Bandango
05-13-2009, 11:59 AM
http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww294/GoldenSandlewood/glumbt-0000.jpg
I’ve only recently begun to delve into the underworld of indie gaming and already I’ve discovered a vast wealth of fun created by dedicated developers who ask for nothing in return. In fact, I’ve found enough to keep me playing for a lifetime. It all started when my video card died. I couldn’t play the games I was used to playing anymore, so I started seeking out the stuff that didn’t require a beastly rig. Much to my surprise, what I found also catered to another one of my handicaps—the fact that I’m a broke ass college student. I don’t know how these one man teams manage to churn out quality free games like they do and still make ends meat, but they do. And God bless them for it. But this week’s game isn’t quite free. It’s charityware. Glum Buster is a one of a kind adventure/platformer that everyone should play. It really has surprised me. Three years in the making, it has the look, feel, and features of a professionally made game. I almost felt guilty playing it for free. Fortunately Justin ‘CosMind’ Leingang has provided us with the opportunity to pay. If you do play and enjoy, let him know.
http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww294/GoldenSandlewood/glumb2-0002.jpg
Glum Buster is an abstract experience with an insinuated story expressed through setting and interaction. Its art is somewhat derivative of the retrobit style we see in so many indie games, but it manages a visual identity of its own. The music in Glum Buster, composed by Lonekiewie, elaborates upon the game’s beautiful backdrops with an effective moody ambience. The soundtrack is somewhat reactive to your character and each action you take is marked by distinctive, semi-musical sound effects. The audio and visuals work together in perfect harmony. Nothing feels out of context.
The actual construction of the game is quite novel. There are five worlds to explore and each world is broken into two segments. The first segment is made up by a series of single screen puzzles, during which your character can fly. These puzzles usually involve fighting different enemies, and some of them will actually get you scratching your head. After solving the gauntlet of action puzzles you are stripped of your ability to fly and sent to an open world environment. The play style in these open environments is more laid back and exploratory, with emphasis on platforming. During both segments you will occasionally come across wildlife to help you in your journey. Each friendly creature you find has their own unique purpose and control scheme, some of which are really clever. And riding around on a grasshopper is always cool.
http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww294/GoldenSandlewood/glumb1-0001.jpg
The controls themselves are similarly creative. Glum Buster is dieing for a Wii port. The mouse controls a blue cursor that moves freely around the screen and the character’s movement is controlled by wasd. The left mouse button shoots and the right button is used to place three glowing points. Once these three points are placed they create a triangle. These two functions are used to harm and kill enemies respectively, among other things. It may sound a little strange, but it allows for a variety of ways to interact with the world.
I feel I may have spent too much time describing the mechanics of Glum Buster, especially when the rest of it is so damn pretty. But these mechanics are unique enough that I think they deserve the attention. You really should check it out for yourself. And if you like what you see, maybe you could kick Cosmind a couple bucks for his hard work.
Glum Buster is:
-an innovate platformer.
-absolutely gorgeous
-way bigger than you’d expect.
Get it here-
http://www.glumbuster.com/?page_id=35
I’ve only recently begun to delve into the underworld of indie gaming and already I’ve discovered a vast wealth of fun created by dedicated developers who ask for nothing in return. In fact, I’ve found enough to keep me playing for a lifetime. It all started when my video card died. I couldn’t play the games I was used to playing anymore, so I started seeking out the stuff that didn’t require a beastly rig. Much to my surprise, what I found also catered to another one of my handicaps—the fact that I’m a broke ass college student. I don’t know how these one man teams manage to churn out quality free games like they do and still make ends meat, but they do. And God bless them for it. But this week’s game isn’t quite free. It’s charityware. Glum Buster is a one of a kind adventure/platformer that everyone should play. It really has surprised me. Three years in the making, it has the look, feel, and features of a professionally made game. I almost felt guilty playing it for free. Fortunately Justin ‘CosMind’ Leingang has provided us with the opportunity to pay. If you do play and enjoy, let him know.
http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww294/GoldenSandlewood/glumb2-0002.jpg
Glum Buster is an abstract experience with an insinuated story expressed through setting and interaction. Its art is somewhat derivative of the retrobit style we see in so many indie games, but it manages a visual identity of its own. The music in Glum Buster, composed by Lonekiewie, elaborates upon the game’s beautiful backdrops with an effective moody ambience. The soundtrack is somewhat reactive to your character and each action you take is marked by distinctive, semi-musical sound effects. The audio and visuals work together in perfect harmony. Nothing feels out of context.
The actual construction of the game is quite novel. There are five worlds to explore and each world is broken into two segments. The first segment is made up by a series of single screen puzzles, during which your character can fly. These puzzles usually involve fighting different enemies, and some of them will actually get you scratching your head. After solving the gauntlet of action puzzles you are stripped of your ability to fly and sent to an open world environment. The play style in these open environments is more laid back and exploratory, with emphasis on platforming. During both segments you will occasionally come across wildlife to help you in your journey. Each friendly creature you find has their own unique purpose and control scheme, some of which are really clever. And riding around on a grasshopper is always cool.
http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww294/GoldenSandlewood/glumb1-0001.jpg
The controls themselves are similarly creative. Glum Buster is dieing for a Wii port. The mouse controls a blue cursor that moves freely around the screen and the character’s movement is controlled by wasd. The left mouse button shoots and the right button is used to place three glowing points. Once these three points are placed they create a triangle. These two functions are used to harm and kill enemies respectively, among other things. It may sound a little strange, but it allows for a variety of ways to interact with the world.
I feel I may have spent too much time describing the mechanics of Glum Buster, especially when the rest of it is so damn pretty. But these mechanics are unique enough that I think they deserve the attention. You really should check it out for yourself. And if you like what you see, maybe you could kick Cosmind a couple bucks for his hard work.
Glum Buster is:
-an innovate platformer.
-absolutely gorgeous
-way bigger than you’d expect.
Get it here-
http://www.glumbuster.com/?page_id=35