It makes for some nice visual storytelling, trusting the player’s powers of observation to fill in the blanks of the minimalist plot.Īffordable Space Adventures plays fine as a single player experience, but it comes into its own when another player is added to the equation. The environments are constantly changing and evolving, bringing new challenges and illustrating just how much of the diverse planet of Spectaculon has been explored. It makes for a feeling of isolation not unlike Metroid, but it’s far from frightening. KnapNok Games’ Wii U exclusive mystifies and tempts with the unknown, masterfully building its atmosphere with eerie echoes, booming storms and grinding machinery. Luckily, anyone who finds themselves stuck merely has to switch the difficulty from “Technical” to “Tourist” to enjoy a mildly simplified journey that retains the core concepts without drowning players in difficulty.
It was incredibly frustrating to know what steps were required to solve a puzzle yet be constantly thwarted by the smallest of margins or inconsistent physics, and those unforgiving difficulty spikes betrayed the wonder, excitement and joy that defined the experience everywhere else. Affordable Space Adventures promotes experimentation, but some of its later levels seem to require almost super-human precision. Like all good puzzle games, the challenge starts simply and gradually becomes more complicated as more mechanics and options are tacked on, and by the end of the journey, Affordable Space Adventures becomes mightily challenging.ĭeath is always a moment away in the tiny space craft, but thanks to instant restarts, generous checkpoints and the lack of lives or a timer, it never feels punishing to try a new approach and fail spectacularly. In order to pass by undetected, instruments, engines and gadgets must be manipulated in creative ways, tailoring emissions to the task at hand. Each enemy is sensitive to at least one of three products of the ship: sound, heat or electricity. The catch is, of course, that attention must constantly be split between the television and the GamePad, guiding the ship while toying with the many instruments and control options on the controller’s heads-down display to maintain stealthy traversal through the beautiful and haunting world.īefore long, Spectaculon’s many artifacts begin to appear, more akin to futuristic machines than your typical remnants of ancient times, and that’s when the real challenge begins. More and more gadgets and abilities are added to your arsenal as the adventure continues, opening up new possibilities for puzzle solving and exponentially increasing the possible combinations between you and success. You’re forced to make do with what you have, manipulating the thrust of the engine or using flares and a flashlight to guide your way through the dark tunnels and winding caverns that riddle the planet. Starting as a spluttering heap, your ship is barely capable of flying straight let alone navigating the many hazards of the Spectaculon. It’s immediately clear that you’re in over your head, and the teams at KnapNok Games and Nifflas’ Games brilliantly impose that feeling of helplessness on the player. What you find, however, is an increasingly hostile environment and utter isolation, forcing you to navigate your way to safety, or rescue, or some sort of respite. Like many of Nintendo’s best creations, however, Affordable Space Adventures is a game best experienced with a friend or two.Īs a customer of the recreational space-exploration company U-Explore, all you’ve signed up for is a leisurely visit to the far-away planet Spectaculon for a bit of relaxing exploration. It utilizes Nintendo’s misunderstood console to a degree not many developers, including Nintendo itself, seem willing to attempt, and largely succeeds in its execution. Unlike so many Wii U games, Affordable Space Adventures is built around splitting attention between two screens.
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