The Mess Hall

I dont think it belongs in this Catagory (shooters), as it seems to be a mix of adventure, shooter and strategy game.
The point of the game is to rescue stranded scientists from underground caverns. It's very much like Gravity Crash, and Moon lander, but a lot easier to control.
I think the controls make it more accessable, but at the same time, too easy. It might be this games one failure, as it might not make it replayable.
But time will tell. In anycase, the first level was easy as they always are. But still fun, there's even some secret sections that need to be found, à la super mario 3 style.
No doubt the game will get harder and more complex later on, but for now, it like it's going to be a good game never the less.

The graphics are simple, but effective, and the water looks really nice. Not real, but nice, it's the way it moves and has viscocity, like no game I've ever played before, that part looks and feels real.

Take a look:

[youtube][/youtube]

Well, I've now played the first 5 or six levels, and it's not getting any tougher, just more enjoyable.
Ok, so it is moderately harder, but not much.
The level design is nothing short of superb, the flow from side to side and puzzle to puzzle is amazingly smooth.
You need to be very aware of your environment, not like a first person shooter, but still aware or whats above, below and at the side.

The time to complete each one too is another brilliant facet, you need to take about 5 minutes and more to complete each stage. But it never gets dull either.
I'm pretty sure that once I do get deeper into the game, it will get harder, but for now, it's easy but not boring.
In fact, the more I play it, the more I discover, and thats where this game differs from many others like it, it feels like a version of super mario without being a platformer.
I think it'll have plenty of replayabilty (that must be in the OED?) because you miss things the first time around, and it's great trying to find them the second or third time around.

The controls are also a hell of a lot easier than Gravity Crash or moonlander type games too, so you wont need to buy new joypads because you were frustrated, and it only takes a minute or two to get used to them. With 2 different weapons to use, and 2 different types of thrust too. The main weapon is like a bullet type thingumy, then the next is like rockets, just hold the fire button for the rockets. BUT not for too long, your ship overheats if you fire too many rockets, and you crash and burn.
The left joystick is for manouvering the ship, while the right points it in the direction you want to fire, but if you hold both on the direction you want to move, you move there with more thrust.

So, what do you have to do?
You have to save scientists who have created this underground world in the search for minerals and energy sources. Only trouble is, they did'nt see the dangers, and now they're stuck. It's upto you to get them out to safety. Or kill them. But I would'nt think that thats a good idea. I've killed a few accidentally, and while you can still finish the level, I assume killing them all is a bad thing.

Along the way you'll find help in different guises, one of which is the water slug. If you pick it up and drop it on lava it unleashes a massive torrent of water and solidifies the lava and lets you pass safely. Another very usefull and re-usable tool, is the sponge. Drop it in a lake, let it collect the water, then pick it up again and carry it to where it's needed. It will leak like a sponge too, so cooling lava as it goes. Both are replenished by a plant, so if you loose/destroy one of them, go back, and you'll find another.

The graphics wont win awards, but they do exactly what you need them to do, differentiate different substances. Still they water does look and feel awesome.
The sound is spot on, but the background music is brilliant and a good range of different tracks too. Seeing as PJMonsters and PJEden had downloadable soundtracks, dont be surprised if this one does'nt too.
BUT it's very very quiet, you really need to crank up the grammy (sound) to hear what I'm I mean.

So far, I'm well impressed, I'm seriously loving this game. For how long depends on the difficulty, and how much more there is to complete it. But if it's anything like PixelJunk Monsters, then the longevity will be counted in months rather than hours or days.

For £6.29 its an absolute bargain. And deserves a VERY HIGH rating.

You've seen the video above, well, I've also created a slide show.
[pjshooter][/pjshooter]
And a gallery
http://www.mess-hall.co.uk/gallery/thum ... ?album=103

The next section - Fire and Ice.

It is definately getting harder now.
Took me an age to get past the level called Trespassers Prohibited. I'm just uploading a video that shows you how to complete it.
Until then, here's Fire and Ice. (It's just finished uploading, so right now it's still being converted to YT's HD so it might look rough. It'll be in HD soon though).

[youtube][/youtube]

how to complete trespassers prohibited:
Rotate the right thumbstick.!

or watch this demo on how to complete the final cave.
[youtube][/youtube]

nice one daz, i'm stumped on that very level, thx, onwards and downwards as it were!

you and me both, I was stuck for an hour before I started googling for an answer.
I almost managed it by shooting the lava out of the pool. Took a freakin age to do it too.

damn i now don't have enough gems to unlock last stage, gonna have to redo all levels and blast all areas away!

how the hell did you get past the worm? I got it well below half health, and then nothing I did made a different.

last stage on the second level, i haven't come across a worm yet, only boss i defeated so far was the crab!

ah, in that case you need to be the worm boss... eventually.

right, done the worm boss, wasn't too bad, shoot off the side things first then hotch a ride on the end of its tail using your grappler and shoot at the head, do this a couple of times and job done, killed it after two attempts, onto third level now - good game, worth the purchase everyone

Hitch a ride, damn, neever would have thought of that, thanks rV.

oh my days!

redVENGEANCE wrote:...good game, worth the purchase everyone

Most Pixel Junk games are

Been looking forward to this for ages, but I've got so much shit backed up to play that I figured I would wait until I've got the time, then maybe it'll be reduced by then. Does it have any multiplayer aspects?

I gather Sym's not a fan lol

it's got a 2 player, but not networked
Shame as it's not going to be taxing like Eden would have been.
Maybe they'll patch it in or as an addon.