Driven Out | A Straightforward Side-Scrolling Souls-Like Experience

NoPest Production's "Driven Out" is what I like to call a straightforward side-scrolling Souls-like experience. The premise is simple, but the execution thereof extremely difficult to master. Basically, as a female protagonist driven out of her village for undisclosed reasons you must journey out into the world fighting anything, and anyone that you confront. This includes everything from medieval soldiers, and peasants to mythical creatures. Using only a sword dropped by an initially combative, and elusive knight in armor this lady villager must ultimately progress ever forward while utilizing a tool of witchcraft she stumbled upon that allows her to place a sort of resurrection marker for when she falls in battle. As long as the marker has the energy, and remains undamaged by the assailants she can continue where the witchcraft contraption has been placed. Making it a checkpoint for progress sake. Thus is the gimmick of the game.

Combat in "Driven Out" is where the game will either win you over, or frustrate you to the point of quitting it altogether. As the lady protagonist you have a high, middle, and low attack assigned to TRIANGLE, SQUARE, and X respectively. This is how you deal damage to the enemies that have blood orbs for health like yourself. Just as you have these three attacks so too do the enemies you encounter. To counter, or block against the attacks being directed at you, you will need to add a pressing of R2 to your high, middle, or low attack button presses in time with the enemy's attacks. Learning to read the enemy's attack before it strikes is the key to taking advantage of the situation. By blocking it gives and open window of opportunity, and by timing it just right it will either counter, or stagger the enemy long enough for multiple strikes. Along with the attack, and defense options comes the ability to run using the left thumbstick plus the L2 shoulder button as well as the ability to change the way you are facing with L1.

The fight at hand is very deliberate as the game's store description details. Everything you do, or do not do to the best effect will either hinder your progress, or help you move forward. In regards to the witchcraft contraption pressing down on the Dpad will plant it, but only so long as your accompanying meter has the magic for it. Should an enemy destroy it it'll be forfeit, and if you die thereafter you'll have to start over from the start. Supposing you progress far enough to the final boss of an area though the magic meter will be refilled, and you'll be able to put down three more witchcraft contraptions. Detail I forgot to mention ... your witchcraft contraption allows for only three placements per stage, or area. Sometimes placing it between enemies that are flanking from both the left, and right will allow for enough time to deal with one enemy before all of them gang up on you. Thus it is imperative that you choose wisely where you place the contraptions. Do note that there is no jumping in this game.

It should also be noted that if you die, are resurrected, and die again before you place the next witchcraft contraption you'll be taken to a continue screen where depending upon whether or not you died with a contraption in place the choices made available will be limited to a select two. If you reach the continue screen, and the contraption was still in place you can continue from that screen upon death until the enemy destroys the contraption. If you die after a boss you can also choose to continue where the boss was defeated so long as you've not placed the next contraption. Supposing there is no contraption or boss option available you'll have to start all over again from the beginning. That choice of course is always available regardless of available options.

The Presentation ...

Driven Out is very much a budget indie game. Story elements aren't given, and you are fairly much thrown into the fray with the only instructions available coming from a main menu controls listing that I highly suggest you check out before beginning. There are no in-game tutorial instructions leaving you to use the controller information as a guide from the very start. As far as graphics are concerned it's a 16-bit game that's nicely rendered, and animated. Where it shines is with the character, and creature design. The backgrounds, which are layered, are also noteworthy as well, but a little less so. For what it is, a simple objective based game with hard to master mechanics, it's a decently constructed gaming experience. Depending on your patience it will either be a pass, or a challenge worth taking on. The design's impressiveness is undeniable regardless.

The Verdict ...

Being the kind of gamer I am (impatient) I found myself being more frustrated than having fun. I understood how to play the game, and why the controls were setup the way they were, but adding in the need to manually change the direction the protagonist was facing was an extra hassle that overly complicated the experience. I personally feel the developer should not have had enemies coming from both the left, and the right. I know why it is that way, but the game is challenging enough facing single enemies while moving forward. Had they added in special attacks on top of the base attacks as well as evasive rolling, and perhaps even some RPG item/upgrade features this game could have been brilliant. Keep the base experience like it is, but make each forward going fight like a boss or sub-boss fight without mob elements at play. Allow for boss climbing, limb dismemberment, and stuff like that, and it would be epic. As it is though it's hard to recommend. For me at least. Perhaps if you fancy a challenge you might find it more appealing.