@Steerpike: Thanks! The echo of Tempest is an interesting one I hadn’t thought of, but you’re right. I was always very shit at Tempest, though. God knows why I bought Space Giraffe.

@BeamSplashX: I think it’s pretty clear how panicky it can get from what I revealed =) On the other hand, Sheldon’s videos do show more. But I don’t want to spoil too much from later in the game, because it dramatically lurches off-piste leaving you uncertain as to what new levels are going to throw at you – it’s better to experience that first hand. I’m afraid the demo has just one simple level so does not really represent the game too well. This is one of those where you probably just have to “go for it” if you think it’s your cup of antibody-diffused tea unless Sheldon opens up the demo further.

The video was quite nice, though perhaps a flash of one of those crazy later levels would help entice people into checking it out. If they’re ready for CRAZY.

P.S. Apparently, voxels is not in Firefox’s default spellcheck dictionary. Fixed!

Thanks guys, this really made my day.

I definitely had fun, so as far as being worthwhile as a game, I’d say it’s not necessarily anachronistic to play it. But you’re right in that recommending it to someone when newer ones exist feels anachronistic to me. Of course, this is much easier to say when there isn’t nearly as much saturation with commercial Metroidvanias in the first place and the superior titles are of the same lineage.

There was a point, late-game, that I was worried the game might never end. We had broken so many rules, but we nonetheless found ourselves trapped in the game. Actually, some of us got together and -

But I’ll leave that for next week’s diary.

@BeamSplashX – the problem with technology is the increasing rate at which skills become out-of-date. In programming, not a year goes by without some shiny new language or tool becoming “essential” and certain groups will look down upon you for being out of touch and not even trying to keep up. The same thing is happening to all businesses and crafts, just in different ways and at different rates. I’m not saying it’s related exactly to your camera scenario, but I can see a genuine, justifiable fear: it’s difficult to gauge into which basket you should put your study eggs when it turns out the skills are so perishable. The age of the great technological explosion is the age where we all feel useless, all of the time. So I wouldn’t necessarily agree with the “fearless” aspect especially as my stance is simply to be sceptical of my own positions. Am I holding on to the past because it’s genuinely important or am I merely being an anachronistic curmudgeon?

@LiberalEurope – I would also recommend skimming through Douglas Wilson’s paper linked above. I get your point: players are more powerful than the fascist rule-driven state that most games promote. But to break the state, you need a revolution. In my NP game, that revolution did not happen. In yours, it did. (Although your game still ended, so the rules were the final victor I think.) I’m also glad they stopped with Portal and didn’t make a seq– hang on.

@BC – I understand your position on the save games as a statement that the dev team has changed its focus. I don’t necessarily agree with it, but I get it. I am also amused by the enjoyment you get from crappy games (e.g. Mindjack)!