Windows Phone Xbox Live Review: Tentacles

Games are ordinarily fairly consequent in quality from start to terminate, with the latter 3rd or one-half perhaps showcasing more bugs and less interesting level designs. It's a typical effect of the rushed product schedule that developers get through equally they're forced to hit a release engagement on fourth dimension. While I'm used to a slight drop-off in quality as I become farther into a game, nothing prepared me for Tentacles' downward spiral. The platformer-esque Windows Telephone exclusive from Printing Play, makers of the whimsical Max & the Magic Marker could accept been one of the best games on the platform. Instead, it comes across like a malicious bait-and-switch.

Before we get into what went incorrect, let's wait at what Tentacles does right. First is the unique premise, told through slightly blithe story sequences. In the 1960s, Dr. Phluff, a mad scientist, loves splicing species even more than Dr. Moreau. Replacing his own caput with that of a dolphin was simply the get-go! His latest experiment has created Lemmy, a microscopic, three-tentacled Cyclops.

Afterwards a typical lab accident, Lemmy ends upwardly within of the good doctor and starts wreaking havoc on his internal organs. Over the course of the story, the dr. becomes increasingly frustrated and aggressive towards Lemmy, often to hilarious effect. It'south not often you go to play a bad guy, or an invasive organism, anyhow. It all pays off with a neat ending that most makes the pain of the latter levels worth enduring.

On superlative of the story scenes' clever comic-like fine art and writing, Tentacles also looks and sounds beautiful during gameplay. The game uses a 2nd perspective and 3D graphics to bring Dr. Phluff's inner infinite to life. I honey the weird color palette, which utilizes far more than blacks and yellows than well-nigh games. The ethereal soundtrack from Danish creative person Rumpistol (aka Jens Christiansen) perfectly complements the 1960'southward sci-fi vibe. Throw in some tricky sound effects (particularly when Lemmy eats things or pulls parts away from enemies) and Press Play's artists take really outdone themselves all around.

Tentacles utilizes a truly unique control mechanic. Lemmy doesn't walk with his iii master tentacles; he clings to things. Tap anywhere inside Lemmy'south range (about a 3rd of the screen) and he'll catch onto it with a unmarried appendage. Tap the same spot or another and he pulls himself towards the new spot. Information technology sort of feels like individually controlling a person's feet, which I initially loved.

Lemmy also has a fourth clawed bagginess which he uses to grab the eyes out of enemies. See, all of the native organisms inside of Dr. Phluff want the invader out. And for some reason they each have at least one eyeball – Lemmy'southward favorite snack. Pulling away a bad guy'southward eye (or all of its eyes) kills the aggressor and refills the thespian'due south health. Simpler enemies are fun to fight, though the ones that can only be hit from behind prove far more annoying, as do the huge bosses.

At the outset, I had a blast zipping through levels and fighting unproblematic bad guys along the way. Then did a lot of people, as Tentacles' positive reception from the mainstream press reveals. But right around level 20 (out of 40), the game starts to change. The fun peters out, replaced instead past most unending frustration. What went wrong?

As I encounter it, the following issues basically ruin the feel of playing Tentacles:

• Wellness and damage organisation: In lieu of a life meter, the screen turns increasingly carmine as Lemmy takes damage. The just manner for him to heal is by eating eyeballs. Unfortunately, eyeballed enemies are often hard to come beyond after you've been hurt. Even when you exercise discover one, it might be of the risky-to-fight variety, killing Lemmy during the battle.
  Once injured, the remainder of a level tends to exist super tough and punishing, similar the game is rubbing in your fault. The developers could have easily rectified the trouble past simply allowing Lemmy's health to recharge over time. The game would still be pretty tough then, only at to the lowest degree players wouldn't be punished and then much for their mistakes.
• Swimming upstream: Since Tentacles takes identify inside of a human being(ish) torso, it makes sense for liquids to swirl effectually in in that location. Only the sections with forced currents are without a doubt the most frustrating and unfun portions of the game. These parts quite often result in bashing Lemmy confronting spikes or other objects that will kill him. They unremarkably don't give yous much fourth dimension to react before Lemmy is diced to pieces. Worse, the actual safety route in the forced current sections is often unclear. The developers basically had exactly i solution in heed, and if yous can't detect it you'll simply die over and again.
• Oh, those tentacles: The currents often exacerbate some other issue: controlling the length of Lemmy's tentacles is difficult and unintuitive. With spiked and electric death dotting the walls merely nearly everywhere in later levels, it'due south often essential to keep Lemmy's body at a specific distance from the floor and ceiling. Unfortunately, even after chirapsia the game I tin can't regulate his tentacle length with any consistency. I often had to fauna force my way through difficult passages – simply trying to run through them repeatedly, until I finally managed to survive unscathed.

Press Play famously added an Like shooting fish in a barrel Fashion to the game in an update. Simply Piece of cake Mode only allows Lemmy to accept more damage before dying. It doesn't address the horrendous level pattern and infuriating currents. Even with more life, Lemmy still gets pushed into inescapable decease far too ofttimes. Easy Manner doesn't experience like a proper easy difficulty – it'due south just the difficulty the game should be anyway. Worse, enabling Piece of cake fashion (a simple toggle from the Level Select menu or Options) prevents players from earning progress towards a couple of Achievements.

Achievements

Also the story-based ones, many of Tentacles' Achievements circumduct effectually earning three stars for every single level: Pickups (collecting all pickups), No Death, and Challenges (completing irksome Speed or No Damage challenges). Pickups are probably the easiest of the stars, just they're also annoying considering y'all normally tin't become back to get stuff you've missed. Turn on Easy Mode and you automatically miss the No Expiry star, some other bummer considering how hard it tin exist to avoid dying even with Easy on. If playing Tentacles is like rubbing a cheese grater across your peel (and it is), then trying to earn every Achievement is like pouring hot grease on the wound.

Overall Impression

I wanted to similar Tentacles so badly. Even after finding that I hated the game, I held out hope that the version 1.ane patch would set its woes. Unfortunately, the patch did very little to accost Tentacles' flaws. Mobile games are supposed to be played in brusk doses and enjoyed by every bit wide a variety of players every bit possible. Sadly, Tentacles proves to be far also challenging and frustrating for playing on the get. Only a certain kind of gamer enjoys nut-kick difficulty; it's a shame that Press Play didn't design the game with a wider audience in mind.

Tentacles costs $4.99 and there is a free trial. If you lot can handle a beating, get it hither on the Market.

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/windows-phone-xbox-live-review-tentacles

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