Indies in Due Time: Dream-Build-Play 2012 Episode 1

Originally, Brian and I planned to look at ALL the trailers for the 2012 Dream Build Play competition.  And then nearly 400 people entered.  Yea, so plans have changed.  Although Brian and I will be getting to as many of these trailers as we can in the coming weeks, our planned alliance with Armless Octopus to do so is semi-on-hold.  Yes, Dave Voyles and Mike Wall will be joining us this week.  But we’re also now pairing up with Alan of Indie Ocean, and Tim & Nate from Gear-Fish.  Nate is up first, fresh off the first anniversary of Gear-Fish, so you should all head over there and check their site out.  They’re way better writers than me, so you should have been doing that all along.  All four of today’s games were selected by Nate.  Off we go.

Chain

Nate: There’s nothing much to get excited about here graphically…or comedically, as the trailer didn’t even make me crack a smile (if you have to tell people you’re doing comedy, you’re probably not funny), but I will play almost anything in roleplaying form.  Mostly it’s just here because the name makes me think of Fleetwood Mac and “The Chain” is a seriously sweet song.  What do you guys think?

Kairi: Well, we already did this one.  I bitched that its name was not Google-proof.

Brian: We organized a protest of it.  Tried to force him to change the game’s name.

Nate: Really?  How did that go?

Brian: Three dead, sixteen injured, fourteen-million dollars in property damage.

Kairi: Totally worth it.

Nate: So he changed the name?

Kairi: No.  Bitchin’ party though!

Imagine Earth

Nate: Kairi, why do you have your eyes closed?

Kairi: I’m imagining Earth, so quiet.

Nate: Why?

Kairi: Because that’s what the game said to do.

Nate: ..

Brian: She takes things very literally.  It’s an autism thing.

Nate: I see.  Reading orange juice cartons must have been quite the experience for her.

Brian: You should have been there when a Sonic fan told her to go jump off a bridge.

Nate: Harsh.  And hilarious.  But harsh.

Brian: Yea, so anyway, I love Sim-City type stuff.  Graphics are sweet too.

Nate: Sim games are another admitted weakness, but I have to say the presentation is slick, and the hippie pinko commie earth sustainability aspect is interesting.  I like that the game looks as if you can actually ruin a world.

Kairi: What do you think I’m imagining right now?  Hyper-nuclear war.  I started it, of course.  With Iceland, because fuck Iceland!  Am I right?

Brian: No, you’re in fact horribly intolerant and wrong.

Kairi: Fine, but I reserve the right to rob the planet of all resources.

Nate: Yee haw, space prospector! I want to strip mine me some planets, because in space, no one can hear you coughing from the Black Lung.  Also, because you can’t breathe in space.

Ring Runner

Nate: It took me about 20 seconds of the trailer before I stood up and hit my sister’s cat with an uppercut fueled by the pure, uncut excitement that was coursing through my veins.  Then I remembered I messed my hand up and sat in the corner crying because it hurt so bad.  Then I finished the trailer and felt better.  A full story?  Character development?  Tons of different ship types, classes, equipment, a genuinely surprising variety of scenarios to play?  If this is playable, it might well be one of the coolest things ever.

Kairi: Wow.

Brian: Yea.  Well Kairi, what do you think?

Kairi: Um, dido for everything Nate said, minus the crazy stuff.

Brian: Same.

Kairi: I do have a concern about the sheer amount of objectives or game types here.  A lot of times you’ll see Xbox Live Indie Games try to be jacks of all trade, instead of focusing on the best aspects of their game.  Hearts of Men had that problem.  However, these guys have been working on this for a long time now, and I have high hopes.

Brian: Is Nate still crying?

Kairi: Yep.

Brian: Good.  Poor cat.

Kairi: Obviously we don’t encourage violence against animals here at Indie Gamer Chick.

Brian: Says the woman who started the “use a bad video game quote in your indie game and your dog gets shot” policy.

Bleed

Hurley: Hey, Bleed, I just met you, and this is crazy, but here’s my number, call me maybe.  Oh, and call Nate too, maybe.

Brian: Hey wait, when did Hurley get here?

Hurley: Oh, I’ve been here.

Nate: He does this.  It’s spooky.

Kairi: Well fuck, make him wear a bell or something.

Hurley: I’m sad that a They Bleed Pixels release for XBLIG may be a longshot, though Bleed looks like a more than viable substitute. All the acrobatics, pure Run’n’Gun gameplay, big boss battles, check, check, check. Also liking the real-time grading system. I don’t know if we’re handing out accolades for this, but Bleed gets the Carly Rae Jepsen Award from me. I find it insulting that I’m currently the only one following these guys on twitter.

Kairi: Who the fuck is Carly Rae Jep..

Nate: I almost called Hurley while I was watching the trailer just so I could scream “HIGH FIVE!” into the speaker and hang up.  I didn’t, and that’s largely because I didn’t want to take away from the tight blend of visuals, soundtrack and action going on in this thing.  I want it.

Brian: I’m skeptical.

Kairi: Yea, looking a little bullet-hellish for me.

Brian: I don’t mind bullet hells myself.  I just have to deal with her after she plays them.  It ain’t pretty.

Kairi: Oh come on, I keep things at a flesh-wound level.

Dave: The nostalgic vibe  is strong with this one. Everything from the 8-bit jams to the pixel art logo screams retro. the environments are diverse the action is intense and the game is beautifully drawn. I definitely recommend fans of side scrolling shooters and platformers check this out, as it is one of the most impressive entries I have seen yet.

Brian: Okay, where the FUCK did he come from?

Kairi: Does nobody on this scene wear a bell?

Hurley: Come on Kairi, one of us.

Dave: One of us.

Nate: One of us.

Kairi: Brian, help me.

Brian: Can’t.  Watching more Ring Runner videos.

Kairi: Fuck.

TO BE CONTINUED