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Plain Sight

Score: 88%
ESRB: Not Rated
Publisher: Beatnik Games
Developer: Beatnik Games
Media: Download/1
Players: 1 - 20
Genre: Online/ Action/ Platformer (3D)

Graphics & Sound:

I like games that have the courage to focus on a single new idea like Plain Sight. Plain Sight is a downloadable game on Steam that provides online gamers with a new outlet for their online Deathmatch needs in a fresh and interesting way, by letting them duke it out as tiny killer robots.

Plain Sight has groups of cartoon robots battling to the death in a bright and colorful world. The simple art style compliments the gameplay styles well and the level designs are truly inspired, like one level where you fight in the inner workings of a pocket watch or another level on a cassette tape that has had its magnetic tape torn out. However, this simple approach also means Plain Sight isn't flashy about its presentation. There is a lot of personality in the little killer robots and it is a shame that more isn't done to play up their murderous, psychotic programming.

There is a jazzy soundtrack during the menus that actually fits with the aesthetic very nicely. There isn't any background music, but seeing how this is a PC game, you can always have your own playlist in the background. I most enjoyed myself, however, when one of the little guys self-destructs. After activating the countdown, he lets out a shrill little squeal that I repeated over and over again. It is just so addictive and satisfying to hear their little robotic death rattles.


Gameplay:

In Plain Sight, you are a suicidal ninja robot. Your robot must square off against other robots in a game of death to determine which is the best pint-sized killing machine. That's it! Plain Sight is beautifully simple in its approach, but after spending a few hours, it soon becomes obvious there is a hidden depth to the startling number of ways to out-think and out-kill your enemies.

The rules are simple. Every time you kill an enemy, you gain one point of energy. As your sword-wielding robot, El Mono, earns more points, you grow in size and deal more damage. But bigger robots means bigger targets, so in order to store your points, you have to kill yourself. Your can make your tiny little robot self-destruct and any other robot caught in the blast earns you more points.

There's more to this theater of death than just exploding robots. The points you earn also count as experience points that you can use in real-time during a match to upgrade your skills and abilities, such as a double jump, stronger attacks, or shields to deflect incoming enemy attacks. All game types use these skills to improve your little death machine whether it is in Team Deathmatch, Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Lighten Up (a King of the Hill variant), or Botzilla: which is a mode where one person has an enormous advantage and has to earn as many points as possible before he is taken out.

The real catch of all the action is where it takes place. With a hefty selection of stages, the hook of Plaint Sight is the platforming focus. Each level is a group of planetoids that everyone fights on. Think Super Mario Galaxy with lots of mayhem and destruction. It is a neat concept, but the frantic nature of the matches causes intensely disorienting perspectives and unfortunately makes a fun game needlessly confusing.


Difficulty:

As I mentioned above, the biggest problem with Plain Sight is the platforming of the planetoid levels. Every other feature and gameplay system works as it should and the skill-based reward system encourages practice and patience, but the confusing gravity physics causes more problems than anything else. That's honestly the only complaint I have about Plain Sight. For every match I played, everything felt smooth and the progression was steady, but the frustration always comes from struggling with the physics rather than other players.

Game Mechanics:

The developers of Plain Sight have already announced a PlayStation 3 and Wii version in the works, so the PC controls support game pads if you can't wait for a console release. The movement is pretty standard. (W),(A),(S), and (D) move around the levels and (Space) jumps. Once you have enough points to self-destruct, you press (E) to explode.

If you are close enough to an enemy to attack, you hold the Left Mouse Button to lock-on and release to perform a homing attack. There are three power levels of attacks to make it easier to tell when you have a sure kill. Grey lines between you and your target have the lowest chance of connecting, while yellow lines connect more often. Red lines mean you are close enough for a one-hit kill (provided the enemy doesn't raise their shield first with the Right-Click) but it still requires skill and timing to earn each kill.

Since the mouse controls the camera, I recommend turning up the sensitivity settings high because it defaults to a very slow setting which causes missed opportunities when a dozen robots suddenly fly past you. Of course, everyone has their own preferences, but I would have liked to have seen a lock-on camera system that tracks your enemies to reduce the confusion from falling off edges or overshooting targets.

The nature of PC games today seems to be more about distraction or time-wasters than lengthy play sessions from only a few years ago. For ten bucks, Plain Sight is a fantastic way to enjoy an awesome new idea. It is a great addition to your Steam Library alongside Audiosurf and Plants vs. Zombies. While it isn't perfect, Plain Sight is so full of charm and personality, you can't help but smile every time you kill yourself and for a game, that's special.


-HanChi, GameVortex Communications
AKA Matt Hanchey

Minimum System Requirements:



Windows XP, 2 GHz or better, 1 GB RAM, Shader Model 2 Supported Graphics Card, DirectX 9, 300 MB of Free Space
 

Test System:



Windows Vista, 3.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 GB RAM, DVD Drive, 500 GB Hard Drive, NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT

Related Links:



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