Ye Indie Game Corner Volume 4 - The Valley Rule, Grim Phantasm, Sanic FPS!, Dreamy Journey And DaiZs

Written By: Tyler

Hello people, Tyler here! I figured now would be a good time to do another edition of "Ye Indie Game Corner," which is basically just a feature I do where I go to sites like Gamejolt.com or Kongregate.com and play some newer indie games that I randomly choose. I then do a quick review of it and then I post the article and make a million dollars.


The Valley Rule
Get It Here: http://www.kongregate.com/games/Raiyumii/the-valley-rule

When you see this, be prepared to get angry.

The Valley Rule is one of many indie games that have taken influence from games like Metroid. Yes, it's another puzzle-platformer/Metroidvania, but it's not without its charm and claim to fame. It's not an awe-inspiring game that is drastically going to change the path of gaming for years to come, but it has an isolated, lonely atmosphere with a gorgeous song that plays. There are no enemies, so you are free to jump around with the only hazards being the water that kills you instantly. The puzzles are incredibly easy, and for the most part the game is a quick, relaxing experience... except for one particular wall-jumping part which is beyond frustrating. It was also made in 72 hours so I feel like the developers have potential.

Rating: 7/10


Grim Phantasm
Get It Here: http://gamejolt.com/games/action/grim-phantasm/28672/ 

Grim Phantasm isn't actually the full game. It's a work in progress so it's only a one-mission "demo." It's also hard, but not impossibly so. I never felt like the game was being cheap and stupid... I just felt like I needed to figure out the best way to go about this with trial and error. It harkens back to the days of yore where it wasn't so much about outsmarting the AI as it was figuring out the pattern. You can press J to swing your sword, K to parry or L to use your scythe as you run through the multiple screens fighting demons... until you get to the obligatory boss. I dig the name of it and I did enjoy myself, and look forward to more.

Rating: 8/10


DaiZs
Get It Here: http://gamejolt.com/games/arcade/daizs/28656/

I was so reluctant to play this one because I figured it'd be a DayZ knock-off... a quick way to ride on the coattails of the much anticipated zombie-survival game. But it's not. You play as a bee who has to pollinate their way to victory over three levels. What this entails is that you're going to spend your time platforming and shooting, while collecting power-ups such as machine guns and shotguns. You can also collect a Badass Mode which involves hearing a voice go "oh yeah" like it's having an orgasm. It's actually quite a fun game with some decent challenge.

Rating: 8/10


Sanic FPS!
Get It Here: http://gamejolt.com/games/sports/sanic-fps/28671/

Oh look, a joke game based on a meme. It's funny because Sanic just runs fast! There's nothing el se going on! You get the joke? I do... it just really isn't that funny, but as a game it just doesn't work in the least. I give it a point for the music, which is kinda funky. Besides that, there's no reason to play this unless the idea of Sanic makes you chuckle. I can't just give it a pass and ironically proclaim "greatest game ever!!!" because it's based on a funny meme.

Rating: 1/10


Dreamy Journey 
Get It Here: http://gamejolt.com/games/arcade/dreamy-journey/28668/

The basic premise is that you are a Dream Bringer who brings dreams to humans but the Nightmarish Lord messed that up so you have to go kick some ass. The game opens with story, told in the form of a beautifully drawn comic book. At that point I thought I'd be in for a real treat because the care taken to craft the opening segment is obvious... but the rest of the game leaves a little to be desired. You're supposed to be able to jump on "almost everything," and that's mostly true but sometimes it's very hard to tell what you can jump on. I tried jumping on a box that should have been possible, but yet I couldn't. Or I tried jumping on something only to fall through but then I saw someone else play and they jumped on it. Sometimes you slide off things when you shouldn't. The end boss battle isn't responsive and it just feels so light with no real oomph to anything. The artwork in the rest of the game is fine, though, and I do like the song that plays because it lends an eerie, night time feel to the proceedings. I've made a crappy platformer before and I ran into some of these issues, so I sympathize, but the game mechanics are not solid here. It has a wonderful idea though so while I give it a 4.5, that doesn't mean it's terrible.

Rating: 4.5/10