[h1]The planet of the EVERYTHING THAT WANTS TO KILL YOU[/h1]
Let me get this straight: you will die on this game. A LOT.
Now that's clear, let's go into the game.
You're an astronaut transported through a portal to an alien planet, with a strange landscape, and filled with strange critters that are aggresive, dangerous, poisonous, and overall, deadly. So, basically, Australia.
Now, you need to find another portal back to earth. Sounds easy? Think again
On one hand, lower gravity allows you to jump really high to try to escape the local fauna. On the other, a toxic atmosphere means that you'll need to catch the oxigen orbs spread through the different levels in other to progress, lest you want to find your demise in a slow, agonic breathless dead (instead of the usual "killed by a giant mutant grasshopper from hell" one). Aside from jumping, you'll be able to crouch to try to avoid you impending doom, and that's basically it. Don't expect no weapons, nor powerups. You're on your own here, mate.
Upon finding your first enemy (A cute, harmless looking (don't be fooled) caterpillar), you'll learn two things: first, you can't stomp on your enemies mario style, and two, avoiding your foes is going to be hard. REALLY HARD.
And here's the gist of the game's design. Like the computer games of old, gameplay is divided in screen based levels, in which you'll need to rely on pixel perfect jumps, excellent timing, and lots of repetition in order to progress. To the point that it becomes almost like a puzzle platformer by itself.
This will be the polarizing point of the game. Let me tell you, POTVC is not a game for everyone. It's a game for oldschool enthusiasts, looking for a challenge with a classic flavour. You'll need patience for this one, or you may end with a broken keyboard.
Knowing this, the game comes with a practice mode, that will let us try the different levels in order to learn the pattern of each screen safely, without losing any of our precious lives.
Visually, the game is a gorgeous tribute to those old games, showing us some really pretty designs, along with a vibrant palette.
Sound is pretty neat too, with the usual bleeps and blops of days past, and the music really helps us get into the game, inspired by the old scifi movies, and adding an undertone of loneliness underneath it all, not unlike the original metroid.
Technically wise, the game is rock solid, and the controls responsive. If you die during a jump, (and you will) you'll know it as an error on your side, and never the case of a lousy implementation.
TL DR;
Nice old school game, evoking the classics, and with insane difficulty. Go for it if you want a real challenge, or avoid if you're not up for it.
Also, beware of those pesky grasshopers, Damn them!
