Old is New: Spelunky

While traditional platformers aren’t all that common anymore, many games have taken elements of their gameplay and spun them off into other genres, like rogue-likes.

I should back up for a second, because even though Spelunky has randomly generated levels, it is technically not a rogue-like in the strict definition as it doesn’t not have most of the role-playing elements the genre calls for (It's also not really that new, having come out in 2008). It is what some people call rogue-lite, as it lacks a level system or a turn based gameplay.  I wouldn’t call it that though.  In doing research for this game, I learned that some in the community have yet another name for games like this: Procedural Death Labyrinth.  I couldn’t think of a more appropriate description of Spelunky if I tried. 

Gameplay wise, it is pretty simple.  You explore a mine filled with various enemies in a free range, 2D platforming style.  You have two goals, stay alive and find the exit.  You can find items to help you through and treasure to increase your score, but none of these are required, outside of the occasional use of bombs and ropes.  The levels are randomly generated, so you will never play the exact same stage twice.  I am not always a fan of this, but it works here for the most part.  However, it also leads to some of the games biggest flaws. This may not have retained all the aspects of those old platformers, but it is as hard as any of them.

 

The biggest issue here is the sheer amount of blind jumps and drops.  I don’t know if was a design choice or its because of the random levels, but its pervasive leads to more early deaths than anything else.  This was common in the more formative days of gaming, when things like level design wasn’t really top of mind for developers.  However, these leaps of faith are now considered to be elements of poor design that add unnecessary frustration (yet another thing I prefer about modern gaming).  It’s made even worse by the fact that you take fall damage, so even if you don’t die outright you will take damage.  You only get four hits, so it adds up quickly.

That said, there is far more good than bad.  With the exception of the blind jumps/falls, the game is relatively fair.  All of the enemies have predictable patterns that you can learn to recognize and avoid.  Most take off one point of damage, although some of the bigger ones hit for two.  You also die instantly from spikes or boulders, but that’s pretty standard and always has been.  There are tons of traps, but you will learn to recognize them and find ways to set them off without getting hurt.  Its kind of cool and adds some depth and strategy. You can also rescue a “damsel in distress” by carrying her to the exit of each level.  This will reward you with an extra health point.  It’s a nice touch and gives you incentive to explore each level rather than just head straight for the exit.  

You also have a fair share of items at your disposal.  You start out with four bombs and four ropes and its relatively easy to find more.  Sometimes the stages lay out in such a way that you need them, so its good that they thought about that.  Pretty much all of the floors can be destroyed, so it allows for a lot of different paths each floor.  You can get acquire anything from shoes that make you jump hire to guns.  You will occasionally find a shop, where you can purchase items with treasure you have found.  You can even steal from the shops, but you will incur the wrath of the shopkeeper, who is armed to the teeth.  

You will come to a new themed area every three floors, with each presenting new and unique challenges.  The enemies get tougher and there are more traps and pitfalls.  It also allows you to continue from that point, although this is not without its disadvantages.  It prevents you from building up a stash of treasure and items, which you need to get to the depths of the dungeon.  Still, its nice to have the option in a game where it is very, very easy to die.  It will prevent you from obtaining a high score if you care about that sort of thing.  I know you can play for a spot on an online leaderboard, but I have never cared about stuff like that.

I can’t complain too much about the graphics or sound.  The game looks good, its got nice looking 2D graphics that are very detailed.  The enemies look great, as do the items and characters.  You can select from a range of characters, although none of them play any different.  The sound is pretty stock, its good quality but none of it really stands out at all.  There is an extensive journal and everything gets an entry, from characters to items to enemies.  Its kind of cool even if it doesn’t really add anything from a gameplay standpoint.  Even that is debatable, as I felt a compulsive need to keep trying to unlock them.

Look, nothing here is revolutionary or earth shattering.  I’m not sure I would ever go out of my way to play this if I hadn’t already.  This was far from my favorite game and it can be a little too artificially difficult for its own good.  As I said, it is a “procedural death labyrinth” in every sense of the word.  That said, its well made and technically sound and does a good job of hearkening back to the challenging platformers of the old days.  It’s not “Nintendo Hard,” but its a good challenge.  If you are an old school gamer looking for something on a new console, or a new school gamer looking for a jumping off point into older platformers, Spelunky is a good place to start.

8.25/10

Play this if:

You like old school games, but want a more polished experience

You are a big fan of rogue-lites.

You are looking for a reasonable challenge

Avoid if:

You hate randomly generated levels

You get frustrated by losing all your progress in an instant and having to start again,