Written by Anthony L. Cuaycong
Title: Utopia 9 - A Volatile Vacation
Developer: Whalegun
Publisher: QubicGames
Genre: Action, Shoot-'Em-Up, Top-Down
Price: $9.99
Also Available On: Steam
Mana Spark publisher QubicGames is back, this time with a twin-stick-shooter offering that showcases its versatility and knack for injecting humor in frenetic gaming. The premise is simple enough: Intent on taking a break from humdrum work, you get hooked by a red-eye television advertisement and arrange a stay at a tourist resort on another planet that promises you a heavenly time. Once there, though, you're instead treated to a continual dose of hell that compels you to file a formal complaint with the travel agency you booked your trip with.
And this is where Utopia 9 - A Volatile Vacation offers up its quirky version of fun in roguelike fashion. Even as you begin with just your trusty suitcase as your melee weapon, you get to build your arsenal over time. Level progression is straightforward, with combat occurring largely in open space. Optional entry into structures can yield useful items, but opens you up to greater risk. Because controls can be forgiving, death should be expected. Fortunately, the game tries to balance the challenges with its nemesis system, which allows you to regain the weapons hoard you accumulated by killing the exact same enemy that previously did you in. Still, the gameplay leans toward the difficult, and not always for the right reasons. The top-down look helps, and the soundtrack keeps the tone light.
THE GOOD
- Environment and character designs jibe with uniqueness of premise and presentation
- Extremely challenging but fair
- Procedurally generated maps add to unpredictability
THE BAD
- Little to no story to drive gameplay forward
- Controls are unforgiving at best
- Death is unavoidable, and doesn't always help with experience
RATING: 7/10
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