Cloudwalkers

Cloudwalkers is a really short game, but I had a good time with it while it lasted. It is a fast paced shooter platformer set high above the clouds, where I have to move through floating levels while dealing with alien enemies. The whole thing has a fun cartoon style that makes it feel light and cheerful rather than overly serious. I liked how quickly it gets going because there is very little getting in the way of the actual gameplay. The shooting is simple but surprisingly enjoyable. I can run through the levels while shooting aliens and trying to keep my movement flowing. The interesting part is that my gun can overheat, and if I am too reckless I can actually get myself killed. I liked this because it stops me from constantly holding down the trigger. I have to pay a little attention to when I am firing and when I should give the weapon a moment to cool down. The platforming works nicely alongside the shooting. I am not just standing in one place fighting enemies, so I have to keep moving through the floating environments while dealing with whatever is ahead. The combination gives the game a nice arcade feeling. I enjoyed trying to move quickly through sections while still taking enough time to deal with the aliens properly. I also liked that the game gives me a choice in how I approach each run. I can try to speed through the levels as quickly as possible, or I can take my time and focus on shooting as many aliens as I can for a higher score. That gives the short campaign a little more replay value. Once I know the levels, I can come back and try to improve my time or score rather than simply repeating the exact same run. The biggest problem is obviously the length. Cloudwalkers is extremely short, and I reached the end much sooner than I wanted to. The levels are fun, but there is not enough variety or content to make the game feel like a substantial adventure. I would have liked more stages, different enemies and perhaps some additional weapons or abilities. The basic mechanics are good enough that I think the game could have supported a much larger experience. The presentation does help make the short length easier for me to accept. The hand drawn cartoon look fits the silly tone, and the cloud setting gives the levels a nice visual identity. I also appreciate that the game is completely free, so I do not feel like I am losing anything by giving it a try. There is even an open source aspect to the project, which I think is a nice touch for anyone interested in seeing how the game was made. Overall, Cloudwalkers is a small but enjoyable shooter platformer that I think works best as a quick arcade style experience. I liked the combination of shooting, platforming and score chasing, while the overheating gun adds just enough risk to make the combat more interesting. The biggest issue is that I wanted much more by the time I finished, but considering it is free and designed around quick runs, I still think it is worth checking out. It is simple, cheerful and fun while it lasts. Rating: 6.6/10