Platform Hack (XBLIG): "A 2D Hack 'n Slash/RPG Platformer"

I have noticed what seems to be a slightly growing trend when it comes to XBLIG, and XBLA RPG releases. I recently did a review on 'Dungeon Defenders' which was an RPG/Tower Defense hybrid, and now 'Daydalus Studios' has released an XBLIG hybrid RPG of their own. The RPG I speak of is 'Platform Hack' which is a 2D hack 'n slash RPG platformer. It has it's own unique look with hand drawn artwork/features as wells as a some very involved gameplay mechanics. In the game you will earn points to further unlock your powers, and special abilities as you level up from experience which is gained from the enemies you slay. There are four different levels/worlds to conquer, as well as five different larger than life bosses to defeat in order to save your precious Sophie. Along the way you will also find 20 treasures that are well hidden throughout the maze-like levels. When, and if you are able to defeat the evil character that is behind Sophie's disappearance you will be faced with a final choice that will conclude the game in one of two ways ...

This story based RPG hybrid tells the tale of a hero (*your name here*), his girlfriend Sophie, and an old man named Sam. After a night filled with happiness, and fireworks the hero's world is turned into a living nightmare due tho the abrupt disappearance of his true love. The hero (*your name here*) must harness his hidden powers in order to save Sophie who has become the damsel in distress. Led by the old man Sam, the hero sets on a vengeful quest to kill the one who has taken his girlfriend away. He will face many different, and dreadful creatures in his quest to rescue his beloved. In the end the hero (*your name here*) will be left with a choice that will either change the end to his quest for the better, or for the worse. All that is certain is that the task ahead of you is a hard one, and shouldn't be taken lightly ...

Gameplay in 'Platform Hack' can get very complicated at times. There are a lot of controls, and things the player must pay constant attention to if they wish to complete the game. One thing you'll notice immediately when you begin to play is the red, and blue bars at the top of the screen. The red bar is the life/health that the hero currently has. Health in the game regenerates when the player is not using his powers, or getting hit by the enemies. The blue bar is the powers meter, and it will deplete when you use any of your abilities (enhanced shields, Enhanced jumps/grappling, special shot). Like the health bar this bar will also regenerate when it is not in use. Keeping an eye on these two bars is extremely necessary. If you ever find yourself low on either bar then I definitely suggest finding a safe spot so you can regenerate them.

Platform Hack is an RPG with Hack 'n Slash features as I previously mentioned. As you play through the first level in the game you will earn the use of two weapons, a sword and a gun. These weapons can be upgraded along with your other abilities (jump, health, shield/barrier, special shot) as you defeat creatures, and gain experience orbs. Some levels will require the use of certain abilities in order to navigate through them more easily. You can switch between abilites, and use two different kinds at a time. One set of switchable abilities includes the shield, and the special shot while the other gives you the option to switch between the grappling hook and a power jump. All of the special abilities must be unlocked with the experience points that you earn. As you continue playing through the game you will also increase in strength from leveling up with the experience orbs that you collect. There is an experience bar (purple bar) at the top of the screen that keeps track of how much experience you gain, and how much more you will need in order to level up. Sometimes I found that it was easier to go back and repeat levels in the game, and gain more experience so that I could defeat the tougher enemies more easily.

There are a wide variety of creatures/enemies that you will face as you play through each level in the game. These enemies are all level specific, and include such things as bandits, dragons, robots, wizards, scorpions, and other menacing adversaries. For the most part you will encounter copies of a large enemy, a smaller enemy, and a flying type of enemy within each stage/level. The enemy's/creature's strength increases as well as their numbers with each advancing level. After a set amount of levels you will encounter a boss battle that will definitely test your patience as well as your skills. I actually found myself cussing a times due to the difficulty of the levels, and the boss battles. It is all managable, but it definitely got a bit nerve racking at times.

After playing through the game for what seemed like several hours I was glad to be done with it (in all honesty). I got quite upset during my my playthrough due to some serious flaws. I actually found several flaws in the gameplay, as well as some glitches that occured throughout the game. One thing that was really obvious to me was when the final door appeared after defeating a boss it would sometimes show up in a place you couldn't access. I found myself having to restart the boss battle stage (which I thankfully didn't have to repeat) by quitting to the main menu in order to be able to enter the final exit door. Another big issue I found is that when you die in the game the level doesn't automatically restart. Your dead body just lies there until you press the 'A' button. The game doesn't even let you know that you should do this. Another issue involved the constant reseting of you ability choices whenever you died, and started over in a level or boss battle. This is extremely aggravating, especially during the boss battles in which you can't switch fast enough due to the boss's attacks. There were many different glitches, and frame slowdowns I encountered during my playthrough as well. Some were very obvious like the glitching enemies that seemed to be stuck in the walls/steps, or enemies that would pass through walls when you struck them. After considering all of the flaws that I encountered I can't recommend this game as a worthy purchase. If the developer is able to fix the problems it would definitely be worth it though.