Side by Side is a video series on local multiplayer games. This is the third episode of the fifth series.
Joel Goodwin of Electron Dance and Gregg Burnell of Tap-Repeatedly don feathers, grab a shuriken and blend into the background in the split-screen deathmatch game Chambara. Initally attracted by its unusual, stark look, our team discover that besting your opponent is no mean feat. It also uses more than one button on the controller which, as you all know, means Joel is toast.
Chambara is available for PC from Steam and Itch. It’s also out for Sony Playstation.
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Joel’s expression in response to Gregg’s “obviously hiding in the shadows” remark is priceless.
It’s amazing how evocative and lovely just a couple of colors can be! Even watching you guys play the game, not playing it myself, I got a real sense of depth and place from the levels. That’s incredible design, because I can’t imagine it’s easy to manage with such a limited palette. At the same time, it suggests that developers should try things like this more often. You can imagine the kinds of settings that might results from such a flat, 2- or 3-color limit. A bit like “The Unfinished Swan,” in a way, at least insofar as your eyes and brain had to see and interpret the levels in a different way than usual.
Chambara seems like it’d have great opportunity for co-op, even a campaign similar to Monte Carlo. Any chance of that happening?
I loved this episode!
Hey Steerpike! Glad you enjoyed this one. I think you have to keep everything in motion otherwise you quickly lose perspective with the strict two-colour palette. That black and white one was a real hardship on my eyes 🙂
Chambara supports 2v2 team matches but there’s no “co op” game up against some dastardly bots.