Nick Gravelyn

Remember that game I told you about? Well, it is now* available. (*XBLCG requires the NXE, so it’s up now if you’re in the preview otherwise you can get it on the 19th when the NXE goes out to everyone).

The moment I saw that blog post I went right to Community Games and slapped down my 200 points. I’ve played the game a little bit before, so there wasn’t a need for the demo. And let me tell you, the game has charm. Your first impression of the game is in the dreamy music and pretty title screen. From there you go ahead and jump into the game.

You play Being as you run and jump through a series of levels in hunt of Zargon, a man who has kidnapped your friends, stolen some stars, and threatened to take over the world. After some introductory dialog, you’re off in the tutorial level which teaches you the basics of the game. Those basics being: 1) jump, 2) don’t hit enemies (you can’t hurt them but they can hurt you), 3) keys unlock doors, and 4) don’t fall in holes. You’re now an expert at the basic premise of Being.

And that’s when the fun starts. The levels progress really well in difficulty as you progress. There are lots of fun little puzzles and platforming moments. By the time you beat the last level, you really feel an accomplishment after getting your butt handed to you so many times (at least you will if you are like me and get your butt handed to you a lot). It’s a rare day when a frustrating game doesn’t just make me turn off a console, but Being was able to hold on to me for the whole ride, no matter how many times I died (which was a lot).

As for the graphics in the game, they are by and large very pleasing. The characters are a tad small, but that allows you to see a larger area of the world at once. The pixel art is very well done and has a style of its own. There are a few issues with the boundaries and coloring of tiles; occasionally it can get hard to tell if a particular object is in the background or foreground which can lead to some frustrating moments. In addition the dialog text was a little hard to read on my little 19″ SDTV due to the thinness of the font used.

One of the parts of the visuals that I’m sure some will hate but I truly loved is the backgrounds. Each background is a photograph of real clouds. While this creates a stark contrast to the foreground, I think it does so in a very curious way. By the time I was done with the game, I couldn’t imagine playing it with anything else back there.

The music is also fantastic. Each area of the game has a unique piece of music to it and they all fit so well. The sound effects also bring the game to life. Every time Being says “Ouch” or “Oh no” it simultaneously makes you feel bad, but smile because of the cute little voices.

The game is a little short by modern standards, but I think the game delivers an experience that is well worth the 200 point asking price. If you have the NXE preview, I’d recommend giving it a try. If you don’t have the NXE preview, I’d recommend giving it a try on the 19th when you get the NXE.