Spelunky is a game that hates you. It’s randomized, filled with secrets and only a few helping hands throughout your adventure, and a few too many mistakes sends you back to the beginning of it all. There are no exploits, nor cheese to be had. There is only you, and your persistence.
As of writing, I haven’t even completed Spelunky, technically I’m not even a halfway through the game. So why am I reviewing it if I haven’t dropped/finished it yet? Because this is an experience that no other game has been able to capture. I’ve played numerous roguelikes in my days, with my favorite game of all time being a roguelike. Few (really only The Binding of Isaac) have managed to capture my attention like Spelunky. Unlike a good chunk of roguelikes which rely on the player’s reflexes and skill (which isn’t bad design for the record), Spelunky throws you into a random world and tells you to survive. You’ll find this incredibly difficult. Even with the less than threatening enemies, you’ll still find yourself dying over and over again. The goal to success is expirimentation, Spelunky’s strong suit. Since runs only last a few minutes each (10-15 minutes usually), I was more open to expirimentation with the game, compared to other roguelikes where changing my strategy mid-way through could lead to a lost run of about an hour (or so). This (and The Binding of Isaac) are the only two roguelikes that I’ve seen actually get this right, and it’s disappointing, because it works in both games’ favor, and I think a lot of roguelikes would benefit from this (ENTER THE GUNGEON.). Suddenly, as you play, once you bend the rules, rather than banging your head against a wall, the game responds accordingly. You’ll find that Dart Traps are activated with motion, and even by other enemies. So carrying anything will substantially increase your chances of survival. You can use one of the ladies as an extra HP point, use her as a meat shield for those damned dart traps, or sacrifice her for a chance at an awesome cape. You can steal from the shopkeeper which will give you several bonus items, but you have to fight him, which can easily lead to your death. And then he cock blocks the gateway to the next levels. I’m only scratching the surface of what I’ve learned through my 3 hours of playtime, and it’s not only because some of it is second nature at this point. I hope to learn more about Spelunky in my many more hours to come. I’m not sure if I’ll ever complete Spelunky, because it’s so difficult, but wishful thinking leads me to believe I will. I’ve conquered dozens of unabashedly difficult games in my lifetime, so Spelunky may be no different. But for now, Spelunky is a game that has made me feel little games have ever done. Even if you won’t see the credits, play this game. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. (and thank you alpharad for bringing my attention to this game, love you dude :D)
As of writing, I haven’t even completed Spelunky, technically I’m not even a halfway through the game. So why am I reviewing it if I haven’t dropped/finished it yet? Because this is an experience that no other game has been able to capture. I’ve played numerous roguelikes in my days, with my favorite game of all time being a roguelike. Few (really only The Binding of Isaac) have managed to capture my attention like Spelunky. Unlike a good chunk of roguelikes which rely on the player’s reflexes and skill (which isn’t bad design for the record), Spelunky throws you into a random world and tells you to survive. You’ll find this incredibly difficult. Even with the less than threatening enemies, you’ll still find yourself dying over and over again. The goal to success is expirimentation, Spelunky’s strong suit. Since runs only last a few minutes each (10-15 minutes usually), I was more open to expirimentation with the game, compared to other roguelikes where changing my strategy mid-way through could lead to a lost run of about an hour (or so). This (and The Binding of Isaac) are the only two roguelikes that I’ve seen actually get this right, and it’s disappointing, because it works in both games’ favor, and I think a lot of roguelikes would benefit from this (ENTER THE GUNGEON.). Suddenly, as you play, once you bend the rules, rather than banging your head against a wall, the game responds accordingly. You’ll find that Dart Traps are activated with motion, and even by other enemies. So carrying anything will substantially increase your chances of survival. You can use one of the ladies as an extra HP point, use her as a meat shield for those damned dart traps, or sacrifice her for a chance at an awesome cape. You can steal from the shopkeeper which will give you several bonus items, but you have to fight him, which can easily lead to your death. And then he cock blocks the gateway to the next levels. I’m only scratching the surface of what I’ve learned through my 3 hours of playtime, and it’s not only because some of it is second nature at this point. I hope to learn more about Spelunky in my many more hours to come. I’m not sure if I’ll ever complete Spelunky, because it’s so difficult, but wishful thinking leads me to believe I will. I’ve conquered dozens of unabashedly difficult games in my lifetime, so Spelunky may be no different. But for now, Spelunky is a game that has made me feel little games have ever done. Even if you won’t see the credits, play this game. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. (and thank you alpharad for bringing my attention to this game, love you dude :D)