At PAX Aus 2024, I bought to take a look at an area Aussie Indie sport known as Which Means Up: Galaxy Video games. Hasn’t the time flown by? It’s now time to blast off with your pals for some gravity-defying house Olympics.
Which Means Up: Galaxy Video games is a celebration sport firstly. This space-themed minigame assortment has 12 video games to compete in. The primary focus is on the Multiplayer mode, getting as much as 4 gamers in your orbit down for some social gathering video games.
Many of the 12 minigames included are based mostly round well-established multiplayer/minigame modes. A number of the extra fulfilling ones had been a race to remain on the scrolling display screen, a scorching potato/cross the bomb sport, and surviving across the orbit of a fireball-breathing dragon in house. Most are fairly enjoyable and if there’s one you’re not an enormous fan of, the quick burst tempo of the video games means it gained’t be lengthy till you’re taking part in one other one.
You too can choose what minigame you wish to play – if you happen to all wish to concentrate on a selected one, or if you wish to deal with just a few or all the minigames.
Now one of many attracts to Which Means Up is the house/gravity physics that retains the minigames barely extra chaotic. The gravity appears like a 2D model of Mario Galaxy, the place getting out of a planet’s fast orbit will help you float off into house – till you get caught up in one other planetoid’s gravity. Whereas I had a while getting used to the sport’s controls and physics via the single-player mode, it could take a while to get different individuals adjusted to the controls and to get the grasp of the mechanics. Fortunately there’s a observe mode to assist everybody regulate.
The easiest way to get probably the most out of Which Means Up is to have 4 gamers in particular person. With out an internet choice, it’s also the one manner. Don’t fear if you happen to don’t have the total social gathering, it’s nonetheless a great time with three or two. The only-player mode ensures that not solely is there one thing to play when multiplayer isn’t potential, however expands on a few of the minigames too.
It is a good time to carry your consideration to the Single Participant Mode! It’s not a given {that a} social gathering game-focused title can have one thing for solo gamers, so it’s a good contact that there’s one right here. On high of that, it’s not a hole try to provide solo gamers one thing to do. Whereas within the multiplayer mode, you’ll be able to choose from the total forged of vibrant and various characters, in single-player mode you get to see some further character shining via. That is helped by every character having their very own little story which includes rescuing the others. Alongside the way in which there are just a few smiles with some enjoyable dialogue, Spark’s diva brashness being a spotlight.
Presently, you’ll be able to solely choose from three characters; Spark, Sprout and Luna. The menu says there’s extra coming quickly. Every selectable character comes with their sport sort as the main target; Nebula Nab, Gap in One and Comet Gather.
Now the primary sport sorts listed below are additionally inside the Multiplayer Mode, however the single participant variations are way more concerned. They’re additionally time-based challenges to finish, versus competing in opposition to others.
Nebula Nab is a collection-based mode, the place Spark must get to and decide up completely different objects, then get them to their particular drop-off level. It feels just like the extra conventional mode amongst the three, involving extra platforming across the gravity mechanics as you leap and float from planetoid to planetoid. It felt a bit fiddly attempting to get proper over the drop-off level for the sport to recognise it, but it surely’s enjoyable and a great way to get used to the sport’s total house physics.
Gap in One is a gravity golf mini-game with Sprout, the place the main target is on hitting a ball throughout the display screen and getting it to the flag in a single hit. The issue comes from having to make use of gravity to get the ball round obstacles and navigating orbits. Then there’s additionally discovering the correct amount of energy to not below or overshoot the flag, made harder by the accuracy wanted to be thought-about a gap in a single could be a bit fiddly too. Fortunate final is Comet Gather with Luna. It is a soccer/soccer-style mini-game. It is advisable hit comets right into a goal-shaped planetoid or comet, which sounds extra simple than it’s. Within the multiplayer mode, it’s simply competing to knock comets into your opponent’s internet in a taking part in subject, however right here it’s navigating a extra deliberate house. I loved figuring out the other ways the degrees messed with the formulation, whether or not it’s making it a problem to get throughout the taking part in subject or getting round transferring obstacles inside the instances.
These ranges are time-based, with the quantity of medals awarded relying on how shortly you’ll be able to end them. I discovered the margin for error could possibly be a bit tough, particularly when the physics will be considerably unpredictable. It wouldn’t matter if unlocking extra ranges wasn’t tied into having a number of medals, for the pre-launch model it will present you what number of medals had been wanted. Because the launch replace, it seems to have eliminated it, however an undisclosed quantity of medals throughout the unlocked ranges is required. General the single-player variations of the video games are a neat addition that expands on a few of the mini-games, I do sit up for seeing what different minigames are expanded for the opposite characters.
All through my time with the sport I did come throughout just a few technical points, together with the uncommon crash. Once in a while the sport would possibly hitch or the sound would get a bit misplaced, however nothing that will maintain up proceedings for lengthy.
Which Means Up: Galaxy Video games is a enjoyable social gathering sport from the small improvement crew at Turtle Flip Studio. Not solely is an fulfilling time with a gaggle, undoubtedly the extra the merrier, however there’s one thing of worth for solo gamers too. There are some technical points that may pop up, and the Single Participant mode will be surprisingly strict on unlocking ranges, however total Which Means Up is a blast.
Ranking: 4/5
