18
The existence of Resonance and thematically similar games published by Wadjet Eye begs a simple question . Does Wadjet Eye purposefully seek out to publish dystopian sci-fi games , or do indie point and click adventure game developers have a penchant for telling Blade Runner-esque yarns ? Probably the latter .
Following on from the well-received Gemini Rue , Wadjet released Resonance , developed by Vince Twelve in his spare time over a five years , contributing all of the writing , programming and special effects himself before Wadjet agreed to take on the game and finish it .
A complex race against time plot involving a potentially lethal scientific experiment falling into the wrong hands is told through
INDIE CORNER
LOVERS IN A DANGEROUS SPACETIME
KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE , YOUR LOVERS CLOSER
You don ’ t have to be lovers to enjoy Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime , but this game certainly has coop at the forefront of its gameplay philosophy .
You ’ ll laugh , you ’ ll cry , and you ’ ll more than likely spend half the game ‘ awing ’ at a hyper-cute neon-lit world as you try to steer a ship between the two of you .
Controlling the ship requires each ‘ lover ’ to move their avatar to one of several rooms to control a different aspect of the ship .
This often creates an interesting , and sometimes frantic in-the-moment decisions as players must choose between turrets , shields , engines and special powers , as only two can be powered up at once .
Finding a good coop game is a rarity , and finding a game which
RESONANCE
the experiences of four playable characters . There are a few innovations involving the ability to interact with your short and long term memory to solve puzzles . Switching between the characters can be tedious at times .
The most impressive aspect of the game is that each of the characters has a motive to be involved in the game , rather than the typical “ nosey ” character that stumbles into the game and rides through the plot . Initially obscured are the character ’ s motives , which may chafe with gamers who instinctively want to play the good guy , and those who prefer their characters to be richly drawn . The graphics are pixelated retro , but that ’ s no issue when they are of such high quality . is centred around the idea , as opposed to tacking it on at the final moment , is even rarer . Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a phenomenal co-op experience , with an equally impressive soundtrack to boot .
JOEY RELTON
10
The honeymoon brochure didn ' t mention the missiles
CHRIS OLEWICZ
RESONANCE
Developer : XII Games Price : £ 6.99 Platform : PC , Mac Release date : June 2012
LOVERS IN A DANGEROUS SPACETIME
Developer : Asteroid Base Price : £ 10.99 Platform : PC , Mac , Linux , Xbox One , PS4 Release date : 9 September , 2015
" No , my trousers are from the 1970s "
8.5