lot of deaths and pain. 

Overall Celeste is an awesome looking game. It’s pure platforming. Serious platforming at that. The graphic look good for it’s styler. The sounds are good also but the music is excellent. The difficulty is suitable for a platform like this where dying is frequent. Off course we are sure there is more to Celeste and the secrets of the mountain. The developers ‘Matt Makes Games inc’  did a fantastic job with this game. We at X35 Earthwalker look forward to seeing what else Celeste has to offer gamers. Now mountain climbing can be too much for some but guess what’s too much for everyone… the ‘Earth Walk!’

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In the Shadows is a new puzzle platformer game developed by ‘Colourspace Studio’. It’s coming out October 13th for PC and on steam but later in the first quarter of next year for Xbox One and PS4.This game was supported on Kickstarter and is now seeing the light of day. Let’s take a look.

In the Shadows is about a grown man who heads back into his childhood imaginary world. He does this to remember his past (can’t you just think about your past). He wants to make sense of his life (there is literally a better and accurate way to do that). It’s suppose to be a “deep emotional story” as described on in the Shadows website. 

Now the theme of ‘In the Shadows’ is fighting your fears. Now the game does a clever way of handling this through the mechanics of the game. For example there are shadow monsters which are dangerous and supposed to represent fear but when they are exposed to light they turn into everyday objects like ladders, tables etc which players can use to their advantage. Pretty clever concept here.

There are different light sources in the game like lamp posts, table light, light boxes etc. Now these different light sources will change the monsters into different objects like a trampoline, table, ladder or even a key. Basically you have to use these monsters to advance. They may scare you but they can help in a way.

Think about it. There are these monsters but notice they are shadow monsters and they are afraid of the light. When the light hits them, they become objects and stuff that you see and use everyday. Maybe the game has a message for gamers that some people have fears that are there everyday but when they are looked at and seen in the light, it’s nothing to be afraid of but used to your advantage, hence facing your fears to advance. Maybe but let’s see. Either way, nice concept.

We checked out some gameplay and it’s sort of what we expected when you see it. It’s a simple game with simple graphics out to tell a simple but quite deep story. It’s not something to be compared to Halo 5 and the evil within 2 etc but it’s good for what it is. In the Shadows have stars for players to collect to unlock hidden levels and secrets. There are many levels and different worlds. Multiple said to be hard puzzles to solve. 

Overall this seems like an interesting game. It doesn’t seem like a great game but the developers, ‘Colourspace Studio’ did the best they could with what they have and they made something well. Many people supported this game to get developed and it’s soon here. This may not be your style but might be just the thing for others. This game may be worth checking out. Now some people are afraid of shadows but what’s always in the light is… the ‘Earth Walk!’

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sonic forces - X35 Earthwalker

Sonic is back and he is back in Force (see what we did there?). Sonic Forces is a new action platform game developed by ‘Sonic Team’ the ones who did ‘Sonic colours’ and ‘Sonic generations’. It’s coming out November 7th for Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch and PS4. Sonic Forces looks epic. Let’s take a look.

In Sonic Forces the world has been destroyed by Dr Eggman (took him long enough) and a powerful new villain. That’s right, a new guy is here. It gets worse… it’s a line up of all the famous villains and some new ones too. So expect to encounter: Dr Eggman (off course), Chaos, Metal sonic and Zavok. The new enemy though is called ‘Infinite’. Let us guess… even though all these powerful enemies are here, for the sake of plot the heroes still win somehow. Don’t you just love fiction.

Since it is a Sonic game you would expect fast paced chaotic action with robots everywhere, loops, ramps and jumps etc, well Sonic Forces has got it all. There are three types of gameplay. You can zoom and dash through the ruined landscapes and fight hordes of robots as the modern Sonic, charge through perilous levels and platforms of the past as classic Sonic and most interesting of all is that you can create your own character, from hundreds of different items and accessories, who uses powerful gadgets to take on enemies across iconic zones. So pure speed and combat, or classic platform dashing, or create your own hero and fight. Some classic sonic gameplay below:

Now there have been many fans that are concerned about Sonic and the recent games. Well we at X35 Earthwalker have checked out some gameplay for ourselves and can confirm that Sonic Forces is going be great and exactly what the fans want from a Sonic game. Thanks to the three game types you can play in the style of the classic sonic games across familiar but modified levels, play in the new and exciting high speed direction of the Modern sonic as all games should be moving forwards and lastly get the gamers themselves involved by making their own character who they can show off and share online. It’s a excellent combination. Sonic Forces has done things right. Even more gameplay below:

The graphics are fantastic. The sounds are excellent and the music is what you would expect from this year we live in. There are some tunes with a beat and some tunes that have a more classic feel. The environments and scenes are actually worth stopping to look at with the water, buildings and even ruined areas. Having the iconic villains back is actually really cool. Metal sonic is a boss and many know this. Chaos is back to spread more chaos (see what we did there?) and off course Dr Eggman. It honestly wouldn’t be a Sonic game without him.

Overall Sonic Forces looks like it has done everything right. From graphics, to the story, to the villains and the game types which can be played. Fans will love this. The developers ‘Sonic Team’ did an outstanding job with this game, We at X35 Earthwalker are looking forward to see what more epic action Sonic Forces has in store for us. This game is definitely worth checking out. Now Sonic is fast, real fast and fast is good but he certainly is not as fast as… the ‘Earth Walk!’

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Revolve is a new action, puzzle platformer developed by ‘Rusty Bolt’. It’s coming out September 22nd for Xbox One and PS4 but already out on PC. We at X35 Earthwalker came across this game but we have never heard about it. Let’s see what’s good.

In the world of Revolve, players control Reevo, which is a drone. Reevo is trying to escape a dystopian world. So what? another flying away to escape game? Not exactly. In Revolve, you do not control Reevo directly. You can only jump, use speed boosts, brake and switch gravity. These four actions however; require energy to do.

This is where the challenge of the game comes from. Reevo’s energy refills by itself but slowly, meaning you can’t spam jump and boost all the time. It’s up to the player to make quick and good judgments on when to boost, when to switch gravity and when to jump or brake to keep going. The timing has to be right. Don’t jump when you don’t need it, wasting energy. This is actually a good mechanic.

Revolve is said to have physics and momentum based gameplay. So take that into account.The steam version of the game has a level editor so get creative. There are 70 levels and some have zero or inversed gravity. You can also race against the ghosts of other players to see if you are top escaper or not.

Overall this game seems very interesting. The mechanic at work here is a great idea. The graphics are very good. The music and sounds are very nice also. The environment fits what’s happening in the world of Revolve. We like what we see. The developers ‘Rusty bolt’ did a very good job with this game. We at X35 Earthwalker appreciate games with interesting mechanics. This is worth checking out. You may be able to switch gravity in this game but you can’t switch… the ‘Earth Walk!’

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Ink is a new inky but fast paced platformer game developed by ‘ZackBellGames’. It’s coming out the 22nd of September for Xbox One, 19th for PS4 and already out on PC.

Now this game has been seen and liked by a lot of people for good reason. Ink has reminded many gamers of super meat boy. Basically players control a white square that releases different coloured ink as it moves, jumps and especially double jumps. The ink is important because you can’t see the terrain. It’s completely invisible and the ink reveals the terrain, especially when you die and go splat. There are spikes and falls which will destroy you.

Now there is some more to the game than that. There are enemies that want you to splat too. You have to defeat all the enemies by jumping on them and reach the goal. It’s literally a simple game. Nice and simple so that people can just jump on and give it a good go. There are 75 levels which means players have quite a lot of work to do. There are also bosses in Ink as well. They really shake things up.

Overall Ink just seems like another simple, quick fun game that any player sort of can just pick up and play. We checked out some gameplay and it really does remind us of super meat boy and a few others but it looks very good. The developers ‘ZackBellGames’ made a good game. This game might be worth checking out.

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