Thomas was alone
Developer: Mike Bithell/Bossa Studios
Publisher: Mike Bithell
Release date: 24/04/2013
Format: PS3/PSVITA/PC
How can quadrilaterals have a personality? This was a question I asked myself within the opening levels of Mike Bithell's indie platformer. Originally released as a flash game in October 2010, Thomas Was Alone became a cult hit, earning admiration from critics and gamers. This success has seen the game ported to the PS3 and Vita by Bossa studios in what is one of the best indie games to be released on the PlayStation Network.
Essentially the game is very simple, get all the rectangles/squares from one part of the level to the exit. It's so simple in fact that there are only two buttons, x to jump and the d-pad to move. Such simplicity had me thinking when I started the game that it would become repetitive quite quickly. But this was certainly not the case. What makes Thomas Was Alone special is that despite its simple premise, there is so much creativity and imagination in its gameplay. In some ways it is quite similar to the Super Mario Galaxy games (stay with me here) because of the different characteristics each square has that helps you complete the level in much the same way as a different costume helps Mario and provides a new gameplay experience. One can jump higher than all the others, one can get through small spaces, float on water, stick to the ceiling to name just a few examples. The last few levels also contain a gameplay mechanic similar to that of the gels used in Portal 2 in the form of small zones which when entered by one of your quadrilaterals gives it a new ability such as a double jump. It all combines together to create a fun and rewarding experience when you complete 'some of the levels'.
Publisher: Mike Bithell
Release date: 24/04/2013
Format: PS3/PSVITA/PC
How can quadrilaterals have a personality? This was a question I asked myself within the opening levels of Mike Bithell's indie platformer. Originally released as a flash game in October 2010, Thomas Was Alone became a cult hit, earning admiration from critics and gamers. This success has seen the game ported to the PS3 and Vita by Bossa studios in what is one of the best indie games to be released on the PlayStation Network.
Essentially the game is very simple, get all the rectangles/squares from one part of the level to the exit. It's so simple in fact that there are only two buttons, x to jump and the d-pad to move. Such simplicity had me thinking when I started the game that it would become repetitive quite quickly. But this was certainly not the case. What makes Thomas Was Alone special is that despite its simple premise, there is so much creativity and imagination in its gameplay. In some ways it is quite similar to the Super Mario Galaxy games (stay with me here) because of the different characteristics each square has that helps you complete the level in much the same way as a different costume helps Mario and provides a new gameplay experience. One can jump higher than all the others, one can get through small spaces, float on water, stick to the ceiling to name just a few examples. The last few levels also contain a gameplay mechanic similar to that of the gels used in Portal 2 in the form of small zones which when entered by one of your quadrilaterals gives it a new ability such as a double jump. It all combines together to create a fun and rewarding experience when you complete 'some of the levels'.
|
|
I used the phrase 'some of the levels' as the biggest problem I found with the game that prevented it being as good as other great puzzlers like Portal is the inconsistent difficulty curve. The difficulty between levels is quite sporadic with some of the final levels being easier than some of those at the beginning and I found the game rarely to be testing my cranium in the same way that some of the levels in the Portal series have or even iOS games like Cut the Rope or Ghost Trick. Therefore that feeling of being a genius is unfortunately not frequent enough. However the game never gets frustrating as when you die you know exactly why and you are quickly respawned to the last checkpoint which is always well placed.
The game is narrated superbly by Danny Wallace who I feel does a far better performance here than in the Assassin's Creed games, although that may be more down to the character he plays in that series. His narration is well written, sometimes quite humorous and ultimately that gives the rectangles and squares (all with their own names) a character which exceeds that seen in most other film and games characters today.
Thomas Was Alone is a delightful little gem which can be enjoyed on the PS3 or Vita that often put a smile on my face. There are 10 different worlds, each with 9 short levels, meaning that the game can be finished quite quickly which isn't helped by how easy some of the levels can be, but given how cheap and imaginative it is this can be overlooked.
Kurt Lewin 8/10
The game is narrated superbly by Danny Wallace who I feel does a far better performance here than in the Assassin's Creed games, although that may be more down to the character he plays in that series. His narration is well written, sometimes quite humorous and ultimately that gives the rectangles and squares (all with their own names) a character which exceeds that seen in most other film and games characters today.
Thomas Was Alone is a delightful little gem which can be enjoyed on the PS3 or Vita that often put a smile on my face. There are 10 different worlds, each with 9 short levels, meaning that the game can be finished quite quickly which isn't helped by how easy some of the levels can be, but given how cheap and imaginative it is this can be overlooked.
Kurt Lewin 8/10
second thoughts
|
Meta is very in right now, it's been getting there for some time now. Joss Whedon is now a cinema darling (with the huge success of Avengers Assemble), but for many years he's been growing a fanbase with Buffy, Angel, and Firefly. All this based partly on genres commenting on itself. Games is another genre that does this, to varying degrees (the PS3 game Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard people), mainly successfully done in Indie games and Thomas Was Alone is one another of these games.
Created by Mike Bithell Thomas Was Alone is a puzzle game where various basic shapes travel from A to B in a simplistic, minimalist world, in there owned shaped portals. The Meta part is in the story, where through Danny Wallace's (yes the author and also Assassin Creed 2), the world is a computer programme, and the shapes are codes in said programmes. Through Thomas we meet other shapes (Chris, Claire, John, Laura for some), each with their own abilities and work together to progress through the system. In humanising them through the ace Danny Wallace narration the game successfully carries a commentary on the core mechanics of games. The game now features a Commentary track (like there was one on the HD Monkey Island games), and through Mike's own words, we find some levels were influence or homage Uncharted, Frogger, Breakout, and Metal Gear Solid. Other good things in TWA is during the levels there's text of Wallace's narration and they constantly re-shape if you start moving. The basic nature of the world is in itself bright and simplistically stylish, plus the music is beautiful and a marvel as the composer, David Houseden, was only 14 when he did it. It looks like we may be witnessing a new Mozart. Unfortunately there are negatives in this game, one of which are some of the levels do tend to be over-repetitive (a fact tha Mike himself admitted in his commentary), where you're moving shapes to perform the same task over and over again. Amazingly, given most of the levels are pretty brief, it did feel too long and most of the last chapter could have merged with the chapter before. But the worst of all is the jumping can be glitchy, which is a crime when some of the levels feature some precise jumping, so half the time you die because the character didn't leap when it should have done. Good Points. - Danny Wallaces, BAFTA Award-winning narration - The score is tremendous, and complements the style of the game excellently. - It's genre-commenting story - The superb Commentary Track Bad Points - The jumping is a Hit-and-Miss affair - Can get tiresomely repetitive. - Feels it could be re-edited as the most of the last chapter felt unnecessary Simon James 7.5/10 |
