Ever wanted to experience an LSD-influenced fantasy adventure? Well, thanks to Space Giraffe now you can!
That game is Space Giraffe.
Think Tempest on acid.
Think hippy-o-vision as a video game.
Think ANYTHING, but the likelihood of it being anything like Space Giraffe is remote.
Let's start with the basics.
The closest game anyone can safely compare this to is Tempest, at least in gameplay terms. If you don't know what Tempest is, then google it. It's a cracking game. You play a small ship/giraffe/thing that glides along a set plane. By this we mean that there is a 2D line along the screen that you slide along. Got it so far? Good. There is another line, of reasonably similar shape, which is set some way in front of your line. From this line enemies appear, and rush towards you. You shoot automatically, and the goal is to travel for a set distance until you reach the end of the level. Along the way, you blast anything that gets in your way, capiche?
Now comes what makes it different to Tempest: Bulling. In Tempest, enemies reach your line, you lose, game over, have a nice day, ect. In Space Giraffe you can smash them off by running into them sideways to enhance your multiplier, which you can unfortunately lose when you die. All good things must come to an end, after all.
What makes this game truly unique is the combination of trippy visuals and sheer insanity. The visuals are easily explained: The game engine is in fact an enhanced version of the Xbox 360 light synthesiser, which would make sense, seeing as it was originally designed by the creator of Space Giraffe.
Unlike the visuals, the bizarre is unfortunately less easily explained, only quoted. For example, when your multiplier goes up, this is indicated by a loud moo. Of a cow. Seriously. You are also awarded bonus sneezes at the end of some levels, awarded with a rating that be anything from Just Rubbish, to Meh, to Good, or anything, or my personal favourite, the text at the end of each level, making reference not only to Super Mario Bros., but to the really, really bad translations in old NES games. I don't want to give anything away, but it's simply bonkers. Never the less, being told that "You're Winner!" has never put more of a smile on my face.
Obviously, Space Giraffe won't be for everyone. It's a truly marmite game - You either love it or hate it. True, the lack of a multiplayer mode doesn't help matters, the difficulty builds fasts right from the start, and at times the game gets so confusing that you can't tell up from down, left from right, and your average life lasts ten seconds, if you're lucky.
I would certainly recommend at least trying this game. I myself love it to bits. While it is difficult, it has grown on me considerably, and the price (400MP) makes it a bargain. If you're into arcade shooters such as Geometry Wars, or looking for a game quite unlike anything else currently on the market, give Space Giraffe a try. You won't be disappointed. Unless you are. But then don't say I didn't warn you.