Spacechem is the latest game from Zachtronics Industries an indie game developer. It only came out recently though I didn’t hear anything about the game until it went up for sale on the first day of STEAM’s Summer Camp Sale and some friends bought it; then they wouldn’t shut up about it. The game looked intriguing though it was hard to tell what was going on in videos of the game. I downloaded the demo and gave it a try.
The menu screen, looks safe.An earlyish puzzle in the process of being solved.
I’ve been describing the game as a simple scripting language, basic chemistry, flowcharts, and puzzle game mashed into one thing. The board is set up into four quadrants two inputs fields and two output fields. The player has control over two tracks with which they build a flowing script in order to transport, manipulate, combine and tear down atoms and molecules. As the game progresses you’ll have to create multiple chains of these “reactors” to create the desired molecule in complete a level.
A multiple reactor puzzle. Inputs on the left output on the right.A more complex puzzle in the process of being solved.
What makes Spacechem more than a good puzzle game is the fact that the game keeps meticulous records of every puzzle you complete and how you complete it. This information is then compared with all other players and your place amongst them is shown. So, while any puzzle can be solved in just about anyway there are certainly more efficient ways to complete a puzzle, either using less commands, less time to complete, or less “reactors.” Solving the puzzles is only half of the game. The part that keeps you obsessing and coming back, the part that has me seeing blue and red tracks manipulating atoms and molecules in my sleep is the knowledge that I can do better. That while my puzzle is satisfactory it is not optimal. Therein lies Spacechem’s genius.
The notoriously difficult Moustachium-208 molecule reactorIn the process of being solved.
I heartily recommend the game to those who like puzzle games. If you do get it make sure to add me as a friend on STEAM (falselogic); I’ll want to see how well you do on some of these puzzles. Also, I’ll be on ‘On The Stick‘ next Monday (7/18/2011) to talk about the game!
I picked up Jamestown on a whim awhile back… Though now probably isn’t a bad time to get the game on STEAM now it’s only $6.69. The STEAM summer sale is going on right now though so it might be going for a lot less than that in the next 8 days. How you get it though really isn’t the focus of this review, is it?
Jamestown is a local multiplayer, neo-classical, vertical shooter set in 17th century colonial Mars. Players will take on the role of Sir Walter Raleigh (at first; three other characters are unlockable through gameplay) as he tries to win his way back to earth and King James court in England. As Raleigh makes his way across the surface of Mars he’ll encounter Martians, the Spanish, and multiple long lost,super-powerful, civilizations that threaten England’s colony and the life of everyone on the planet. Granted, the storyline in a shooter is superfluous but the setting and artwork in Jamestown are so unique and compelling that not mentioning them seemed a crime. But, you don’t need me to tell you that there are dozens of videos on Youtube, Steam, and the official site that show off how great the game looks. Shooters live and die on their design and gameplay.
Colonial Mars needs your protection from rampaging native Martians
Jamestown, especially at more difficult levels, is a bullet hell shooter. A genre I’ve never been too good at; I don’t have the patience for memorizing bullet patterns and making delicate, precise movements. You control your ship (with either the keyboard, mouse, or controller) and unleash waves of bullets on the oncoming hoards of enemies. There are four different ships, each with their own shooting patterns: a regular shot and a more powerful alternate. Each enemy you destroy drops little bolts or gears that fill up a bar in the upper left of the screen. Once the bar is filled you can activate “vaunt” which creates a temporary shield that absorbs all enemy bullets and increases the damage inflicted by your weapon. Using “vaunt” wisely is the key to racking up high scores; once activated the bar will slowly begin to deplete collecting bolts and gears will re-fill it the longer your “vaunt” lasts the more bonus points you earn.
This is the easy part of the game...
You’re going to need those high scores too; they determine how much money you make at the end of each stage. Money you’re going to want to unlock the other three ships in the game, as well as the harder difficulties, and various challenges. As I said earlier bullet hell games aren’t my strength, Jamestown wasn’t so difficult and frustrating that I ever threw my mouse at the screen or slammed my fists on the keyboard, practice is all it takes to get through the games six levels. Only six? Yes, only six. The game will require you to beat the first three levels a number of times too to unlock the last three in the campaign (unless of course you start playing the game on higher difficulty levels. In general, I don’t appreciate forcing players to replay levels on harder difficulty levels, but the practice came in handy in later stages when the bullet patterns can get quite complex…
From here you can go anywhere!
Jamestown has multiplayer co-op for up to four people but, it’s only local. This is a real negative because it means that I’ll never be able to play this game with friends and it means most people won’t either… How many people’s computers are in rooms big enough to fit four people comfortably, have a screen large enough for everyone to see clearly what their doing and have four controllers? The game does support mouse (which is how I played it) and keyboard controls but two people using a keyboard has never been comfortable. Here’s to hoping internet multiplayer gets patched in.
The first stage boss and the first ship's alternate fire
I beat Jamestown in about 4 hours. More experienced shooter fans could probably do it in less than half that. Good thing there are insane difficulty levels to attempt as well as 20 challenges to unlock and complete. There is a lot here to like and not much to complain about. if you’re a shooter fan I don’t know why you wouldn’t pick this game up, outside of the bizarre touhou/loli subset.
I could do this every week forever... And still have books left.
First, I want to announce the winners for week four of the DiMortuiSunt Book Giveaway: Rock!topus Prime, Shivam Bhatt, Lady, and Aleanil (names have been changed to protect the innocent). They’re books will be heading to them soon. I hope they enjoy them as much as I did.
Second, I want to congratulate everyone who participated in the giveaway and won something over the month of April, as well as thank everyone who commented. My views were up for the month though I haven’t sat down yet and looked through the logs to see if that was because of the book giveaway or I just happened to have particularly interesting postings. Regardless, I’m going to call the entire thing a success. Reader participation definitely increased and I had a lot of fun giving things away.
Keep a look out for future contests as well! I have all interesting stuff lying around to give away!
How many weeks are in April anyway? Five! Man, good thing I have a seemingly endless supply of books here. Before we talk about the four books being given away next week let’s congratulate the winners: Luana, Adam, and Nicolas! I’ll be getting in touch with all three of you to get these books out to you!
Now for next weeks books, reviews as always from Sacramento and San Francisco Book Review:
Darkwar by Glen Cook
Glen Cook’s Dark War trilogy tells the story of a young primitive meth named Marika whose life is unalterably changed when barbarians out of the north destroy her village. This sets her on a path that will lead her into the stars. It also shapes the fate of her race and their planet.
“Caution was the strongest lesson Marika had learned. Absolute, total caution. Absolute total distrust of all who pretended friendship. She was an island, alone, at war with the world because the world was at war with her.”
Originally published in the ’80s separately, Darkwar combines the Marika stories into a single book. The meth are a cat-like people with a strict hierarchical society in which males are subservient to females and all meth are subservient to the Silth, a sorority of mystic, magic-wielding meth who control the planet. Marika, after the destruction of her homestead and her worldview, finds herself a Silth novitiate just as the order of things on her planet begin to come undone, and she is drawn into the center of that change.
Combining fantasy and science fiction in this trilogy, Cook is a master at work. His books are always enjoyable while requiring the reader to think. Darkwar raises such diverse topics as gender roles in society and how the meeting of two alien races might have drastic impacts on the cultures of each race.
The God Engines by John Scalzi
John Scalzi isn’t the more recognized name in science fiction, despite having won awards in the field and having his first novel nominated for the Hugo. Despite this he’s quietly built up an impressive body of hard science fiction. Scalzi abandons this fertile and familiar turf in his latest piece of work, the novella The God Engines, an intriguing work of fantasy that somehow manages to center around interstellar travel, holy wars, and the role of the individual in society. Scalzi somehow manages in a mere 136 pages to create believable, likeable characters who exist in a world that, while fantastic (spaceships travel by dominating captured deities and forcing them to move them through the stars), is both wonderful and convincing. I have only two complaints with the book: it ends far too soon and the conclusion is rushed as if Scalzi forced an ending on a story that needed several more pages to it. In the future I hope Scalzi takes another stab at fantasy, one that lasts a little longer…
The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro (review by Theresa Lucas)
A Boeing 777 lands at JFK International Airport and immediately shuts down. All communication is cut off, and when the first responders arrive, they find the plane sitting quietly, completely dark, with all the shades pulled down and the doors pulled so tightly they cannot be opened. Just as the rescue crew gets ready to cut into the plane, the door quietly opens, and the horror begins. Almost all the passengers onboard are dead, sitting in their seats with no visible signs of struggle or panic. And in the cargo hold, a very large coffin filled with dirt is discovered. The Center for Disease Control is called in to investigate, but the virus they find is more deadly and ancient than anything they could have imagined. Strange alliances form as it becomes clear that the people on the plane aren’t staying dead, and vampires are real. From the imaginations of Guillermo Del Toro, the director of Hellboy and Pan’s Labyrinth and author Chuck Hogan, The Strain is a good old-fashioned horror novel that reminds us vampires really are monsters – not the emotionally tortured souls of paranormal romance novels. The Strain is a very satisfying read that will quench your thirst for a well-crafted, suspenseful book.
Lastly, we have Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow
Sharp Teeth is an epic poem about werewolves in modern day Los Angeles. This book is actually more awesome than it sounds, and if it doesn’t sound awesome to you, you need to re-evaluate your literary standards. Epic, gritty, fast-paced and surprising. Barlow stretches both his subject and poetry in this inventive piece of fiction.
Sorry, I don’t have a longer review of Sharp Teeth, I never reviewed the book when I originally picked it up. It has been a couple of years at least since I read it last and I don’t think I could do it justice by winging it from memory. If I had to pick one book out of the four it’d be Sharp Teeth, it’s just so much more interesting than the other three.
You know the rules by now. Leave a comment below and you’ll be entered to win one of these books next Friday.
