One of the annual and most commendable events at ESGS every year is the Indie Arena where independent game developers are given the chance to showcase their games. We checked out some of the games featured at Indie Arena and talked to their developers about the future of their original titles.
One the games that really caught our eye at the Indie Arena was a new mobile game called Agent Aliens by Indigo Gaming. Agent Aliens a side-scrolling platformer akin to games like the classic Megaman series. But instead of a little blue robot, you take control of one of six unique aliens, each with their own unique traits and abilities. The game currently features six aliens but the developers plan to add more in the future.
The game’s art design is fun and cartooney with some pretty good character and enemy design. I thought the decision to go with quality 2D graphics was smart as it will not only look better as a whole but also perform better on mobile devices as opposed to using 3D or cell-shaded graphics which more often than not look subpar on mobile devices while reducing the game’s overall performance.
Since the game was made for mobile devices, the developers considered the limitations of the platform’s controls and thought of an ingenious way to optimize the game’s controls. Instead of forcing the player to manage an array of virtual buttons, the game only features five controls – two arrows for moving left and right, another two arrows for switching aliens, and tapping anywhere else on the screen will make the alien jump.
As for shooting, the game does it automatically when you get in range of any enemies depending on the alien you’re using. Does that make the game too easy? Not at all. As previously mentioned, the developers have made the abilities and traits of each alien very different and unique, forcing you to play a certain way for each to successfully take down enemies and get through the game’s levels. Which also means that you’ll need learn to switch between the aliens depending on the situation.
The game currently has 5 sets of levels, each with its own boss that you’ll need to fight at the end, but the developer says more levels will be added in the future. The game is currently available for free on Google Play.