But if any game developer were to take that rule, turn it on its head, and mutate it into a unique and dazzling shooter-cum-puzzle game with hypnotic visuals and a funky beat, Tetsuya Mizuguchi is the man to do it. Gamers will know Mizuguchi from his other highly acclaimed works, which include Rez for the Dreamcast and PS2, Lumines for the PSP and Meteos for the DS. The similar strand linking these games is that Mizuguchi has the knack for taking the bare basics of what would be an otherwise average game, and transforming it into something magical… and seizure-inducing. And to that end, he’s succeeded with Every Extend Extra, though perhaps not quite as blatantly.
Rezmind you of anything..?
EEE’s premise is simple – navigate through swarms of enemies, waiting and watching for the perfect moment and then pressing a button to cause your cursor/ship to self-destruct, causing an explosion which will destroy any nearby enemies, thus causing them to explode in turn, and so on. Setting off chain reactions is the name of the game, as higher chains will result in more points. But aside from avoiding enemy fire (which will cost you an extra ship, in addition to any you lose voluntarily), there’s also a time limit to be considered. Destroying enemies will release various coloured crystals, which you can collect in order to add extra time, extra lives, or increase the speed at which enemies move, which in turn enables you to link together longer chains and rack up more points.
At the end of each level awaits a boss creature, which presents an entirely new challenge… or rather the same exact challenge – avoiding projectiles whilst positioning yourself to eliminate the smaller enemies in order to set off a chain reaction of a specific number in order to destroy the boss and move onto the next level.
Where's the Mortein when you need it?
And therein lies the greatest flaw in Every Extend Extra’s otherwise original presentation – there really isn’t much more to it than that. Whilst there’s a certain sense of wonderment at every new stage unlocked, which presents you with more varied environments to express your explosively suicidal tendencies, very rarely does the challenge ever alter.
Not that the “challenge” is one of the game’s shortcomings. Far from it. If anything is likely to turn casual gamers off, it’s the unforgiving difficulty. Every Extend Extra is not for the faint of heart. And for that, it deserves equal parts criticism and praise – though perhaps the developers might have considered keeping the difficulty on the more lenient end of the scale and rewarding the hardcore with more extras, which, ironically, EEE is short on. The original PC version, Every Extend, is here… but unless you have some kind of strange nostalgic connection to it, there’s no real reason to give it more than a fleeting glance. Other game modes include a time trial and boss attack mode.
Q? Entertainment is obviously a big fan of accounting software.
There’s one thing that all gamers will agree on, though – and that is that the game is gorgeous. Fans of Rez will certainly be at home here, as the unique art style and flagrant eye candy comes as thick and fast as the numerous enemies that swarm the screen. The music is equally inspired, with a technotronic soundtrack that practically screams to be pumping through a powerful sound system, or at least a decent pair of headphones. That said, neither the visuals or sound are at the same level of interactivity as Mizuguchi’s earlier works, and seem almost superfluous to the gameplay. Welcome, but unnecessary.
What it all boils down to, however, is that Every Extend Extra just isn’t that much fun. Navigating through swarms of enemies is a measure of skill, but one that’s tested by the sluggishness of your “craft,” as well as the inadequacies of Sony’s choice of analog. Stylus control or motion sensing would make for a more intuitive experience – but as this is the PSP we’re talking about, we’ll give the developer the benefit of the doubt on that score.
Judgement Day. Sarah Conner warned us it was coming.
What’s more at issue is the basic gameplay mechanics, viz. the blow-up-your-ship-to-destroy-enemies style of play. Whilst it’s certainly satisfying to set off a mammoth reaction which causes your PSP’s screen to erupt in gorgeous incandescent light, it’s less enjoyable when you hit that button a split second too soon, and have to wait for 5 seconds for your ship to respawn. Basically, the amount of time you’re not playing the game adds up to more than it should, meaning you spend more time watching the game than you do playing it – which, given the quality of the visuals, may not be such a bad thing.
As to the longevity of the title, that depends on how obsessive you are about setting high scores and then attempting to beat them. There’s a 2-player mode on offer, but it’s unlikely to prove more than a momentary diversion.
All in all, Every Extend Extra is a title that fails on almost as many levels as it succeeds. If nothing else, it proves that whilst graphics play a large role in our enjoyment of a specific game, it can’t make a game more fun. And if you own an Xbox 360, you might be better served waiting for Every Extend Extra Extreme, which will not only likely be cheaper, but sport an HD upgrade, online multiplayer and leaderboards, plus 5.1 surround sound. There's definitely something to be said for portability, but when a game's strengths reside predominantly in its visuals and sound, it's difficult not to advocate the more powerful hardware.
Loading...
