Sunday, 15 March 2009

• Bunny Invasion 2

      Maybe it's just because I'm really lazy--or I'm just utter crap with the internets--but I could NOT find the first installment in this series. I was formally introduced to Mr. Smith (not to be confused with the man of the same name from the amazingly awesome "Shoot 'Em Up" movie) through my favourite Freeware gaming site: Kongregate.com. After finding that I had been playing the game for four hours straight... I knew I was hooked. So... here is the first game review on my site: Bunny Invasion 2
  
     Bunny Invasion 2
  
     Developer: GPStudios (website/Kongregate Profile)
     Publisher: Bubblebox (website)
     Platform: PC (Freeware/Web Based)
     Rating: M [Estimated] (Excessive Written/Spoken Foul Language, Excessive Violence)

     Synopsis: At the Lamb & Flag bar, a group of strangers sit, drinking away their issues. As the bartender doles out shot after shot of alcohol, a female patron regales her companion with a story about being dumped by her lover (she had set fire to his car believing he had cheated on her [he didn't]; so "he took the kids and left"). Her companion--a gruff middle-aged man with dark sunglasses, a brown shirt and blue pants--sits, oblivious to her ramblings. He orders her to buy him a beer and asks the bartender to turn on the television. Each complies.
  

     Suddenly... a news flash interrupts the programming! The bunnies are back! Psychopathic bunnies with a penchant for death... and shitting! The female patron runs screaming to the door and is knocked out cold by her former companion. He is: Mr. Smith. Smith brandishes "Old Faithful"--his .45 Colt--and heads outside. It's time for some rabbit killing!

     The Review: As I stated before: I have sat through this game for an uninterrupted four hours already. It was the first time I played the game, and I could NOT put it down. But for this to be a review, I can't just say: Hey this was awesome. Let's break down just why I love this game so much. I grade my games on a traditional scale using the categories of Sound/Music, Graphics, Gameplay, Story, and Replayability. Ratings are graded on the 1-10 score scale, which is implemented in increments of .5. The final score is an average of the aforementioned categories' scores.

     Graphics: I usually like to start off by talking about a game's graphics. After all, the first thing one notices in a game are the graphics. If one were to judge the game solely on the Title Screen; you'd probably assume this game will look like garbage. You'd be quite wrong, though. This game is nothing compared to Metal Gear Solid 4 in terms of graphics; but it's light-years ahead of Ice 9 on the GameBoy Advance... trust me.

     
                                    Black is done. Done to death. Kind of ironic...
  

     Objects such as furniture and buildings are drawn rather nicely. Everything looks like it should (bricks like bricks, stools like stools, glasses like glasses, et cetera.), and the texturing is fantastic. In fact... everything seems to fit a nice gritty motif.
  

    
                                                        "Cheers" this is not.
  

     Which brings us to the character models. Body designs are pretty much the same for each character present: Round, circular heads on top of mostly square upper bodies. Hands are simple pentagons, and feet are half-circles. One of the more amusing facial features of the characters are the teeth. Each tooth is distinguishable from the other in a sort of "Invader Zim"-esque style of drawing. As a fan of Jhonen's artwork, this was very pleasing (and utterly amusing) to me. Though... the lack of eyeballs was always a bit... disconcerting; and felt lazy.
     Animations of the characters are done well. Everything moves rather fluidly; and is presented in a manner that is slightly above amateurish. Everything is kept--again--to a minimalist style; so don't expect anything like Onimusha 3 out of this. John Woo will NOT be adapting this to movie anytime soon.
     All the enemies are pretty much well done. Each "class" of enemy has a couple of palatte swaps (different colours); and each "class" looks different.

    
                                        A nice variety of cute little bunnies to kill.
  

  Just like the characters, the animations are smooth; and each "class" has a different speed and style of movement and attack. Damage to enemies is represented through extremely violent deformations. Usually, the face is ripped off, and the body becomes riddled with holes. Overall, the game is very violent; though the minimalistic sense of art is still ever-present. When killed, enemies will gib (body parts fly off) in a bloody fashion.
     Overall, the game is presented nicely with some neat little touches here and there. Everything is familiar, and looks really good.

     Score: 10/10

     Story: The second aspect of a game that comes to my mind is the Story. Bunny Invasion 2 has a very simplistic story; which is supported by ridiculous dialogue, an original concept, and excellent comedic timing ("The thing about bunnies is... they breed like rabbits."). You play as Mr. Smith: a man who took on the hordes of killer bunnies--led by the particularly nasty Bunny Queen--in the first game. Now, he's set to save the local pub from ANOTHER horde of bunnies. That's it. Then again, this game doesn't need much more explanation. The story is simply there to give you a reason to just shoot up bunny rabbits. And it's done well.
     The whole concept is highly original; and has a sick appeal to it. Be prepared for some groans at some of the campier puns and obvious references.
  

    
                                          Admittedly... I didn't see this one coming...
  

  Sadly, I did felt a bit let down by the lack of more character development and back-story. As much as I did understand this game was meant simply to get you to kill and kill, the story could've used a little more to it. But, since the story wasn't all that important to begin with, I didn't think it was TOO much of an issue.

     Score: 9.5/10

     Gameplay: The next aspect of a game that I notice is the gameplay aspect--it's also usually the longest section of my reviews... BI2 is a traditional "Defend The Castle" type of game (The Last Stand, Storm The Castle, Castle Invaders). Enemies will charge your stronghold (the pub) from the left side of the screen on varying planes (making it a 2.5D game) while you pump bullets into them. The enemies come from both the air, and on the ground; so you'll find yourself moving the mouse around quite a bit in the later levels. This isn't too ground-breaking of an idea; especially when you consider the number of Defense games of this type out there. What sets it apart from the pack... are the various little tweaks here and there.
  

     An important aspect of BI2 is the usage of explosives and exploding enemies. One type of bunny (Suicide Bunny) can be blown up before hitting the pub. This explosion will kill (or severely damage) any bunny within the blast radius. This allows for strategy when faced with a vast amount of enemies charging at you. You'll also be able to purchase two kinds of grenades from the in-game store to use on the field (maximum of 20 per each type). You have typical tossing grenades, and remote grenades. The latter limits you to one grenade per toss; but you have the added advantage of being able to detonate it whenever you wish. The former can be thrown as many times as you have grenades.
     When fighting the oncoming waves, you can either use the default weapon (.45 Colt), or one of your other weapons you purchased in the Store. Each weapon is mapped to the numerical keys from 1 to (-). However, you have to be careful as the only weapon with infinite ammo is the Colt. Every other weapon requires you to purchase more ammo (though most only cost 1 per round; but goes up to 100 per round [Minigun]!).

     The user interface for the game is extremely friendly. Everything is grouped together nicely, and it never gets confusing. All "clickable" menu buttons are positioned and sized appropriately; and mis-clicks are non-existent. Most notable (and used) is the set-up of the Store.

    
                         Death at discounted prices! Not really. Everything's expensive...

     In-between levels--called "waves" in the game--you will have the chance to buy more ammo; purchase new weapons; upgrade the pub; repair the pub; or purchase new upgrades. From here, you can also access the "Extras" menu--which shows you all the medals you've earned and lets you unlock bonus content; alter the game's options; Save; Quit; or check your overall stats. Money is earned each time you kill a bunny; and is denoted by English Pounds.
     Unfortunately, most of the weapons are extremely expensive. On my first playthrough; I spent most of the game with the Desert Eagle and the SMG. The biggest problem is not necessarily with the pricing of weapons and upgrades--though some are questionable (9,500 for the second Assistant upgrade?!)--but with the player and the choices they make. If you spend all your money upgrading your first two weapons (.45 and Desert Eagle), you run the risk of not being able to afford the bigger, better weapons sooner.
     How you play during the Waves--and your spending style--will determine what's available when. Still, some prices are a bit too steep for my liking.

     Another important aspect of the Store is the Upgrades tab. Here, you can purchase upgrades that will do many things ranging from: gaining extra money from bunnies; having the bartender fight alongside you on the roof (this is NEEDED to beat the game); and even lowering the health of the oncoming bunnies. It's also here that you'll find one of the most OFFENSIVE upgrades in gaming history.

    
                                                  Well... they DO have a lot of sex...
  

     Another aspect to note: are the bunny attacks. While some are fairly common types (biting, punching, slamming into)... others are ranging from just silly (flinging toxic poo) to outrageously offensive (firing newborn bunnies from the womb at the pub).

    
                           Newborn Rockets: Spitting in the face of Pro-Lifers everywhere.
  

     The story is progressed some on every 11th level (11, 21, 31, et cetera) by short cut-scenes--though most just serve as comic relief (or attempts at) in-between frantic bunny slaughterings.
  

     Now, this game does come with some glaring flaws. Firstly, when firing at bunnies, your bullets will damage whatever is in the path of the bullet; rather than the exact spot you aimed. This means that unless you're using the Sniper Rifle, grenades, grenade launcher, or are in Rage Mode... you won't be able to hit specific targets when they're all clumped together. However, the bartender can pinpoint aim. This is a major set-back for the game; and the major cause of frustration when trying to hit the Suicide Bunnies at the right time; or when trying to prioritise which to shoot. Especially when you've got a good shot, and another bunny steps in at the wrong moment.

    
       Good luck trying to kill off those Pregnant Bunnies being blocked by the Gladiators
  

     Sometimes, the bullets will actually manage to bypass all the other bunnies, and hit the one I'm aiming at. This rarely happens, but it has happened. A good idea would've been to map a key to toggle pin-point shooting (on the cursor) and general shooting (the current default; hits anything blocking its path).
     Another aspect of the game I had an issue with, was the fact that getting the "Assistant" upgrade (getting the bartender to join you in battle) is REQUIRED to survive levels past 11. This really doesn't give you much of an option, and limits the ability to choose and play the game the way you want. While it IS only ONE of many upgrades, it still felt limiting. A good, balanced game lets YOU decide what purchases are necessary to win.
     Keeping with the issue of upgrades: I never noticed much of a change when upgrading Myxomatosis and AIDS until I fully upgraded them. The amount of speed reduced and damage inflicted (respectively) by these upgrades is so minute--until fully upgraded--that it almost seems like a waste of money. And trust me: they're expensive too.
  

     Getting back to the guns, many times I found myself missing with the automatic weapons. Now, I know they're supposed to be inaccurate... but I found that sometimes I'd miss until I'd release the mouse and click again; seemingly resetting my aim. This can really break up the pacing of the game and cause unnecessary frustrations when fighting off large groups of bunnies.

     Overall, the game is paced nicely and plays just as nicely. The levels throw plenty of enemies at you; so you're almost never bored. The later levels become so hectic; that sometimes you might find yourself on the verge of dying... only to pull off a stunning victory. However, some of the flaws inherent in the game impede progress. Forcing a player to NEED an upgrade in the way BI2 does with the "Assistant" upgrade makes the game feel cheap and linear. If you're marketing it as an "open-ended" customisable game... this detracts from your intent.
     Also, the hit detection--and lack of noticeable upgrade effects--can either cause unneeded frustration; or simply make you waste your money just so it finally takes one less bullet to kill a slightly less fast enemy.

     Score: 7.5/10

     Sound/Music: What would a game be without sound effects and music to accompany it? Well... it'd be most DOS games before they realised that they could make MIDIs. BI2 continues the minimalistic style by including music only for the title screen, the Store screen, and the Pub cutscenes. During all of the Wave portions of the game, no music will play. Instead, you are treated to the charming sounds of guns firing; bullets penetrating soft bunny flesh; explosions; and the (sometimes) amusing one-liners uttered by Mr. Smith and the Bartender when killing bunnies.
     The Title Screen/Store music is looped--and the same for both--but it only gets annoying if you leave the screen up for longer than 10 minutes (something that should NEVER HAPPEN). The music played in the pub are all small MIDI-esque snippets from popular songs (ie. "Give It Away Now" by Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Money" by Pink Floyd, et cetera.)

     Nothing about the sound or music in this game feels boring, dull, or misplaced.

     Score: 10/10

     Replayability: BI2 can be beaten in about 4-5 hours in one stretch--even if you make some poor choices early on. But... the game boasts a nice 58 awards to collect (most of which are purchasing and time-played-based), 26 unlockables, and the ability to play any Wave you want from your saved file. Overall, there's about 5-6 hours worth of time to waste playing this game. It's also fun to go back and try to beat the game in various other ways (ie. not upgrading anything unessential), so it's hard to be bored by the game. Though, once you buy the minigun... it gets a bit... easy.

     Score: 9.5/10

     Overall Summary: BI2 is a damn fun game to play--and in spite of some really glaring issues; can give you quite a few hours of pure bunny-slaughtering enjoyment. I'd recommend this game if you have some spare time you need to kill; or severe frustrations to vent.

     Overall Score: 9.3
  

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