Cave Story is a masterpiece of pure gaming pleasure, a beautiful game by all standards, this is what gaming is all about
It's difficult to know were to start writing a review for this game. Not because I don't know what I want to say, more how. I guess introducing it would be a good place to start, we'll see how I get on from there.
Well, what's to tell? Doukutsu (Cave Story) is a freeware title developed by a Japanese guy called Daisuke Amaya who is otherwise know as Pixel. He developed it over the course of 5 years fine tuning and perfecting his creation, with the final release appearing in 2004. Since then it has been translated into English and ported to the Mac and GP2X (which I played it on) with a PSP port in the works and a rumoured commercial remake. You can't help but be impressed by his dedication to the game and everything that has come of it. I would go so far to say that it's possibly one of the best games I've played this year.
So what the hell is it? Simply, it's an action adventure platform game, explaining further than that, is a little trickier. The game is played from the traditional 2D side-scrolling perspective like games such as Metroid, Wonder Boy and Castlevania, but this is no copy-paste attempt. The style of game both visually, aurally and in gameplay terms is unique and possesses real character. Everything feels great, your hero moves just right, imagine the perfect movement of Quake 3 but in 2D and you might be there. It just feels great.
Before I go on with the gameplay, I should say something about the story. Cave Story is wonderful piece of storytelling and I would be doing it a great disservice to disclose many details, but I shall explain what I can. The game opens with a shot of some kind of throne room. On either side of the throne is a pedestal, with an energy bubble containing two creatures. One looks likes a large block with a face, and the other a girl. A man dressed in a doctors coat stands to the side, a strange crown on his head chuckling to himself. He approaches the throne and looks down at the red flowers on the seat, his laughter appearing to become more manic.
The game starts and we find ourselves looking at the inside of a room, a man sat in front of a computer with a strange looking device to his right. He appears to be locked in this room and is franticly trying to make contact with his sister using a chat room program. It then fades out to the inside of a cave, were you then take control of your character and start your adventure.
I would love to talk more about the story and events in the game but it'll be much more fun for you to find out about them for yourself. The characters that you meet alone the way are fantastic and you will find yourself getting attached to and caring about them. There are also several decisions throughout the game which will alter the outcome of certain situations and also how the end section and ending of the game plays out. Replayablity is high not just because of this but also because there is a level editor if you want to add new quests or whatever takes your fancy.
Music in the game is also brilliant and reflects on the 8-bit era styled graphics. The songs are distinctive and cast the mood well creating the right atmosphere for every situation. It's so good that not only is it worth listening to by itself but fans have also created a double disc remix album.
There are just so many little things that make Cave Story so good, it's almost impossible to point them all out. Admittedly, the graphical style of the game will not be to everyone's taste with its pixel art and retro feel. However, in my eyes the graphics are perfect and are a really beautiful use of pixel art. The gameplay is fresh and never had me thinking as I often do these days when playing games, "man, I just played that like an hour ago, change the pace please!" It took me about 6hours or so to play through it the first time and never had me getting overly frustrated with it. The learning curve is just right but people with platforming experience will undoubtedly find the first part of the game much easier. On the other hand, some of the boss fights later in the game are punishing difficult and will provide a challenge to even the most hardened gamer. Make no mistake, there are no "I'll hold your hand" type bits but equally, it never becomes so obscure or difficult that you'll get completely stuck, it's just challenging. This my friends, is tuned gameplay to the point of obsession.
I love Cave Story. It's an absolute joy to play, looks great, sounds fantastic and every little nook and cranny of the game is just filled with wonder and detail. It's one of the few games that after finishing, I started playing again the very next day.
In fact, I'm just going to stop writing now so you can start playing, you were downloading while you were reading right? Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
- Niall Macdonald