Tinertia Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Give It A Shot 

Tadah! We are back with another video game review of sorts here on In The Mind Of My Mind. This week we got access to a game that is still in development and thus far only in the Alpha stage of testing. A follower of the blog brought this game to my attention and told me to give it a shot so I did just that. We do it for the fans. So lets take a look at what Tinertia has to offer...

At its core Tinertia is a precision based platformer with a unique twist, there is no jump button. One might ask oneself how do you play a platform game without jumping but its actually a pretty cool concept. In what I can only surmise as homage the the old school days of Quake and rocket jumping the team over at Candescent Games decided to take this approach. Coming the finesse and skill of rocket jumping with air dashing to create an addictive and frustratingly fun game that you can't help but play. The game is slated for release on the PS4 and PC and has already been greenlit on Steam. The game supports Xbox 360 controllers, Playstation Dualshock 3, Playstation Dualshock 4, as well as the usual keyboard and mouse, if you’re into that sort of thing. Personally I found it easier to play using a controller but whatever floats your boat. At launch the game will feature eight unique environments each with its own Robo-Boss to contend with comprising of approximately eighty challenging levels. Add to that varying gameplay modes such as Speed Run and #YoLo Challenge from which you can compete on the leader-board rankings for best time. There will also be a replay system in place to capture those epic speed runs and jumps that you will undoubtedly be pulling off. Oh and I should mention the unlockable skins to pimp out and customize your player with some personal flair.

This would usually be the section where I talk about what was good or bad based on your grading scheme for game reviews using the categories of Gameplay, Storyline, Replay Value, Soundtrack & Graphics but since its not a complete game and only in Alpha testing I will forgo that this time around.

What Should Have Been Added:

So in conjunction with what I said above there isn't much I can say since the game isn't done yet but ill say this from what I have seen. The game needs a proper tutorial mode before throwing you into the game itself so first time players can get acclimated to the controls and gameplay mechanics. Next up I feel given the fact that when you die you start from the very beginning that there should be a check point for players so that they don't get overly frustrated dying and starting from scratch. I could be an option in the menu for those that might prefer it over the hardcore gamers that want the challenge and leaderboard competition. Another issue I had was with the control scheme customizability, hoping they put a dedicated option in there to choose a controller type beforehand so that the tutorial instructions show up based on your controller choice instead of just always showing the controller layout even when the person uses a keyboard. Also it would be nice to customize your own controller layout instead of sticking with the default layout. Most importantly I hope they incorporate a well plotted story-line so you can connect with the main character and have more motivation to play the game than just getting the best time and least rockets used possible for the achievement medals.

Final Thoughts:

Honestly the game is ridiculously fun; and I can see it being a big success if it gets the needed exposure and support. It would be amazing if they could figure out a way to get this on mobile as well since these are exactly the type of  games that thrive on that medium. Your friendly neighborhood gamer Zalgo Cometh wishes the team over at Candescent Games all the best and are rooting for their continued success at launch. Go check out their website for Tinertia at http://tinertia.com/ as well as follow them on twitter at @CandescentGames. Be sure to subscribe to their Youtube Channel as  well to stay informed with updates and video progress as the game matures. Enjoy the usual video gameplay with commentary as I play through Tinertia...

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Hope You Don't Get Lost...

Game Mechanics - 1/2

Storyline - 2/2

Graphics - 1/2

Soundtrack - 1/2

Replay Value - 2/2

 Total Score - 7/10

Are ya ready kids? I can't hear you? Oh who lives in a pineapple under the....wait a sec wrong intro. Hey guys welcome to another video game review here with your friendly neighborhood gamer ZALGO_COMETH. Today we are going to be looking at  the recently released game titled "The Cave". Not one of the biggest releases for January as it was pretty much overshadowed by the release of the new "DmC: Devil May Cry" as well as "Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch". I opted to review this game because I feel it deserves some spotlight time as it is definitely worth a play; even more so if you are into puzzle solving and platforming. With that being said lets take a look at "The Cave".

The Cave is a platform-adventure video game developed by Double Fine Productions and distributed by Sega in January 2013 on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii U consoles via their respective storefronts and on Steam for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. The game was created by Ron Gilbert, building on an idea that he has had for nearly twenty years about a cave that lures people into it to explore their darker personality traits. The game borrows concepts from his earlier 1987 game, Maniac Mansion, in which the player initially selects three different characters from a cast of seven to explore the Cave. 

What’s Good:

Storyline; The Cave's story is based on a magical talking cave with a set of labyrinthine tunnels within it. Seven characters, drawn from across time and space and harboring dark secrets, have come to the Cave, believing they can "learn something about themselves and who they might become", as stated by Gilbert. As you play through the game you can unlock bits and pieces of each characters past that help the story unfold as the characters path to self discovery takes shape. This spans many areas and scenarios that are so verse that you undoubtedly will find yourself pulled into the story as it unfolds.

Replay Value; many of the game's puzzles require the three characters to work in coordination to complete, while some puzzles are specific to the unique abilities of a character; in this manner the Cave can only be fully explored through multiple play-through. With such a diverse set of characters to choose from and each with their own special ability you are guaranteed a multitude of different play-through experiences as you go about exploring the cave.

What’s Bad:

Soundtrack; honestly didn't really care for it. Don't even really remember feeling any bit of hype or suspense from the soundtrack. Was just there as an unimportant part of the game.

Game Mechanics; don't get me wrong the game mechanics of the game itself are ok but the fact that I had no idea what each persons special ability was even after trial and error to me is a big no no. So i feel like there should have been a better introduction or explanation of each character and what they are capable of so you can better choose your party of three to suit your play-style more. I ended up just picking who I thought looked cool.

What Should Have Been Added:

Not that the game lacked polish but in this day and age I feel like it could have used better graphics to help better bring across the importance of the cave and your surroundings as a whole. Hopefully there will be DLC to include more characters and possibly varying cave locations. They also needed a dedicated button to warp off screen players together because it got really tedious and annoying having to walk everyone together at times. I figure it might have been a better idea to make the co-op play split-screen so players have a better view and control of how they interact with each other.

Final Thoughts:

Overall "The Cave" provides a decent playing experience for anyone who decides to give it a shot. If you enjoy platforming games or puzzles you will definitely enjoy "The Cave". If you are just looking for a new game to try out as well I would recommend this as well. Hopefully if they make another one in the future they pick a better release window so the game can get a fair bit of exposure and not get overshadowed by bigger AAA titles.

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