The independent presence in the Sony launch window has been somewhat of a revelation during the next gen console race. Ever since Sony gave a chunk of its PS4 announcement conference to Jonathan Blow and The Witness the company has been sending a message of an open door to independent games. This message was further strengthened as they pushed “The Indie 8” at E3 and continued the game announcements at Gamescom earlier this mother. However, it wasn’t until I went hands on with a number of these titles, until I saw Sony’s love for the independent title behind closed doors, that it really struck home how serious Sony is about independents and the future they provide for the industry.
With development costs at an all time high, the divide between the AAA games like Assassin’s Creed, Call of Duty, Uncharted, and Battlefield and the independent scene has never been bigger. Often economists talk about the dangerous divide between the upper and lower class in economic structure and how the divide is widening, the video game world is no different. To combat this divide developers are having to pass on the games like Darksiders, Sleeping Dogs, and other B-level properties. Games that need that AAA development money cost too much and can’t provide the necessary return to make them worthwhile.
As we look toward a new launch of consoles games are desperately needed to fill the pockets between titles like Watch Dogs and Elder Scrolls Online, so if the B-level game can’t stay afloat console developers must turn to a different revenue stream to keep providing new content on their platforms. The perfect place to get these titles is the indie scene. Sony is not first in the race to the indie, technically they are last. Steam and Microsoft have been investing in independent titles for years. However, as Microsoft has fallen out of the market, and Steam Greenlight continues to be an imperfect way to curate a solid independent library, Sony has an opportunity to bring smaller games to a larger market and making it so that players don’t have to wade through the mediocrity to find what works.
I got a chance to go hands on with three of Sony’s launch window independent games this weekend at PAX Prime and was thoroughly impressed with all three titles. From throwback arcade-style action to puzzlers that encourage new ways to challenge players, all three games offered different ideas and targeted different markets. It shows that as the PlayStation 4 prepares for launch, the are looking to extend beyond the high profile titles of Knack, Killzone, and Drive Club and offer a wider variety of games.
Resogun
Resogun offers an arcade style of combat in the same vein of Super Stardust HD. Resogun is obsessed with leader boards, one hit kills, and difficulty that quickly ramps up, these aspects speak to the competitive player in all of us. In the game, players control a spaceship that can pick up humans, power ups, and other collectibles to survive. Moving fast and being accurate are the keys to survival. The first couple times I tried Resogun, I kept trying to push forward and found myself constantly running into traps, ambushes, and other nasty surprises that would end my game quickly. Resogun allows the player to progress if they want–and they have to, to a degree–but half of the strategy is to lie in wait and let the enemies come to you.
The gameplay loop of Resogun really lies with its online leader boards and the ability to constantly improve your score. Much like its predecessor Super Stardust HD, Resogun plays to the heart of the arcade player, hungry for one more go-round where they know they can do just a little bit better.
Secret Ponchos
Set in a world that looks like Nightmare Before Christmas meets a Spaghetti Western, Secret Ponchos is a multiplayer shooter that is spinning a fresh take on what makes the genre tick. Cover, ammo, and space all play large parts of the game and add to what really is strategy heavy experience based around a game of wild west chicken. An isometric, top-down angle shows the distance between players, which is important since each character has a specific range their bullets can travel. This spatial limitation means that players are forced to get into close quarters which makes combat all the more interesting. On top of the spatial awareness required, each character has a limited number of shots for their weapon, meaning that as you rush into combat, if you pull the trigger too quickly you will find yourself vulnerable, with an empty clip.
The variations on gameplay continue in an impressively tight fashion. Dodging, taking cover, grabbing power ups, and using alternative attacks all play a part in what was some of the most intense multiplayer action that I took part in at PAX. Secret Ponchos creates that same excitement, the same trigger happy enthusiasm that I felt the first time I played GoldenEye. Not to mention that the oozy, gloomy, gothic version of the wild west is a giant bonus on top of already exciting gameplay.
Tiny Brains
It’s hard to understand Tiny Brains from a gameplay trailer. Seeing four small animals, forever altered by the work of a mad scientist, pushing around balls and blocks doesn’t really trigger images of fun. However, Tiny Brains was one of the biggest surprises that I was introduced to at this year’s PAX. Each of the mutated critters has their own special power like teleportation, force push/pull, and the ability to create a barrier. Working together in four-player co-op, players are required to use all of the available skills to complete puzzles and progress through the environments. This is some of the best cooperative puzzle gaming since Portal 2 introduced their co-op mode. Within minutes, myself and three complete strangers were yelling at each other, desperately trying to operate on the same strategy and complete a silly task, like rolling a ball down and ever shifting hallway.
Tiny Brains feels like trying to complete a Rubik’s Cube and Sudoku at the same time with your friends. Its chaotic, puzzling, and all kinds of fun. I can’t wait to spend some time with my friends at home, solving the rewarding puzzles with these disturbing, yet lovable creatures.
The worry about Sony’s independent initiative, of course, is that it will become bloated and fail to be appropriately curated. How can Sony ensure that when they make agreements to bring independent games to the PS4 that they are picking the right ones? There is no guarantee where that is concerned, but it seems like Sony has already done a great job in establishing their name behind a wave of fun to play, uniquely addicting independent games. I am excited to play all three of these titles at home soon, and also excited to see what other titles Sony can add to their independent roster.
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