Outbuddies – Played

As one of the few hand-picked editors Gamers has.at the opportunity to get a first glimpse of the 16-Bit Metroidvania Outbuddies to throw. This is the one-man-project of the Cologne-based psychiatrist Julian Laufer, which was successfully funded via Kickstarter, and now – after six years of development time at 15. October will appear this year on Steam. My first foray into the mythical Depths of the southern Atlantic, in the case of already now want more!

After Bahlam

We control the ambitious sea Nikolay Bernstein, the power of the search Bahlam, the fortress of the old gods, and consequently, the cradle of our civilization, biologists. Shipwrecked we awaken good 11000 kilometers under the surface of the sea, revived by a small helper-no more droids out now from the side, and us on our Odyssey actively supported. Outbuddies United in this way skillfully the Genre of Metroidvania with a sophisticated Buddy System, some tricky puzzles and gameplay elements, the game, but at the same time – either in a local Co-op mode allows discover.

Metroidvania with a built-in Buddy System

After the manner of a classic Metroidvanias we find ourselves in a non-linear structured two-dimensional 16-Bit world that we can explore to your heart’s content freely in all directions; at least until we encounter seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The game is very beginner friendly, and plunges us immediately in complete freedom. Rather, it directs us Outbuddies initially quite cautious of the Tutorial message to the Tutorial message until we are Central skills of our helper droids, as well as a few weapons, and their modifications unlocked have. At least for a good hour, we are taken from Laufer in this way, single-mindedly on the Hand. We have to jump over spikes and chasms, perform acrobatic Wall-Jumps, and defend us by the way, some creature that wants us in our cave research to the leather. After this first part of entry, we reach a small village, whose inhabitants are waiting for a prophesied Savior, the should you stop now already for centuries long-lasting exile, in the underground, and their related Diaspora. And this Prophet resembles completely irrelevant to the protagonist amber. From this point on, the game takes the training wheels off and leaves us with the huge map of Outbuddies – according to the rules of the genre – free to explore.

Gradually, we can unlock up to four new weapons, and modifications for the same, or to discover useful skills to our small droids; the same is not only a proficient Sonar, which informs us about the destructible walls, and behind, walkways, and an analysis device is able to recognize the dangers, but also about also about tele-kinetic abilities. This will allow us to move blocks of stone, and to reach on top of each other layers, which allows us to go to higher level sections. At the same time, this supernatural ability is suited to crush to enemy creatures short-Hand, without us in direct battle. Because Outbuddies is anything other than a Maritime walk. The dark, partially flooded, cave passages mountains countless dangers. Apart from some of the puzzles are also the enemy creatures is quite a challenge; not only the mandatory bosses in the style of Castlevania with us short process, if we do not have the right strategy to develop, even the standard enemies have it. It remains Outbuddies but always fair. The digital Bildschirmtod not leads us back to the last save point – which rar are sown, but only at the beginning of the partially very large-scale screen section.

The joys of local cooperative play

Laufer, not only the choice of the genre and the visual presentation due, that cannot be overlooked (at least spiritual) child of the 80s and 90s, also did not forget to a local Co-op mode. So the droid can’t be controlled only by Actuating the appropriate button, but either by a human player. This is not only fun, but makes it easier for us to Survive in the inhospitable Depths of the Atlantic. Because as soon as the Co-op mode is always started from the In-Game menu off, the little droid an additional ability: he can continue to taste a small cube in the cave passages, which serve as additional platforms, or even as protection from enemies. The only catch is that these cubes will disappear after a few seconds, and to us, so we passage need for a Leap too long to plop down rudely on the ground or enemy creatures new is on us to attack.

CONCLUSION

The One-man Metroidvania Outbuddies features in addition to a sophisticated puzzle design and world building through a lovingly crafted Pixel optics, a nostalgic Aesthetic in the game options even more authentic to the former DOS-color palette can be adjusted and a consistent 16-Bit Soundtrack, the mystical atmosphere of the game wonderfully accentuated. The underwater sections of the beams an eerily beautiful atmosphere, if only a small portion of the image is illuminated by a cone of light and the dark edge of the cave walls to pass us by gliding or even every beast of an attack lurks. In view of all that remains is to hope that the very ambitious project of the screw, the Motivation is always to turn more white and the is not accompanied of the Metroidvania inherent openness of the game world by a sophisticated level of design, so that Backtracking and the search for further paths take over, and thus in Frustration as a result. Currently, Outbuddies a challenging title, the friends of the genre in any case, make a note of it. And by the way: as the harmonious Intro of Outbuddies a Scanline Filter look!

What Outbuddies is? A classic Metroidvania that associating the Genre with a Buddy-System.
Platforms: PC
Tested: Version 1.39 b on a PC with Intel Core i5-6600K, 4x 3.5 GHz, 16 GB RAM, AMD Radeon R9 Fury
Developer / Publisher: Julian Laufer/ Headup
Release: 15. October 2019
Link: Official Website