Big Earth

[h1]Really interesting puzzles in a unique environment, but the physics need some work. [/h1] Earth’s resources have been depleted and mankind is struggling to survive. Dr Kyle Seed has invented a way to restore humanity’s future, but a freak accident in his laboratory transforms Kyle into a smaller version of himself, and scatters the vital seeds needed to regenerate life throughout the land. Kyle must recover the seeds, but his smaller stature means he will have to compete with nature, and survive. Big Earth is a physics-based puzzle platformer with challenging puzzles. [quote][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41039956/]More reviews at Indie Blast! [/url][/quote] [h1]🤔Overall Impressions🤔[/h1] [quote][h2][b]Big Earth is a clever and original puzzle platformer with enjoyable puzzles that require thinking and precision. Unfortunately, the precision needed in some of the trickier puzzles, don’t match the physics, and it can become very frustrating. If they could fix the physics then this would be a superior puzzle game with some great ideas. [/b][/h2][/quote] I’ve been really enjoying this game, but I’ve now come to a stage where my mental health is more important, and I have had to stop. There are so many nice ideas in this game, and I love the nature-based environments, put the physics, mainly the crate movement and placement, just needs an overhaul. I will return when it is fixed. [h2] 🧩Puzzles🧩 [/h2] I’ll just get straight into the main issue with this game, and that is the transportation and placement of the crates. You haven’t known frustration until you have tried to place two crates on to a mushroom! The crates defy all known laws of physics. They seem to have no weight to them at all, and bounce around as if they are made of rubber. Some puzzles require you to jump on to mushrooms and place two crates on them to reach high ledges. The mushroom is slightly wider than two crates side to side, so it is a very tight squeeze. Getting one crate on is quite easy, but when you have to get two on there, it becomes a lot harder than it should, and almost always ends up in a frustrating mess. Lifting crates uses energy, and because the physics are so weird you often run out of energy messing around with them and have to restart. I have decided to stop until they fix it. Instead of ranting on about it, I’ve made a video to highlight the problem. https://youtu.be/k3B0FylipWg Putting the block issue aside, the puzzles are quite clever, and I love the way they are tied into nature, with lush environments thick with vegetation, and geographical features that are used to solve puzzles. Bound across leaves, climb and descend rocks, plant mushrooms and plants to avoid traps and reach new heights, and even use creatures to aid you in your pursuit. Of course, being so small, Kyle has shot down the food chain and is ripe pickings for any predators lurking in the shadows. Kyle has a torch which can fend them away but they will eat you if you can’t bypass them. The puzzles are bound by two characteristics, in energy and seeds. You need energy to move things, and both energy and seeds to plant something. As you progress in the game, you will come across upgrades which will award you the ability to grow new plants. These vary in size, but the bigger the plant, the more energy and seeds it will require. In some puzzles, resources are tight, so you will need to judge what size plant you need to reach heights, and often, you don’t know what is ahead, so you may use all of your resources only to find that more are required and you need to revise your plan. The level is easy to restart, but all your progress is lost and you will need to begin again. Levels can take thirty minutes plus, so it is annoying if a physics-based anomaly causes death. [h1]🎬Gameplay Video🎬[/h1] https://youtu.be/DI_wdLOYX8w [h2] 🕹️Movement 🕹️ [/h2] Kyle can jump, double jump, sprint, and dash, or a combination of all four, if there are larger gaps to travel. Some gaps you will need to think about where you are going to place plants, as this can be the difference between making a large jump or not, and plants also lift you off the ground where dangerous spikes and brambles can quickly deplete your health. Plants can only be placed where there is soil, so you are limited in where you can sow your seed, but it also acts as a hint in a way, as there aren’t many random bits of soil around. On numerous occasions the double jump did not register, just when I needed it the most, and this happened a lot when carrying crates. As far as I was aware, there’s no time limit when a second jump can be used, so I think there is an issue there somewhere. Dashes only propel you forwards, not backwards, so if you are jumping backwards, which you sometimes need to do whilst holding a crate to avoid carnage, the dash will send you against gravity, and back the way you came. A bizarre issue which can be annoying, especially in tight areas, or on mushrooms, is the simple act of turning around. Why is it so difficult to perform this? If you are facing one way, and you start to travel the other way, Kyle takes a while to face the right direction. It is a bit strange, but it can cause serious problems, especially if you are carrying a crate, or want to dash in a certain direction. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2861548351 Planting the seeds can be problematic. There is an option to test where your seed will sprout before committing, which is useful, especially in dark or cramped areas, but the issues lie with the aiming mechanics. The same thumb stick is used for aiming and walking, and often I would walk off mushrooms, falling into spikes, because I was trying to aim but it walked me instead. Some sort of anchor is needed to stop this happening, or assign it to a different controller input. The aim is very loose also, and there is no trajectory beam showing you where it is going to land. I think this would be more useful than the test view. If a seed does not land in soil, it will either bounce off somewhere or stay put for you to collect and use again, but sometimes the seed disappeared altogether, making a restart necessary. [h2]📺Graphics and Sound🎵 [/h2] The background graphics look photo realistic, and I wonder if that technique has been used, but often blurred to give depth and a three-dimensional feel. Kyle looks and feels tiny compared to the undergrowth and it works really well, immersing you in your surroundings. He moves gracefully and everything he does looks realistic. On rare occasions, it can be confusing which plants are in play and which plants are background visuals, but it doesn’t pose much of an issue. I loved the inclusion of creatures, especially when you could interact with them to solve puzzles, and there is a mechanic where you can freeze time whilst watching them, which replenishes your health. It doesn’t really work as a visual treat but I appreciate the sentiment behind it. Nature can heal you in many ways. Perhaps some cut scenes in these instances would be welcomed? There are lots of ambient noises and natural sound effects giving this game a relaxing and peaceful ambiance. It’s a bit like watching a relaxing well-being nature video, but performing puzzles as well. [h1]🍳Conclusion🍳[/h1] [quote][h2][b] [i]Big Earth[/i] is shaping up to be an excellent puzzle game, with lots of original features and clever puzzles that will keep you entertained for hours. The game is very addictive and enjoyable, but there are some issues with physics that need to be addressed. I would still recommend this game, as it is so promising, and there are still a lot of features and puzzles that work well. Just be warned that currently, if you come across a crate puzzle, even though they are achievable, it may test your sanity! [/b][/h2][/quote] Thank you to the Indie Game Collective for providing me with the key.

Trabalhei escrevendo REVIEWS e ARTIGOS sobre jogos durante 17 anos para um site, até então focado em games (Adrenaline) e esporadicamente para alguns impressos. Para ser mais exato entre 2002 e 2019. Durante esse período, era quase impossível achar um jogo Brasileiro com "qualidade internacional" ou até de qualquer qualidade, vamos dizer assim. De uns 2 anos pra cá vários games nacionais tem surgido no mercado e vem chamando a atenção de uma pequena parte do público brasileiro, mas infelizmente ainda é raro ver "nossos" jogos serem protagonistas de algum artigo ou review em sites ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ e renomados. Espero que isso mudo em breve, pois já tivemos jogos excelentes que não ficam devendo em nada aos ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, dentre eles o Dolmen, que recebi 2 cópias para PS5 e o Fobia, que infelizmente me foi negada uma chave. E ainda tem jogos por vir, que podem surpreender, como o Lendas. Dito isso, alguém sabia que Big Earth é um jogo 100% brasileiro? Pois é, eu também não sabia até entrar em contato com a Assessoria de Imprensa do game (em Inglês) e receber uma resposta extremamente simpática e em Português! Eu já tinha jogado a versão PlayTest e me encantado com o game devido a sua qualidade gráfica impecável. NUNCA passou pela minha cabeça que BIG EARTH seria um jogo 100% BRASILEIRO criado e produzido pelos irmãos Caio e Daniel Zilli. Isso mesmo: criado e produzido por apenas duas pessoas e usando recursos próprios. Falando do game, já de cara digo que é uma compra obrigatória para quem curte jogos de plataforma com puzzle (fiquei preso em alguns puzzles e os irmãos que estavam na minha Live assistindo, me ajudaram bastante no Gameplay! Isso que dá ser ruim em jogos onde a precisão é fundamental! AHAHAH ). O Visual é absurdo, extremamente realista, tando nos gráficos dos cenários quanto nos "inimigos" que aparecem pelo caminho, como por exemplo um Escorpião e um inocente Beija-flor. Durante a Live os produtores me disseram que usaram cerca de 15.000 fotos reais para a produção do game, então tudo no cenário foi criado a partir de fotos reais tiradas por eles. Daí vem o realismo e a beleza visual. Na Live eu falei que em alguns momentos o Gameplay e algumas mecanicas me lembravam bastante o excelente Trine. E acertei na mosca, quando o Caio disse que Trine era uma das inspirações deles. O jogo tem alguns problemas, claro, como por exemplo em uma parte onde a gente tem que mover várias caixas (no melhor estilo Trine), mas a maneira de controlar ficava complicado. Mas nada que um Patch não resolva. Alias, o jogo está em INGLÊS, mas terá uma atualização para o Português e ainda planejam levar o jogo para os Consoles! Sem me estender muito, Big Earth é uma compra obrigatória não por ser um jogo nacional, mas pela tamanha qualidade e desafio que ele oferece! No início falei da questão de jogos brasileiros. Infelizmente o Big Earth é um jogo desconhecido para a imensa e esmagadora maioria das pessoas e falei isso na Live! É preciso mais apoio para esses jogos, incluo também os jogos que citei mais acima, porque infelizmente ainda existe preconceito com jogos nacionais, as pessoas acham que são ruins, meia boca, amadores, mal feitos e por isso nem se quer testam o jogos, e na verdade vários dos que estão sendo lançados atualmente são MUITO melhores do que muitos jogos "♥♥♥♥♥♥♥" onde as pessoas pagam pau. Bom, fica aqui meu PROTESTO e pedido para buscarem saber mais sobre games BRASILEIROS! Segue link do meu canal na Twitch e da Live que fiz e cortei para o Youtube: https://www.twitch.tv/jplosada https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98vyJ-DmNCE

UPDATE: issues with physics have been fixed in the latest patch! If you're willing to ignore frustrations related to touchy physics and gamepad layout, specifically aiming, you'll find a puzzle game with nice visuals. The whole thing begins with a malfunction in a seed-planting dome. Kyle Seed, the scientist in charge, receives an automatic message from the facility and races there on his bike after grabbing his backpack. While he is fixing the issue and it appears like the day will be saved, a storm materializes above the dome, and the machine is struck by lightning just as Kyle is standing underneath it. The machine shrinks Kyle to the size of a mushroom and drops him to the bottom of the dome along with the seed containers and energy cells required for the seeding process. The first thing you notice is that despite the game's visuals that might lead you to believe this is an action adventure or a metroidvania, Big Earth is actually a platformer with physics-based puzzles. The main hub, which changes slightly after each stage is finished, is where you’ll find everything. You can choose which stage to concentrate on first, but you still need to complete them all. Platforming and logic puzzles are found in the linear sections that make up the stages. Because you pass an antenna that saves the game and raises a barricade that prevents you from going back, you can always tell when you enter a new section. However, the game doesn't let you replay previous stages because there are no collectibles and your main objective is always on the main path. A nimble protagonist makes for really enjoyable platforming. Kyle can double jump and dash through the air; I'm not sure if the machine granted him additional abilities or if he already had them in normal size. It's interesting that you can freely combine the two. You could, for instance, double jump and dash, or jump, dash, jump again, and dash again. Although there’s a stamina bar that’s mostly used on running, you’ll never run out because it recharges fast. One issue I noticed is that double jump doesn't always work; usually right above a chasm. I won't discuss art because images already cover everything. Although mostly stuck in the background so that it doesn't distract from the action, the world down there is actually rather spectacular. All of the protruding objects, such as leaves and branches, serve as either platforms for jumping or as barriers that must be overcome. However, the sound department, particularly the voice, needs improvement. I was unable to understand what the protagonist was saying because there were no subtitles. Although he doesn't speak much, he occasionally makes comments on events about the environment that you can't hear. As the game contains physic-based puzzles, you’ll need tools. This is where the grab gun comes in. The fact that it uses energy each time you grab an object and carry it around might cause concern that you can’t mess around while solving puzzles. You shouldn't be concerned. There are energy canisters all throughout, and you can keep them in your backpack. Additionally, the gun features a flashlight to illuminate dark areas and repel larger predators. Up until you learn you don't actually need the gun, the mechanic appears interesting. Because of how responsive the game's physics system is, you can move a box by merely walking into it. Furthermore, you can jump into one to launch it into the air or move multiple boxes at once. When you pile boxes on top of one another in the hopes that they will support your weight, it is frustrating to watch them crumble under your weight like a deck of cards. The worst-case scenario is that you'll slip straight into a bottomless pit. Much more effective is the seed planter. This tool lets you to grow larger plants by combining energy and seed canisters; the more resources it costs, the more helpful the plant. It also has a basic mode of growing moss that restores a small portion of your energy when you find yourself without. Although the selection of plants is very small, the mechanic is straightforward and does the job. Plants can only be grown in soil, of course. Try to do it on a rock and watch it bounce off, preferably into a pit where it can’t be recovered. Aim controls and movement are stuck on the left analog stick, which make the game unplayable if you use a gamepad. Aiming is problematic and makes it difficult to place objects where you want them to be. It’s impossible to make basic actions, like putting two boxes together, when you pair this with touchy physics; you aim up while holding the box to put it on top of another box, but when you press forward the box also moves forward and bumps the other box away. It's still too simple to press the wrong button, even though planting makes an attempt to address this problem by showing you a preview of where the plant will grow. It’s best to just fire a seed straight forward. Additionally, as the right analog stick is used for useless camera that only works when you zoom in, aiming cannot be switched to it. Having two difficulty options feels pointless. You can choose between the adventure and puzzle difficulty. The only difference between them is that after passing through a save game point in adventure mode, you get to keep one energy cell and one seed container in your backpack. Unfortunately, if you die or restart the stage, you lose the advantage that was supposed to offer you more resources to tackle challenges. Your progress is lost when you die, and you are sent to the previous save point. Since there are no checkpoints, dying in a zone with greater dangers is extremely painful. When you're practically at the end of the stage and accidentally fall into a hole because of weak physics, it stings very bad. Fortunately, the areas aren't very large, so dying doesn't seem like you wasted a lot of time. You can withstand less lethal dangers and falls from height thanks to the health bar. In addition to the dependable medic pack, the game includes an original method of health restoration. You can hit a button to "contemplate" or slow time down if you are near a butterfly, a bee, or any other insect. This fills your health in a matter of seconds. Warning for achievement hunters: the majority of achievements want you to grind for things like "die x number of time", "plant x number of seeds", etc. You never know what that number is. But the bigger issue is that your save file gets deleted after you finish the game. And if you start a new game, all your stats apparently reset.

A beautiful game, with clever mechanics and really stunning visuals! Very enjoyable and relaxing to play, with detailed graphics and a "tilt-shift effect", that really makes us feel like in a real micro adventure in nature! I played the first 5 levels, and already highly recommend this indie gem! I can't wait to continue my little adventure until the end! :)

It is inevitable not to realize the beauty of the game. Incredible view! The tutorial has an appropriate step when walking through the game, they are explanatory and allow us to enjoy the beautiful journey through the scenarios. The gameplay is pleasant and the soundtrack soothes us while we solve the puzzles. In short, the game is fantastic!

One of the best games that I've played. Love the beauty of all nature photos used in realistic 3d scenarios. I felt that I was actually inside the forest living there and having the opportunity to see everything in big scale. The puzzles are really well thought out, each level has a unique puzzle to solve that makes the game really interesting and engaging.

Loved the game! Besides of being really fun and challenging, the game is astonishingly beautiful. More than only playing a video game, I felt like I was enjoying a safari in nature. Fantastic experience! Once in a while, these indie gems appear, and it's really lovely we can get to enjoy them. I'm recommending this precious title to all my friends. Thank you!

jogabilidade muito boa, cenários muito bem construídos e é um jogo muito divertido com uma história muito envolvente

Big Earth é um Hidden Gem do Steam, e feito por brasileiros. Um jogo de plataforma com resolução de puzzles que traz em seu visual maravilhoso a paixão dos criadores por fotografar a natureza (mais de 15.000 registros fotográficos foram usados para fazê-lo), permitindo ao jogador, em certos momentos, contemplar com um comando de zoom a proximidade de insetos, como abelhas e borboletas. Toda essa beleza exige um hardware razoável para rodá-lo em 1080p a 60 FPS nas configurações máximas (tenho uma RTX 2060 Super e ele exige constantemente 100% de processamento gráfico), mas vale muito a pena: os puzzles oferecem desafio que mantém o jogador envolvido o tempo todo, exigindo diferentes estratégias para saltar em uma folha (cujo movimento interfere no sucesso do seu movimento), organizar caixas para servirem de plataforma, evitar espinhos e altas quedas que podem causar dano, cadenciar os movimentos de corrida, do pulo, do pulo duplo, e de esquiva, para alcançar um determinado ponto do cenário, iluminar partes escuras do cenário para revelar caminhos e itens, agachar-se em pontos estreitos para avançar, entre outras coisas. Para mover caixas e iluminar o cenário, você conta com um aparelho que consome energia, e precisa ser reabastecido constantemente com itens do cenário, além de outro item que serve para upgrades. Seus movimentos são limitados por uma barra de stamina que você precisa administrar também. A atmosfera do jogo é futurista, em um contexto caótico em que a humanidade precisa trabalhar em laboratório a recuperação dos recursos naturais já quase inexistentes na Terra. Essa "corrida contra o tempo" em um cenário futurista me fez lembrar muito Death Stranding e The Surge. O equipamento usado para semear as sementes se quebra com um raio e, como efeito colateral, ele diminui radicalmente o tamanho do protagonista, bem ao estilo "Querida, encolhi as crianças", e tudo que era pequeno passa a ficar enorme para ele, como folhas, gravetos, espinhos e insetos. Sua missão é recuperar os componentes desse equipamento. Um jogo feito com carinho que vale muito a pena! Aqui o link do artigo que me levou a conhecer o jogo: https://adrenaline.com.br/noticias/v/78274/big-earth-jogo-indie-brasileiro-utiliza-fotografias-reais-para-compor-cenario

[h1]小人国的智勇大闯关[/h1] 当“小人国”的世界观照进游戏世界，原本平淡无奇的花园却在遗言的视角下显得魅力独特，配合上本作出色的画面表现，以及丰富的工具带来的多样谜题和流畅的操作手感下的平台跳跃内容，都让游戏体验十分出色，但游戏细节上人物模型却稍显模糊，同时会出现游戏中的景物遮挡住玩家的视线以及十分多的卡死不能动的bug，游戏的键鼠适应做的也并不是很好，期待之后制作组的更新。 在一进入游戏，本作扑面而来的并非其在宣传视频和图片中所展示的精致，反而有种粗糙和模糊的观感，无论是在游戏的开始界面或是初进游戏的游戏细节场景，因为莫名原因本作虽然没有VR模式但是其在打开游戏时如果你电脑开着VR选项其会自动打开，游戏中的键鼠适应做的也并不是很好，在开始界面以及游戏中的菜单界面鼠标都会出现偏移的问题，而游戏最为出色的画面，其精致的效果更是需要玩家来进行“适应”。 游戏中画面确实是十分精致的，但是人物的模型以及近景和远景却不知道为何像打上了一层马赛克，而玩家大部分的游玩时间都是盯着人物看，这就让玩家原本心理对游戏的预期和现实体验有了十分大的误差，同时大部分的横版游戏为了增加画面的丰富度，都会将游戏的画面一分为三，分别是远处的背景，游戏人物所处的线路，以及近景三部分，本作中同样也采用了这样的设定，但是它对很多景物进行了太多的虚化来营造出真实的视觉体验，这就让原本精致的画面子啊一些场景中就显得十分粗糙，同时游戏中还有着很多的近景贯穿整个屏幕，虽然也进行了虚化，但是还是会出现遮挡玩家视线的情况。 同时虽然游戏中做出了很多的3d画面效果，但是在进行游戏设计时却采用了完全抛去纵向移动的纯粹的横板，这就让原本精致的3d画面所呈现出来的效果大大减弱，相比只下《小小梦魇》在这方面做的就出色很多，同时也用这样的方法进行了一些独特的谜题设计，本作很多的地方感觉都可以采用这样的设置。 再来说回游戏的操作，虽然本作是一款以解谜为主的关卡制游戏，但是还加入了很多的平台跳跃元素，虽然游戏的操作颇为顺滑，但是着一些对本类游戏十分不友好的设定让很多地方的平台跳跃体验大大下滑，第一是游戏的跳跃，游戏中玩家可以进行二段跳，并且进行跳跃和冲刺的随意组合，同时还有着一个不会耗完的耐力条供玩家参考，但是游戏的跳跃稍显笨重，其在空中的时间有些稍长，而且在空中第二次跳跃的上升幅度太小了，很多地方都要进行多次的尝试，来确认第一段跳跃的最高点再来进行二段跳才能登上很多平台。 游戏中值得夸赞的地方由很多，游戏的出色的景物描绘，每一个大关不同的谜题设定，流畅的操作体验，同时还有制作组详细的教程，这个教程几乎是涵盖了所有内容，并且单独存在于游戏正式关卡之前，这样子细心给玩家每一步做个教程的游戏现在确实颇为少见。 [h1]购买指南[/h1] [olist] [*]出色的画面但虚化景物过多 [*]丰富的谜题 [*]平台跳跃含量较高 [*]键鼠操作不是很友好 [*]无中文 [/olist] [h1]结语[/h1] 游戏虽然有着一些缺点，但是其丰富独特的谜题，出色的画面效果以及优秀的配乐都让本作值得一试。 评分8/10 [quote]*中国鉴赏家同好会[开发者邀请]评测 *开发者邀请评测由开发者邀请同好会成员免费测试游戏的方式，最终产生的玩家评测，故该评测仅作为参考，望读者理性阅读，谨慎购买。 欢迎加入[url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/jsjthh]中国鉴赏家同好会群组[/url]&关注我们的鉴赏家[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/27093039/]中国鉴赏家同好会[/url][/quote]