The indie scene isn’t just full of original new concepts, it’s also a great environment for games that make the jump to other platforms. Today we’ve checking out five (!) games that initially appeared on PC but have made the jump to console platforms. Here’s a look at Undungeon, 41 Hours, Sophstar, Pnevmo-Capsula and God Damn The Garden.
Undungeon review (PS4)
After a successful Kickstarter and subsequent PC launch, Undungeon by Laughing Machines is finally making it to consoles. Published by tinyBuild, we tried out the PlayStation 4 version of the game, which has also been launched on the Nintendo Switch.
An action RPG with hand drawn pixel graphics, Undungeon has a surprisingly elaborate narrative setup for an indie game in the genre, and if you enjoyed the recent Spider-Man and Doctor Strange films you’ll probably get a kick of our this one as well. In Undungeon, several versions of the Earth that co-exist inside a multiverse have collapsed unto one another in an event called The Great Shift. With time and space no longer in order, things are breaking down, and it’s up to an organization called Herald’s Undercover Bay to fix things – and you happen to be one of these Heralds. On top of the action you’d expect in a game within this genre, you’ll also uncover lots of story bits by engaging with NPCs you encounter, and the narrative is mostly entertaining to follow.
The stills probably don’t do the game justice, but Undungeon’s pixel art aesthetic is lovely to look at, in part due to the character designs and animations. Those characters, or at least the ones you control, can also be upgraded in an interesting fashion – upgrading their organs for better overall stats rather than just changing your outfit based on the loot you find. The end result is still familiar, but it’s an interesting take on the formula and offers plenty of diversity.
But while the narrative is engaging, the combat can be underwhelming, especially during the early stages of the game where your moveset is still limited. This wouldn’t necessarily be a problem, were it not for the sudden difficulty spikes you regularly come across. Without much of an arsenal to swap between, these moments quickly get frustrating due to seemingly overwhelming odds. Luckily this gets better over time as upgrading yourself makes the spikes seem much milder, so stick with Undungeon for some early grinding and ultimately it’ll reveal a rewarding and audiovisually engaging adventure to you.
41 Hours review (PS4)
This one was developed by Texelworks and originally launched on Steam through the ValkyrieInitiative in May of last year, but has now been ported to console thanks to Eastasiasoft, for whom the first person shooter is relatively uncharted territory. We took a look at the PlayStation 4 version.
It’s rare to see first person shooters being released in the budget domain, let alone one that claims to have a campaign that’s 20 hours long – which is exactly what 41 Hours does. As a scientist looking for his missing wife, you head out with the help of a friendly android – who is also an important ally in combat as you gain access to abilities like bullet time, teleportation and special weapons. Why you’re the lead on this operation when your android buddy is so powerful is a bit of mystery, but okay.
41 Hours is presented with a blend of first person shooter and visual novel elements to lay out the narrative, which is a nice touch that reminded us of XIII – another title that’s divided up into chapters. 41 Hours is far less polished though, with technical issues like tearing and pop-in occurring more often than we’d like. The presentation also shows the game’s modest origins, with subpar voice acting and environments that look nice enough but can feel empty at times.
Add the fact that protagonist Ethan is a bit clunky to control, and this isn’t your best FPS option out there, especially when you can pick up a AAA title on sale for roughly the same price. Ambitious, but ultimately it falls short of the mark.
Sophstar review (PS4)
Developer Banana Bytes released Sophstar on Steam at the start of the year, and while it’s easy to disregard the game as another generic vertical scroller/bullet hell shooter, this one’s actually a hidden gem within the genre. Red Art Games has brought it to consoles, and we checked out the PS4 version.
While the visuals are indeed a tad generic with relatively simple sprites and backdrops, it’s the gameplay that sets Sophstar apart from the rest. This starts with the character roster, because although Sophstar only has eight levels you get to choose between an impressive nine characters/ships – all of which have unique properties and have been balanced for different gameplay experiences that all feel challenging but fair.
Differences don’t just come in the shape of weapons, but also in the game’s use of teleportation techniques. This is a quick option to evade incoming enemies and bullets, but one of your ships will leave a small and powerful black hole in your place – turning it into a weapon as well. It’s a lot of fun to play around with, and the developers have clearly spent a lot of time crafting these different styles, weapons and abilities.
A nice risk vs reward mechanic is that you get better rewards from enemies if you shoot them when they’re close to you – which is a great way to boost your high scores on subsequent playthroughs. And if you have enough of the regular campaign/arcade mode, there’s also the Cadet School, which is all about small challenge missions you can tackle. And if you enjoy ‘retro’, then there are a few visual filters you can play around with as well. For the price, this is a great little shooter that doesn’t impress audiovisually but offers a stellar gameplay experience.
Pnevmo-Capsula review (PS4)
Up until its console port by Sometimes You, Pnevmo-Capsula was a relatively unknown puzzle title on Steam, released there by developer Pomeshkin Valentin Igorevich about a year ago. It’s out for all major consoles right now though, and we tested the PlayStation 4 version.
Somewhat reminiscent of KeyWe, Pnevmo-Capsula is a postal service game of sorts, with a highly original premise and take on the puzzle genre in general. You play a kind of pneumatic capsule designed to deliver messages, only you’re not inside a tube but running on rails. The controls are simple, letting you move forward and backward with the option to unleash a small electrical charge in order to interact with parts of the environment – your main interface for the puzzles.
Manipulating switches and turning things on and off in the right order isn’t that much of a novel idea, but Pnevmo-Capsula’s audiovisual delivery is excellent. Taking place in an alternate 1970s version of Soviet Russia, you whisk through interesting propaganda-filled 3D environments full of all kinds of steampunk elements. While we like abstract puzzlers as well, it helps when the visual design is equally engaging. As you open up different parts of the track, you also gain access to new parts of the environment, which are fun to explore. It makes Pnevmo-Capsula a lovely little puzzler that scored high on originality. It’s on the short side, but well worth it considering the low asking price.
God Damn The Garden review (PS4)
Originally launched on Steam through developer Agelvik, the strangely titled God Damn the Garden makes it to consoles by way of Ratalaika. As per the norm for the publisher, it’s a relatively short title, but only that offers cross-buy on PlayStation and a full set of trophies for both versions of the game. Is it a first person shooter worth playing through?
Within the realm of first person shooters, this one goes back to the games that came out about 25 years ago – still very much the ‘flat’ look of classics like Doom but with more freedom to aim and traverse the environment. A simpler format, which can also be seen in this game’s scope: you have a single weapon, the roster of enemies is limited, and level designs consist of straightforward arenas that are connected to one another by doors.
There’s little (to nothing) in the way of a narrative premise or story, though you’ll run into some random characters and even a boss during your 90 minute journey through the game’s campaign. Very little that’s memorable, really, but if you’re in the mood for a classic type of shooter to play during an evening, then God Damn The Garden can scratch that itch for you.
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