Not long after the supposed greatest game ever comes the alleged greatest free game ever, in the form of Cave Story, a Metroidvania style platformer through some caves, I'd imagine.
I've come across the title before on my RetroPie, of all things, but never gave it a look. I knew it was pixel-y in appearance and probably involved a cave and a story, and that was about it. I don't know anything about this one.
Nothing new there, then...
Fun Times
Somewhere along the way, I've managed to pick up Cave Story+, a rerelease which includes some extra content and remastered sounds and visuals, but with the option to listen and view it under the original coat of paint.
Having a look around the rest of the options, I see that the controls are few.
Frustrations
They're also a right pain in the arse for me to adapt to. They are customisable, but no, I want to play things as they were intended to be played where possible, so that means getting used to moving around with the directional keys and jumping with 'Z'.
The first little practice room reveals my character to be rather zippy and agile. Alarmingly so for someone getting used to the controls. I can immediately see how fast you can blip around the levels if you ever got competent.
I'm not competent. I introduced myself to a cuddly-looking blob who attacked me. No worries. I'll just jump on its head. That always works in platformers. Hmm. I've exploded and died. Great. Well, we'll try that one again, won't we?
Heading the other way, spikes take my low health down even lower than the blobs, and bats float up and down in front of a much needed Life Capsule. Already, the Metroid influence is on display.
After discovering that there will be underwater sections requiring you to keep tabs on your air supply, we get to see even more influences as we pick up our first weapon. Or steal it from a hermit...
Intercut between my caving expedition are small scenes of a guy at a computer, locked away and chatting to Sue, a woman who doesn't seem to be responding. I'm sorry to say that I just don't care, mate, whoever you are - I've got a gun now and can get my revenge.
As another cutscene introduces some more people - or rabbits, I guess - to the game, I continue to not care about what's going on. The art doesn't appeal, though I can see that it is well done. The script doesn't engage me, though I do understand it's been translated from its original Japanese.
Mercifully, this babble ends as I literally crash into the proceedings.
Sorry... I'll just be, uh... over here. Looking around your village.
As you might expect, the village offers a sense of calm, with no spikes or blob monsters or bats to get in your way, and offers me a few options of where to go. Some, naturally, a blocked off right now. It's a Metroidvania, they'll be open to us eventually.
I gather that this Sue character is vital to the plot, but sadly can't find her within the twenty seconds of first entering the village. I'm sure she'll be around here somewhere though.
Slowly inputting the commands to move around this place, and often falling back to where I began to climb, I'm not having a good time with Cave Story. Nothing is appealing to me, and yet I can easily see how it would be well regarded by others. It looks far more polished than anyone would expect from a single developer working alone for 5 years.
King has nothing much to say, and I have even less to reply back to him. I don't even know my name at this point. I'm not Sue, am I? That'd be embarrassing.
Knowing that there is an oxygen meter to worry about, I head to the Reservoir, one of the few doors that seems to go anywhere in this place, right now at least.
Armed with a gun that can shoot underwater, I seem much better equipped than this fisherman here. As the only person to talk to, I better say hello.
Why can't I jump out of the water?
I'm too far away from safety.
Well, that was all I needed.
Final Word
I can't see a reason to continue. I don't like the controls. Even if I changed them, I'm not sure I'd like the feel of my character across the levels. I don't like the characters, I don't know what they're rabbiting on about. It doesn't look too bad, I suppose, but it's not mesmerising me in any way.
And yet for all I dislike about it, as I say, I can see why others would like this. It's well made. It's polished. I've available on all kinds of devices, should you want to tackle it on the PC, or a portable. It's someone's labour of love, and good for them for achieving it. It's just not doing it for me.
Do I watch it? It won't be high on the list, but sure, maybe I'll watch it. I doubt I'll fire it up again that much I can say.
Fun Facts
In the Beta version of the game, all the enemies were shaped like bars of soap. You know, just because.
Cave Story, developed by Studio Pixel, first released in 2004.
Version played: Cave Story+, PC, 2011.