Preview: Paradise Lost: First Encounter
In most science fiction thrillers, an alien pops out of the chest of a living person, infectious spores claim the city, unseen forces probe minds, and unearthly beings fall from skies like shooting stars.
Paradise Lost: First Encounter was created from scratch as a Kickstarter project by Asthree Works and promoted itself as a game that allows you to control “a new form of photosynthetic life” or well, Subject W (as it’s called), an alien being with squid-like tentacles and a green bulbous head. It may seem cute at first, but don’t be fooled– Subject W is more intelligent than you might imagine. It’s this variety of techniques you can use as this character that allow for a wide range of gameplay. Developers in Asthree Works say, from their Kickstarter page:
“Our adventure takes inspiration from classic games like Metal Gear, Metroid, Castlevania and the Oddworld series, focusing on action/stealth gameplay with a dash of platforming and puzzle-solving elements.”
This is a 2D side-scrolling adventure game and each level as inspired, has been made to promote much strategic thought. As the alien creature, you can sneak by without hurting anyone, or you can get by and leave behind utter destruction. The choice is yours and this allows for gamers to play as they play best. If you’re the type who enjoys using camouflage techniques, you’re in luck. And yet, if you’re the type to go rushing in, allowing yourself to get shot at, you’re also in luck. As seen from the footage recently placed up by the game developers of Asthree Works, there’s examples of all the ways you can get through a basic mission. An example is a technique called the ‘Spine Control’ which allows the user to place what looks like an alien device onto a host, so that you can move him or her wherever you’d like for a limited amount of time. Once the time is up, the host dies. It’s a rather powerful move and yet this isn’t to prove the game is easy or how scary or intimidating you are; it shows evolution and the power of change. It’s this range of choices, and decisions that give the game its “RPG” flavor.
Developers say, “…during the course of playing, the player gets to direct the evolution of the alien plant, adapting it to their playing style with different skills that will be discovered as the game progresses.” These choices have impact and that affects the gamer’s outcome.
As stated by the Steam Greenlight page, there should also be “epic bosses”, “amazing scenes of immersive dialogues and situations” and “rare items”. After seeing some samples of Enol Martínez’s animation, it’s worth noting how very fluid everything is, like Subject W’s tentacles that were reanimated so they would seem more lively and real. Even the faceless, pixelated people are lively and always moving. It’s a game that reminds you at all times that if you don’t get moving, you’re going to get caught.
It seems fans are drooling with anticipation and throwing as much as they can at this new game. They’ve raised almost $100,000 more than the goal had originally asked for ($70,000) on Kickstarter. Today, the game is still raising funds after the project page has ended, so that hopefully the graphics can be improved and the game can be received for the PS3, PS4, and PSVita. The team wishes to raise enough money to get onto the WiiU as well, however, they would need to get to a goal of $230,000. For now, the price on the homepage is set at $15, for just the digital game alone and will be available for Humble Bundle and Steam. If you offer more for the game, you can get the digital game, forum access & the digital OST (Silver Pack). The art book can be added on for an additional $15 (Gold Pack). On its own, you may purchase the soundtrack of “Sounds from outer space!” and/or the new skin with the added ability.
The add-ons and special goodies are reminders that the game itself should earn a second glance, seeing as they’re trying so hard to grab the attention of their audience (you, the gamers!). However, with all this attention is the immediate expectation that the game will be as good as it looks. Let’s hope that this shooting star, isn’t just a disappointment in disguise.
Preview: Paradise Lost: First Encounter was originally published on Gamefixt
