I had a feeling something good was on its way after seeing the trailer for Terry Cavanagh's platformer VVVVVV a few months back, and after finally playing it this week I can safely say that it's something really good.
VVVVVV (which I *think* stands for veni, vidi, vici, vici, vidi, veni) is a stellar indie gem on all accounts. Despite the deceptively simple looking retro graphics, the game design manages to strech and twist your brain nodes in a truly clever fashion. Whereas in the typical platformer the player must run and jump to make their way through the level, in VVVVVV you guide the persistantly smiling Captain Viridian through space by running and flipping through gravity, harnessing the gravitational pull from below or above to navigate through thorny avenues, passageways, and enemies. No jumping in space. Just flip-floppin' (hip-hoppin', jalepeño poppin') around in gravity.
This is a tricky concept to wrap your mind around initially and there's plenty of trial and error, and error, and error again in figuring out how to get past some of the rooms. Fortunately (for klutzy folks like me) in this environment dying multiple times is expected and forgiveable (but also tallied as a total score of deaths, so if you want to be competitive, just never die). Can it be frustrating? Yes. But is it always fun? Definitely yes.
You really need to play the game to get a real sense of what I'm trying to explain here, and I don't want to spoil the pure discovery of the game's design any more. While I may be stating the obvious in saying that just playing the demo won't give you a full look into the meat of the puzzles, it's absoultely true. For $15, VVVVVV is well worth the buy between the flabbergasting level design, music, and genuine personality of the game. Take a shot at the demo and if you like what you see but want more, buy it!
P.S. A big thanks to Mr. Cavanagh for making this available on Mac! I don't get to play nearly as many Indie games as I want to because a majority of them are on PC, so I really appreciate it!
Furthermore, for a look into the naming of each 140+ room (one of my favorite aspects of the game) check out this behind-the-scenes article by Bennett Foddy, the name giver in VVVVVV. It's a neat little post about the process of name giving.
