Developer: Red Rocket Games
Category: Puzzle (Arcade)
Released: Mar 2009
Usual Price: £5.99
Hours Played: 1
Controller Compatible: No
Rating: 0 Stars
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Enthusiasts of rhythm games are spoilt for choice when it comes to adding titles to their library, from the well known like Audiosurf and the Bit. Trip Runner games to the lesser known like Sequence and this little offering. Can Mevo and the Grooveriders really compete with the heavyweights?
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Menus, Progress & Stats
On starting the game, you're taken to the level-select screen which comes in the form of a wriggly path with 15 dots. Each dot represents a level and each level lasts for about 3 minute or so. Similar to acquiring stars or medals, each level challenges you to get up to three "gruvs" which look like multi-coloured vinyl LPs. To get gruvs you have to complete a challenge within that level like amassing a certain score or a certain amount of combos. You are given a list of about six stats at the end of each level but these are not recorded. However, on the main screen there is an option to view high scores and this shows your best score for each level along with four high scores of four other fictitious characters. To proceed onto the next area certain conditions must have been met.
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Gameplay
In true Bit.Trip Runner fashion, you begin a level with your character limbering up at the start on the left hand side. A countdown begins and, to the sound of a funky soundtrack, your character starts running to the right. As he moves, arrows appear in front of him which either point to the left or the right. When your character passes those arrows you must hit either the left-shift key or the right-shift key, depending on the direction of the arrow. Get the timing right and you add one to your combo and get a good score; miss and your combo meter gets reset and you don't get such a good score. There are also moments where you have to hit both shift keys at the same time, keep a key pressed for a longer length of time or frantically tap both keys vigourously together to build up the combo score.
The main strength of the game lies in the soundtrack which features a good variety of catchy tunes with solid beats and absorbing melodies. Unfortunately, that's where the positives end. With just two keys to press, the gameplay is just not exciting enough. At its simplest form you simply hit one of two keys in response to an arrow; as a result the game can feel more like a training tool to improve typing skills. The difficulty curve is also cranked up far too high far too early. Those arrows soon get squashed far too close together and I'm finding it impossible to get beyond Level 5 because there is no way I'm going to be able to complete the conditions to get a diamond gruv - which is what I need in order to get beyond the jungle world. Unfortunately, the game gives me no incentive to continue and I don't particularly want to.
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Conclusion
With all its cuteness and cartoon-like presentation, Mevo and the Grooveriders is just too hardcore and needs to be more forgivng and gentler to the casual gamer. A difficulty setting to spread out the arrows and position them further apart would have made the game less frantic and more fun.
The gruvs are all well and good but I also feel the score system could
have been better implemented as well. For example, frantically tapping away on
the two shift keys to get a combo score up is incongruous and a feature that is just not in keeping with the spirit of the game.
Anyway, as it is, insurmountable barriers to progression are presented too swiftly and I feel it's just a shame for both player and developer that most players will just not get to see even half of the content of the game.
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