From the maker of game game game and again game, and Alarmingly These Are Not Lovesick Zombies comes another zany freak-fest. While game... again game used platform mechanics to explore philosophical concepts in level design format, this game is a bit simpler on the level-design side, and instead turns the aesthetic of information-overload-as-internet-culture to 11. Headlines mash together, T.Boone Pickens holds money, the friendly merchandising of Boing Boing is lampooned with each writer having their own literal column. A secret exit along the way will put you towards a "true ending", otherwise you´ll hit a dead-end. Controls are the simple arrow keys and space-bar affair.
Boing Boing referenced the game last night, and since they occasionally link to us, it´d be way meta for them to link to this review of the game involving Boing Boing, and indeed inviting that blog to link to this blog. Playing this game will either give you a sort of zany catharsis, or it will make you feel a bit disappointed because Nelson´s previous works seemed to do a better job of that. I´d honestly like to see him veer into another genre for his next mash-up; the shmup was a nice break in Zombies, let´s go for match-3 puzzle games or something next time around. On the other hand, the sort of facile honking of the aesthetics as reflecting the facile honking of internet aesthetics coupled with the reality of the gameplay being largely in parallel (and indeed, level designed around a lot of parallel lines) to the intended vibe. This coupling makes me think a little bit about post-modernism and where we want this culture of ours to go, what the next step is. For me, that´s stepping out of this crazy feedback loop of noise and focusing on the design problems: how to construct algorithmic verb-sets that inspire human beings to live better.
So I formally challenge Jason to step it up. I like his brand of smashmotion frolics, but I want to see what kind of personality it develops when it hits puberty. This is, perhaps intentionally, the spitball fight of a high´s exuberant prepubescence, that high is both the net and games, and also the human mind. Whoa.
