Tunnelvision (XBLIG): "A Visually Stunning 3D Shmup Masterpiece"

By now most of you know that I'm really into the shmup (shoot 'em up) game genre. I have even reviewed some shmups here on this blog. A couple of days ago I found a video of a new XBLIG shmup that was going to be released on the Xbox Marketplace. The shmup was titled 'Tunnelvision', and it was developed by 'Team Stendec'. The cool thing about this shmup is that it took the genre in a new direction with some visually impressive 3D graphics. The video I watched on youtube actually didn't do the game justice though. When I played the game for the first time I was totally amazed by the lighting, and 3D effects. The gameplay was easy to pick up on, and involved a lot more game elements than I had initially thought it would feature. There are 9 mission based levels that get progressively more difficult as you play, and as the title suggests the playing fields are located in tunnels. There are also end level bosses called 'Level Lords' that must be defeated in order to continue. For the score hounds out there the game does feature a highscore leaderboard, but I think it's only local. Overall I found the playthrough to be an amazing experience, and quite challenging at times.

The ship you pilot in this unique shmup favors a sort of spaceship-like submarine. The ship can do barrel rolls from side to side, speed boost (A), speed break (Y) and even fire shots. If you've ever played the StarFox games you'll likely recognize the barrel roll. The barrel rolls (Left = X, Right = B) are very useful in dodging pillars/obstacles and gunfire in a quick manner. Your ship also has a boost manuever for getting past gates that open, and close quickly. Like other shmups in this game genre you can also collect power-ups that include a 'time bomb (Right Bumper)', 'shield (Left Bumper)', 'shockwave (Left Trigger)', and even some 'repair' power-ups for your ship. I would say that the controls for the ship are partially dual thumbstick which keeps true to the shmup genre. For movement you use the (Left Thumbstick), and for aiming you use the (Right Thumbstick). The (Right Trigger) is used for firing.

The gameplay in 'Tunnelvision' is both fun, and challenging. As you make your way through the various levels/tunnels you will encounter different types of enemy spacecraft, and obstacles (rotating fan structures, metal pillars, laser cannons, mines). As you destroy the enemies, laser cannons and mines you will earn points that are added to your overall score for that level. If you die in a level/tunnel you will be restarted at the latest checkpoint. There isn't a certain amount of lives, or continues involved. I never really understood how the checkpoint system worked, but I assume it was determined by certain enemies that you make it past. I also noticed that each time you restart at a checkpoint your score is subtracted from, so staying alive is the key to gaining a respectable score. I found that the enemy types, and behaviors will change as you progress through the levels in the game. In some instances you must take out one of the enemies in a group before you can take out the rest. At times the enemies also have shields that flicker on, and off complicating the situation further. Learning the best tactics for dealing with the enemies is very necessary in making it through the levels/tunnels with a highscore. The end bosses (Level Lords) in the game also have a certain pattern that you must learn in order to defeat them.

In the end I found 'Tunnelvision' to be a worthy addition to the indie game shmup genre. I've actually seen 3D games similar to this, but 'Tunnelvision' is definitely the best version yet. I absolutely loved the visual effects that were appiled to this game. The reflections, and 3D renderings of the metal and organic material were definitely XBLA quality. It think the only reason this game was made into an XBLIG title was the 9 level length to it. It would be awesome if 'Team Stendec' would make an XBLA version with a continuous mode, or even a 2D version of the game. An online leaderboard/scoreboard would be cool as well. I definitely think 'Team Stendec' has done a superb job with this XBLIG release, and that they have the potential to make some very impressive shmup games in the future. I hope to see more releases from them soon.