https://youtu.be/dHcvQdiIeow
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[h1]Overall Rating - Unplayable Trash ☆☆☆☆☆[/h1]
[h1]First Impressions[/h1]
Dupio (DO) is a game I had for a while, and though I wasn't excited to try it, the title looked like something I could play in-between some larger releases I've been diving into as of late. Since a few people expressed positive aspects in the gameplay, I thought I might get some enjoyment out of it. However, after playing it for less than an hour, I've no interest in playing it further, and if I'd purchased it directly from Steam, I'd have refunded it. What exactly makes DO so bad? More or less everything.
[h1]Gameplay[/h1]
DO is centered around a pretty simple, not so bad idea. You're in control of two purple balls, one on each half of the screen. They're fully separated from the other, with hazards that you'll have to dodge completely at all times, as a single hit will end the run. I believe you can graze them, but direct contact is definitely bad. The red balls are the hazards, the small green dots are points you collect to raise your score, and blue dots slow down the gameplay. From what I noticed, you'll only get a single blue dot in any given attempt. There's only two objectives to aim for in D: surviving for as long as possible, or getting a high score. That's it.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2221965806
[h1]Controls[/h1]
With the basic premise in mind, each half of the screen has its own controls. You control the left side with the keyboard, while the right one is controlled with the mouse. I had no problem with the right side at all, as the controls are snappy and tight, as you'd hope for a control scheme and game of this nature. It's why some people prefer playing SHMUPs with a mouse, because of how precise and quick their movements can be.
However, nobody would be a fan of how the left side controls, because it has a completely different feel to it. The physics are based around momentum, so starting to move the purple ball is slow, until it starts picking up speed, and once it's in motion, it's hard to stop it from careening around. This makes the left side a significant hindrance, and I tended to not move it at all unless forced to. That could be a valid strategy for a game of this nature, but this was essentially the only way DO was playable, and certainly didn't make dodging on the left side fun.
[h1]Story[/h1]
As this is an arcade kind of game, there are no story elements involved.
[h1]Visuals[/h1]
The visuals are simple, but thankfully aren't hard on the eyes. Since the game is pixelated, the round objects look more square than they should, though it's not that much of an issue. A simple game isn't really hurt by basic imagery like this, and the colors are distinct, so there's little problem finding the next point that spawns in, or noticing an approaching hazard. I also like the grids on both sides, as they help you distinguish location more succinctly.
[h1]Sound Design[/h1]
The music is composed of sound effects that play at a fairly quick tempo. I don't mind the beat too much, but with some of the noises used, it's kind of grating and irritating, instead of enjoyable. If the sound design were slightly different, I think I'd enjoy the tune better, though it and the sound effects can easily be muted in the options. Even if you liked it more than I do, there's only the single song to listen to, and it would get tiring before long. The sound effects are functional and fitting, but again, are somewhat annoying.
[h1]Pros[/h1]
🌟 The game is functional, though only just.
[h1]Cons[/h1]
❌ There doesn't seem to be any progression in DO, as there can only be four red balls on each screen, for a total of eight, at any time. Plus, more than one can't spawn from the same wall at a time. In theory, a round can start off where it's incredibly hard to survive, or have no immediate threats to worry about. It's all completely random, and what you see after playing a few times, is exactly what you'd encounter the 100th time.
❌ I don't see any reason to play, as I'm not motivated by high scores. Even if I were, the game doesn't maintain your best time or score consistently, refreshing it each time you exit out of the game. That's a minimal expectation I'd have from any arcade title.
❌ As already mentioned, the controls are a significant burden to the gameplay.
[h1]Tips[/h1]
🔍 If a green dot is near an edge, wait until the hazard on that side spawns, and get the point then. Another hazard can't spawn from that same side until after the previous one goes off-screen.
🔍 Keep the left side still, while relying on the right side to get points.
[h1]Final Thoughts[/h1]
Suffice it to say, there was no point where I ever enjoyed playing this release. An overly simple, hard to control mini-game, might have had a place back on Atari or a mobile phone, but it'd only serve as a distraction if you're really bored. What I find especially egregious is the asking price of $12. Even if you took off $10, I'd argue it's still overpriced. This is the sort of game I'd expect to find in a bundle for $1 that you might play for a few minutes. Unless you'd grind for the achievements, DO isn't worth anyone's time or money.
[table]
[tr]
[th]PC Specs[/th]
[th]Performance[/th]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Ryzen 2700
RTX 2070
16GB RAM
ADATA SSD
1920x1080
[/td]
[td]The game ran without incident on default settings.
💖 - DO is healthy
[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]
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