Recent reviews by Fate

Best JRPG since FF7.

Best CRPG.

Best competitive FPS of all time. Duh.

fun

10 out of 10

Music = Good
Voice Acting = Great
Story = Good
Game play = Great
Graphics/Aesthetic = Great
Settings Options = Good

Great game.

If you like Metroidvanias/Platformers, you will love this game. Art is great, music is great, game-play is tight and skill based, while not being too difficult to grasp for more casual players.

Spelunky is a 2d Platform Roguelike.. What does this mean? Well, every level is procedurally generated; which means that the levels are as random as possible without being completely random. There are rules the levels must follow, such as a clear path to the exit. There are 20 levels, 5 zones, and 4 levels in each zone. There are secret levels and secret characters. There are item shops and mini-bosses.

The game itself is frustratingly difficult and that's what makes it addictive. If you grew up on platformers like Ninja Gaiden and Megaman as a kid (as I did), you will immediately be reminded of those when attempting to get through the first zone (the Caves) in Spelunky for the first time. Unlike those games, each level is random. Like those games, Spelunky is ruthless. Unlike those games, Spelunky is actually fair. I never feel as though the game screwed me over. I always recognize that I made a mistake or did something wrong.

But, simply comparing Spelunky to games like Ninja Gaiden and other platformers is not fair. It also has the Roguelike aspect, from games like ADOM (Ancient Domains of Mystery), and Nethack, etc. There's an element of chance behind every playthrough, but it would be difficult to argue that any playthrough is "impossible" to beat. It's just a matter of how skilled you are to take proper advantage of the opportunities presented to you.

All of that said, the game has an amazing soundtrack/score, and the controls are tight and responsive. The graphics are cartoony and fun, but the game itself has undertones of occult darkness and mystery without taking itself too seriously.

I would highly recommend having a gamepad of some kind before attempting to play Spelunky. While it is possible to do so with only your keyboard, I find that my skill in the game greatly improved with a Logitec XBox controller.

In any case, Spelunky is definitely worth the asking price, and is one of the funnest single player games I've indulged myself with in the last several years.