By Josiah Munsey
E3 is Vegas on crack, lights pulsing, base thumping, nunchucks swinging, people dancing for joy to DJ Hero's remix of "Holla Back Girl" (thanks, Activision). With this sensory overload, it becomes easier to see which games stick out, which games are unique.
I was hoping to find a game with original content and finally did, hidden away with only one screen dedicated to its simple beauty. This game is Q-Games latest PixelJunk game entitled Shooter.
Shooter is a physics based, side scrolling, puzzler, PSN game revolving around saving humans placed in environments strewn with (hot)pockets of rock, water, and lava. You modify theses environments by piloting a space ship around the map and strategically destroying and channeling the active elements to achieve your purpose. For example, you can destroy a rock barrier holding back water, which lets water flow out into other sections of the level. If the water touches lava, it turns into rock which can be further manipulated. One wrong move and you will burn or drown the innocent humans you are trying to save. You must save a certain number of humans before you can progress to the next level.
This game is amazingly addicting and already very polished from the first couple levels I had the chance to play. The game quickly becomes more complex and adds more mechanics to the game play.
I may have to pick up a PS3 to play the full version of this game when it comes out. The release date is yet to be announced, but is supposed to come out near the tail end of the year.
Way to go Pixel Junk, thanks for birthing us something new.