Oh Orpheus, you slay me with your eyes
March 9, 2009 2:25 PM Subscribe
Don't Look Back: the latest game from Terry Cavanagh. For the platformer/greek mythology enthusiast in all of us.
I was playing this yesterday. It is really not easy. Or, at least, I suck at it.
posted by Caduceus at 2:45 PM on March 9, 2009
posted by Caduceus at 2:45 PM on March 9, 2009
As one who is continually frustrated with the ease or difficulty of every flash game, I have to say that this was at the perfect level for me. It was challenging, but no so difficult that it would make you give up. The bosses in particular were all superb, with each having an exploitable weakness.
posted by jozzas at 2:57 PM on March 9, 2009
posted by jozzas at 2:57 PM on March 9, 2009
Very good game, with a very interesting twist at the end.
posted by flatluigi at 3:17 PM on March 9, 2009
posted by flatluigi at 3:17 PM on March 9, 2009
A computer game about Orpheus?
His head and lyre, still singing mournful songs, floated down the swift Hebrus to the Mediterranean shore...collecting pellets of mana, until he came across the Four Spirits Of The Underworld - Blinkus, Pinkus, Inkus and the Clydotaur - who set upon him in a frenzy. "Wakka wakka," he cried out, mournfully. "Wakka."
posted by turgid dahlia at 4:03 PM on March 9, 2009 [7 favorites]
His head and lyre, still singing mournful songs, floated down the swift Hebrus to the Mediterranean shore...collecting pellets of mana, until he came across the Four Spirits Of The Underworld - Blinkus, Pinkus, Inkus and the Clydotaur - who set upon him in a frenzy. "Wakka wakka," he cried out, mournfully. "Wakka."
posted by turgid dahlia at 4:03 PM on March 9, 2009 [7 favorites]
Wow, this is seriously one of the best games I've ever played. There is no learning curve, but the mix of puzzle and action is perfect, and the Pitfall style graphics are used perfectly to create the kind of atmosphere you rarely find in commercial games.
I wait for games that are (good) art, and this is one.
posted by cmoj at 4:16 PM on March 9, 2009
I wait for games that are (good) art, and this is one.
posted by cmoj at 4:16 PM on March 9, 2009
Also, a nice song to listen to if you're in an Orpheus-y mood: The Tea Party's 'Psychopomp'
posted by turgid dahlia at 4:34 PM on March 9, 2009
posted by turgid dahlia at 4:34 PM on March 9, 2009
I played for like a dozen screens assuming it must get good at some point. This was posted 22 days early.
posted by DU at 4:49 PM on March 9, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by DU at 4:49 PM on March 9, 2009 [1 favorite]
What happens in 22 days? Please note I have not looked at any of the links.
posted by turgid dahlia at 6:25 PM on March 9, 2009
posted by turgid dahlia at 6:25 PM on March 9, 2009
The retro art style on this is really convincing. I'd like to be able to play it with an Atari 2600 joystick.
posted by arcanecrowbar at 7:12 PM on March 9, 2009
posted by arcanecrowbar at 7:12 PM on March 9, 2009
I don't know if the red struck Bronze Age tones, or if the side-scrolling reminds me of amphora figures, but this was very sad. The solution is to stay locked in the underworld facing opposite directions.
posted by kid ichorous at 8:05 PM on March 9, 2009
posted by kid ichorous at 8:05 PM on March 9, 2009
Or rather, facing away.
posted by kid ichorous at 8:05 PM on March 9, 2009
posted by kid ichorous at 8:05 PM on March 9, 2009
I totally agree with jozzas on the difficulty. It hit a real sweet spot for me--hard enough to have you cursing at it, but not frustrating enough to make you give up in disgust.
posted by freem at 8:29 PM on March 9, 2009
posted by freem at 8:29 PM on March 9, 2009
A computer game about Orpheus?
Had me thinking more of Sisyphus, if pushing a rock were replaced with falling in a pit.
If the entire basis of your game is trial and error, and any incorrect attempt results in my immediate death, then you've designed a game which punishes me for playing it. Is that the artistic part?
posted by regicide is good for you at 9:32 PM on March 9, 2009
Had me thinking more of Sisyphus, if pushing a rock were replaced with falling in a pit.
If the entire basis of your game is trial and error, and any incorrect attempt results in my immediate death, then you've designed a game which punishes me for playing it. Is that the artistic part?
posted by regicide is good for you at 9:32 PM on March 9, 2009
In fairness, the Greeks didn't have it easy.
posted by turgid dahlia at 10:26 PM on March 9, 2009
posted by turgid dahlia at 10:26 PM on March 9, 2009
Superb, creepy game.
This reminded me of 23 years ago, when my mum forced me to take violin lessons but I was more interested on playing on my teacher's daugher's Vic-20.
posted by randomination at 2:42 AM on March 10, 2009
This reminded me of 23 years ago, when my mum forced me to take violin lessons but I was more interested on playing on my teacher's daugher's Vic-20.
posted by randomination at 2:42 AM on March 10, 2009
Much hate. Any game that kills you on entering a level sucks.
Sorry.
posted by Samizdata at 2:53 AM on March 10, 2009
Sorry.
posted by Samizdata at 2:53 AM on March 10, 2009
I played it last night up until the third or fourth pitch-black screen. It wasn't that bad, really, just very old-fashioned. Back before booze, girls, and the x86, this would have kept the attention of a lot of kids for hours.
posted by turgid dahlia at 2:49 PM on March 12, 2009
posted by turgid dahlia at 2:49 PM on March 12, 2009
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posted by freem at 2:30 PM on March 9, 2009