I remember the words of Qui-Gon Jinn, who, during
a short commercial for Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace, warned Anakin
Skywalker of the life he would live as a Jedi. It would be a hard life, he said,
one without remorse and without regret.
Those words hung with me – particularly the "hard
life" part – upon playing Line Rider 2: Unbound for the first time. What we have
here is one of the most creative Web-based adaptations the gaming world has ever
seen – a game that started as a school project and has evolved to a full disc
release for Nintendo Wii. The gameplay feels like it was made for Wii all along
(and the DS, which this sequel was also developed for). But within that
brilliance is one excruciating, ultra-frustrating game. Getting past that could
prove to be the most difficult task a Wii owner will ever face.
The simplistic graphics conjure memories of
classic games you can pick up and play. Don’t be fooled – this one is a bit more
than that. In Line Rider 2, players are tasked with the goal of buildings
bridges (drawing lines, essentially) wherever gaps may be found. Once finished,
players can activate the level, triggering a real-time, game-influenced
animation where Bosh (the main character) slides down the path with his sled.
Despite the basic premise, this game is actually
quite complex. Using the Wii remote to draw lines – freehand or with special
tools that form a stiff straight line (which can be bent using other tools once
the line is planted) – players are not entitled to fill in the gaps as they see
fit. The game has its own idea of right and wrong, and if you don’t exactly
follow the “right” way, you will almost always be wrong.
This became very apparent within the first 10
stages, where puzzles grew progressively more difficult and involved much more
complex solutions. Basic lines follow the laws of gravity: you can’t go up a
steep hill without momentum, and won’t be able to reduce your speed after coming
back down. If a ramp needs to be created, don’t count on making the jump.
Technically there is an easy solution to this
problem. Mentally it’s a whole other story. Line Rider 2 offers different line
tools, such as the ability to speed up or slow down Bosh’s sled, in order to
give players the extra boost or speed reduction they need to win. This will lead
you to believe that any tricky situation can be solved by adjusting the line
speed, or later, the line width. For a weaker game, that may have been the case.
But in spite of the retro visuals, Line Rider 2’s physics are fairly realistic.
They’re exaggerated, as they should be in any fantasy, but still play a big
role. If your line is off by a centimeter, expect to crash or slide right off
the track.
Line Rider 2 offers many tools to help you
through this, such as a Photoshop-style selection tool that allows you to select
and move any lines that have been created. The bending feature lets you pinpoint
specific spots on the line, grab it, and drag it to bend and expand the line in
nearly every way you desire.
Just as you’re beginning to get the hang of
things, Line Rider 2 ups the ante once more with trampoline lines that make you
bounce, trap door lines that drop you through, breakable lines that fall apart
as you cross over them, and a couple other treats that’ll captivate fans of deep
and thought-provoking puzzle games.
Consequently, impatient players will be
aggravated very easily. I love puzzle games and anything unique, but I too
became very frustrated and had to get away from it for a while. In addition to
the levels and gameplay requirements, players will need patience of steel to
overcome the precise – but very tedious – controls. The developers have mapped
all of the above to the Wii remote and Nunchuk, two controllers without many
buttons. Most functions are available on screen with notable icons, but it could
still take you a few hours before the process turns seamless.
The most difficult thing about the controls is
the one thing you can’t change: using the Wii remote to do everything. Line
Rider started on the PC, where players use a mouse that is constantly resting on
a desk or something else. In this version, you have to hold the remote up and
point it at the TV at all times. Given that this is one of the first games of
its kind, developers have not yet figured out how to make it, well, less
stressful to the hand holding the remote. I’ve been a big supporter of the Wii
and motion controls in general. At launch, the first-person shooters were
terrible; a year later, Metroid Prime 3 showed ‘em how to do it right. I suspect
(or at least hope) that is what’s in store for Line Rider 3, assuming a sequel
is made. For now, unfortunately, you’re just going to have to endure the
controls designed for Line Rider 2.
|
|
Gameplay: 7.9
A very good puzzle-oriented thinking game where you draw lines to complete
various paths within the game’s 40+ stages. The puzzle creation/sharing mode
lets you extend the fun when it’s over, assuming you’re able to one day finish
every puzzle. Note: patience of steel is required to play.
Graphics: 6.0
Not impressive in the way that game visuals typically impress, yet still
somewhat appealing with its simplistic 2D backdrops.
Sound: 5.0
Catchy but mostly repetitive.
Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Not a game you’ll beat in a day.
Concept: 8.0
Line Rider 2 may not be an entirely new experience but is undoubtedly a new
kind of game.
Overall: 7.9
Like Qui-Gon said: it will be a hard life. But if you’re diligent, it’s one
you probably won’t regret.
