During the past few weeks Chelle has been drawing my attention to the many excellent Indie Developed games that are available on X Box Live Indie Games.
I must confess that I hadn't really paid much attention to this section of the Game Marketplace before, being more the kind of gamer that tends to be attracted to the nice shiny thing being dangled out there waiting for me to pay small fortune for. Thankfully, Chelle is a much more well versed gamer than I am and she has quickly opened my eyes to this often ignored world and it's many gems contained therein.
One of the great things about the XBLIG is that, like the Arcade titles, you can access a free trial of each game available even though the normal price of a game is 80 points which hardly represents a risk when it comes to purchasing a title. There is really no excuse to not check out an Indie game.
I am still a relative noob to the Indie game scene but I am already being drawn into playing these titles, allocating nearly as much time as I have for the major game releases. What each game represents is a labour of love whereby the developers are giving their all into a project that is not designed to be commercialized in anyway. It takes me back to the days when I first started out gaming on the likes of the VIC 20 and Commodore 64 whereby games were developed by individuals or very small teams of people whose primary interest was to create something fun and addictive to play.
It is all about taking simple concepts and making something worthwhile playing, addictive, and something that captures the primary essence of what gaming was all about when it was in it's infancy. With so much attention being placed on technical achievement with games these days it's hardly surprising that the fun element tends to take a hit.
Amongst the games I am current playing are:
Decimation X and X3 by Xona games. These are essentially a beefed up take on Space Invaders but both are hugely addictive and bring back that feel of wanting to beat your last score. Fast and frenetic I usually find myself having a go on these first thing in the morning whilst my reflexes are at their sharpest!
Inflamous by Milkstone Studios S.L. which is a great little game where the objective is to set everyone on fire in an office. Not only is it a good laugh but it also a great stress reliever!
Crossfire 2 by Radian Games is a great shooter where the objective is to destroy wave after wave of enemy ships but in order to do so you must use a jump feature which sends your ship from the bottom of the screen to the top and vice versa. The game is so addictive and fun to play and it gets really manic as the levels progress.
Epic Dungeon is an awesome RPG style game but very old school with a nod to the original Legend of Zelda. It is compelling and easy to play and sports a real 8-bit pixel style that takes me back to the type of games I used to play as a kid. It is also ruthless. When you die, that is it back to the very start just like the old games used to be!
Finally I want to make mention of a series of games that cost a little more than the standard Indie games but is frankly one of the most interesting and compelling games I have played for some time. Decay released in four parts by Shining Gate Software. This is a puzzle based game but is very creepy and tense with it's fair share of scares. The first episode weighs in at the usual 80 points but the subsequent 3 are priced at 240 points. Believe me it is well worth it. What is brilliant is that with each episode you can see that the developers are implementing new ideas and techniques to make the game better. Please check out this brilliant review that Chelle did which will explain more about the game than I can: http://realotakugamer.com/games-you-slept-on-decay-for-xbl-indie-games
You see, there is a whole world of gaming out there that does not cost the Earth and believe me when I say that me just highlighting the ones I have come across on XBLIG does not even scratch the surface as to what is out there. If you are prepared to do a little digging around on the internet, you will find many places where games can be found, some available free of charge.
The next time you feel ripped off by paying top dollar for a game that lasted 4 hours, why not check out what Indie games there are out there to play? You will be pleasantly surprised as to what is out there.
Awesome write up! Thanks for giving props to some fantastic indie games! I hope more people get on board and give indie a try. To me it's the first place to start if we expect to demand a greater quality from the big name titles. We need to support the indie devs that produce quality like radiangames, Xona Games and Shining Gate Software. I am confident that in turn this will lead to more people demanding a higher quality from the developer giants which is what we all want ultimately. :)
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