The background is that Indie Games are very popular on the Nintendo Switch. Coming from a time when there was no real boundary between indie and AAA developers, I was wondering why they had gotten so popular and why people love them so much.
Q1 Why are Indie games so well received? The general opinion is that indie developers are braver to try out new concepts that stray from the mainstream ideas of gaming. AAA titles are claimed to copy each other and don’t come up with original concepts. The result is a mash-up of games that is used until the consumer ultimately is overfed. Indie games are also said to have their own charm and beautiful stories. Another reason is that they are perceived as underdogs and that is why people like to root for them against the triple A giants.
Q2: Should Indie games be rated differently in critic reviews? Indie games have way lower budgets, therefore graphics are mostly in 2D and/or retro style. On the other hand people appreciate retro looks, pixel art, tight controls, a catchy story, original humor and music as important factors when enjoying the game.
Q3: Why Nintendo Switch? Indie games seem to have found their home on the Switch for the portability of the System which makes smaller games perfect to play on a small screen and in smaller bites. This is also reflected in reviews, as the same (or at least similar games) receive higher critic scores on the switch as on other systems. (or are the ports just really better? Please clarify if you know more as I haven’t played games on other systems to compare) Players also seem to appreciate the nostalgic feel they have to their childhood NES/SNES games.
Q4: Are indie games as enjoyable as AAA games? Except for super grindy games, indie games are usually shorter in terms of content, but don’t lack in terms of joy when playing. If the game scratches your itch it is just as much or even more fun besides its lower budget. Players will have a quality time with them. The time invested in the game was worth it. Not saying a games value can be determined by hours played.
Since those statements above are not my own opinion, but rather what I read in the community, I will consider the indie games I played and try to evaluate those statements.
First I will mention the title and the metacritic score (review/user)
Q1: Is the game original/innovative?
Q2: Considering lower budget, is the game of good quality?
Q3: Is the game more enjoyable because of portability on the Switch?
Q4: Are indie games as enjoyable as AAA games?
Hollow Knight (90/88): my first indie game and it blew me away. My 2D skills were very rusty at first and platforming was a nightmare for me. However, I enjoyed the challenge the game threw at me and the game kept opening up to get bigger and bigger. With lots of secrets to discover and tough boss battles, while getting lost every now and then I enjoyed this game a lot. I completed 107% of it, just couldn’t conquer those incredible difficulties the game offers ultimately.
Q1: It is a Soulsborne game, also Metroidvania which inclines it is not original. However it offered a lot of Challenges and a Sense of Discovery which felt fresh to me. 2/5
Q2: The controls were tight, Soundtrack was fitting, Art Style dark, Story partly up to interpretation (seems like a trend), no game breaking bugs or glitches. 4/5
Q3: I played the game 50/50 in docked and portable, happy I could play it on the go. 3/5
Q4: This felt like a fleshed out game, not even shorter in length. 5/5
Inside(91/82): 2D puzzler that has amazing reviews for atmosphere and innovativeness.
Q1: I would say, besides copying from its predecessor it is original, no text, just atmosphere 5/5
Q2: The game can soak you in, scare and move you. Controls were good enough to enable a constant game experience, sound was matching. 4/5
Q3: I played the game only in docked mode to be able to get the full experience of the atmosphere. 0/5
Q4: The game was memorable, but extremely short. I played completed it in only 6 hours. 2/5
Overcooked2(81/81): This game is a co-op game with a very simple concept but very engaging and the experience depends a lot on the person you are playing with.
Q1: I think games like that have existed for a long time, games where you need coordination and quick execution to reach a goal. Even the cooking concept isn’t original and there are other games like it (even flash games). The co-op part is however kind of new to me. 2/5
Q2: Story is funny, but simple. Level design is done quite well, since the player is able to beat each level once they figured out the strategy and didn’t fail in the execution. 3/5
Q3: I played the game only in docked mode, since 2 players need to see the screen and its more of a party game then single handheld. 0/5
Q4: To get 3 stars on every level incl the DLC was challenging but fun and it helped my gf and me to communicate and laugh at each other in stressful situations. 4/5
Guacamelee(86/78): My second Metroidvania after HK. A more humorous and lighter atmosphere style game that was less confusing.
Q1: Since Metroidvania is a trend, I can’t give it much credit for that in originality. I think the some of the game mechanics like changing between living and underworld were quite new and were a big part of the fun however. 2/5
Q2: the controls were okay, plattforming was fine, but battle didn’t seem as tight. Soundtrack was lively and art style is not for everyone. 2/5
Q3: Except for the last boss fight and when demonstrating it to my gf I played in handheld. This was a good to play game on the go. Easy to get into. 5/5
Q4: I tried to discover all the secrets, but some post game challenges seemed a bit tedious. The game length was okay, but there was not much motivation to go back to it. It was fun while it lasted. 3/5
The Way Remastered(63/69): I got the game because it was on a huge discount and reviews said it deserves a chance and that game breaking bugs have been removed.
Q1: the game had some fun puzzles, but wasn’t really innovative. 1/5
Q2: Well one of the major problems of this game was the controls. Very unresponsive and the plattforming parts were ridiculously bad. The pixel art and sound were okay, but didn’t excite me too much either 1/5
Q3: Played in handheld mode until the final boss 5/5
Q4: Game was short, but that’s not the biggest problem here. The game didn’t know what it wants to be, mixed up so many elements and none of them were done well. Plattforming, puzzle, shooter, bullethell. I was glad it was over when it was 1/5
Steamworld Dig 2(88/87): Next Metroidvania with skyhigh reviews.
Q1: game had a lot of mechanics like you would expect from metroidvanias, but combined the whole concept of digging, looting and upgrading deserves its praise. 3/5
Q2: The Art style of the cyperpunk environment was nice, music was super fitting and memorable. Controls very pretty responsive. Story was kind of meh, besides the twist. 3/5
Q3: Perfect game to play on the go. Especially since the player is forced to end their raid after a certain period and surface 5/5
Q4: Game was a lot of fun with plenty of secrets and challenges. Started a bit slowly and in the end you are able to hover through the world like a god. 4/5
Axiom Verge(87/84): Clone of the NES Metroid Classic. Since I enjoyed Metroidvanias I decided to give it a go.
Q1: well, since it cloned metroid I can’t give it much credit for innovation.Maybe 1 point for the glitchgun. 1/5
Q2: hm here is where I’m in a difficult spot. The music and art are very retro and it can be for you or not. I just wasn’t much into that and I felt the controls were a bit odd. 1/5
Q3: I played the game only in handheld mode. 5/5
Q4: Well, the game was made by a single person. All credits to him. He basically managed to do by himself what was a triple A game 30 years ago. It’s a nice example of how technology and productivity have increased. I still think the game is overhyped by players who felt their nostalgic itch scratched and are in love with the metroid series. Personally I didn’t have that itch and I didn’t enjoy the game very much. Contentwise its plenty considering it could be a full NES game 2/5
Undertale(93/75): Game starts as a pixel rpg classic, but turns the genre around and is very humorous and does something incredibly new (avoiding spoilers).
Q1: Yes it started out as a mix of lame and fun jokes, gameplay wasn’t that great, bullethell fights but with an option to communicate. Some of the jokes were predictable, some were funny. The way the game turned into a satire of RPGs was great. The option to communicate with monsters and what it ultimately meant surprised me and left a mark. 5/5
Q2: I’m sure people disagree with me, but the game felt very basic in its mechanics and art style. I almost felt it was perfect as a satire. 1/5
Q3: I played in handheld all the time, because I thought putting it up on the screen would be over the top. 3/5
Q4: It was fun at times and it made me think. I think a triple A game would never go with this approach and there has to be one determined individual to create this kind of game. It was different, not something you would expect from a video game 3/5
Celeste(92/83): A game that perfectly reflects indie games and its strength. Received a lot of praise and was said to be tough as nails.
Q1: was it innovative? I think the story was, because it approached a modern topic. The gameplay was in a way, because the level design was outstanding. The game had a way of telling you what to do without saying it. The moves were pretty common for a plattformer however 3/5
Q2: it’s a pixel art game. I heard people complain that the art was so bad, the maincharacter didn’t even have enough pixels to have eyes. Well, it’s either for you or it isn’t. I think the art style felt colourful and the music was perfectly fitting with each level and the atmosphere. The mechanics felt tight and it had to for how demanding it was. This definitely felt like a thought through concept with a focus on the strength. 5/5
Q3: Perfect for handheld mode for gamestyle and portioned play. 5/5
Q4: The game was difficult for me, I beat DKC Tropical freeze earlier and this game was more difficult. I collected 172 of 175 strawberries and hit the wall on some of the B-sides. However, I had a great time playing through the story and didn’t feel frustrated besides the difficulty. It was more like a “try again, you can do it” feeling, which the game so beautifully stated. I wouldn’t believe I could enjoy a platformer this much. 5/5
Blossom Tales The sleeping King(80/80): The game I’m currently playing, cause topdown games were my favorites in SNES times and A Link to the Past isn’t available (yet).
Q1: Once again, a clone of a SNES game which is openly and funnily admitted. 1/5
Q2: Mechanics are okay, sometimes feel weird. Music steals from Zelda games, Art sometimes feels like a mobile game. 2/5
Q3: Very good to play in handheld, I would feel weird playing it on the big screen. 4/5
Q4: It is about as much fun as I expected, it doesn’t surprise me so far and the puzzle are quite easy. 3/5
Results in Numbers: (x/5)
Q1 Innovation: 2,5
Q2 Quality: 2,6
Q3 Portability: 3,5
Q4 Enjoyability: 3,2
Although in average, the static doesn’t say a lot, I will take these numbers into consideration. 2.5/5 doesn’t actually speak for innovation. A lot of indie games are retro games and therefore also don’t have too many new concepts to deliver. Quality overall is mediocre, but I guess it is just a big mix and you can see which developers really had a concept and worked hard on their games or not. Portability is almost always a huge plus, except for atmospheric or co-op games. Finally enjoyability is comparibly high with 3,2 which supports the hypothesis that low budget games with flaws can still be fun.
For me personally, I am very glad I game many of those praised indie games a shot, especially because some of them are good enough o make up for the bad ones. For me it turned out the hype is real for some games, but not at all for others. I couldn’t say that I’m generally a fan of Metroidvanias or Platformers now, or even that I could tell by the genre if I liked them or not. I just think getting an indie game is a risk, because it might surprise you positively or negatively.
Submitted June 13, 2019 at 12:35PM by yayakon http://bit.ly/2Zq8UK7
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