Sumioni
Sumioni was one of the “new” games I was expecting for the Vita. It also turned out to be one of the biggest disappointment. I have included a few shots in this batch of uploads so you can see why.
This game has plenty of potential: Great artwork (sure, 2D, don’t really care. pretty is pretty), great idea behind it and possible gameplay as well as storyline. However, as I played along, the potential and all slowly became lacking.
Let’s start with the game play: rub the under touchscreen for ink, which works like your mana pool. you still get mana from bottles that drop off, and mana pool can increase via another form of drops from mobs, bosses and things you kill.
you can either touch screen or click to kill singular mobs or alt screen it and set the place on fire/electrocute the masses. special moves aren’t very complicated either, couple of button smashing. Summons can be done via an alternate screen and you get 2 “demi-gods” to help kill your mobs. They are rechargeable, therefore re-summonable.
Essentially, you are given a wall of text giving you the storyline, then you just go kill lots of mobs while avoiding or breaking things in your way (which isn’t plenty, but annoying enough). Sometimes have 1 - 2 mini bosses along the way to big boss at end of level.
How well you perform at critical points in the story tree dictates which path you eventually get to in the game. If you perform poorly, you’re stuck in the first 5 levels forever.
getting through a level is not difficult initially - which then makes you start realising what later levels are like. This is where it gets even more depressing. All the levels are really short levels. When later levels, which gets harder, churns out mobs, the only reason why you are playing them at 30 mins or more is because they have got bigger hp or hits harder, or just have more friends. it’s not because the level is longer, more to explore or anything.
Personally, I also hate the whole game tree thing. you fuck up, you stay on level one. fuck that shit.
While I love games that are more or less repetitive (like, Dynasty Warriors and the like, e.g. Sengoku Sekigahara Samurais), this 3 second gameplay with little mobs to kill gives me the shits.
Graphics: Pretty, but it starts getting very similar when you can’t admire it much anyways. it’s basically backdrops that, sometimes, is very bland/repetitive. Because you are essentially dashing through the levels (time contributes to “how well you play” bonus), you can’t really sit back to enjoy anyways.
Eventually though, because levels are essentially rinse and repeated (even bosses are the same, just different colours, bigger HP, hits harder), it starts being depressing.
What’s worse is, with such great artwork, they could have put more thought into the mobs and bosses. instead, we get the same 4-5 different mobs, in different clothings/colours, same few bosses in different clothings and colours (and obviously corresponding level of skills). AND the bosses are, essentially, buildings with chainsaws and poke pokes or GIANT EYEBALLS.
Guys, you can draw a cute demon. interesting demon. You say that this guy raised hell into earth. for god’s sake, why is a HOUSE a demon?!?!
Final thoughts: It’s 20 bucks. if you’re buying it just for the artwork, to entice developers to keep developing for Sony and Vita, go for it. Otherwise, get someone else to buy it and everyone game-share just for the 5 levels experience.
Score: 3/10 - Has Potential, but they flubbed it.
Current Mood: annoyed
Current Music: Cranberries - Linger
