Date Posted: April 6, 2011
Print Edition: April 1, 2011
By Joel Smart (Sports Editor) – Email
Imagine if you will, that you’re standing in front of your television. Maybe you’re playing a video game. Then, with reckless abandon, what appears to be a clone of yourself comes crashing through the nearest wall.
“I am you from the future,” it tells you. “There is no time to explain! Follow me…” At that very moment, a giant, evil robot crab swoops its enormous claw into your abode and grabs hold of your flailing future self with its razor sharp, mechanical pincer. It knocks a strange grey weapon out of the hands of your house-destroying guest as it lurches away into the distance. Spurred forward by the violent cries of ter-ror and dismay, you reach down and pick it up. Pulling the trigger causes a great beam of blue light to rocket off into the distance. Using the weapon to jolt yourself forward, as if it were a rocket-pack, you use it to pur-sue your compatriot in distress. This is the basic premise of a new game soon to be available on PC and Mac.
No Time To Explain is a unique keyboard and-mouse controlled side-scroller being developed by indie studio Tiny Build Games and UK-based game designer Tom Brien. They promise to use initial funds raised from the summer release to build a PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade version of the game. A demo of the game is now available on popular Flash game and animation website, Newgrounds, and immediately striking is the pure hilarity of the voice acting.
As you pursue your fallen friend, you will hear tortuous screams such as, “My ribs are in my eyes! My eyes!” and “I spent like two minutes doing my hair in the morning, and this is my reward?!” The line that really had me laughing, though, was the melancholy shriek, “I am never going to be able to dance again, Mom! Never again!” The up-beat chiptune soundtrack gives the game a fun but grandiose atmosphere.
In terms of gameplay, the control scheme uses just three buttons on the keyboard, to move left and right, as well as to jump. The mouse is the innovative component, as it allows you to aim and fire your weapon. While this is intuitive for shooting bad guys, it’s also a crucial aspect of getting around. Blasting the laser towards the ground functions as a massive double jump, one you’ll need to master to beat this game. Thankfully the game features an instant save that places you back on the last platform you touched before you died to keep frustration to a minimum.
However, there are tricky jumps that will see you die countless times, especially if you take one of the many hid-den paths that litter each level. It promises to be a comedic time-travel intensive journey as you seek to avenge your future selves – yes, plural. After defeating the crab boss at the end of the short demo and being told by your dying body double to “save the future,” you are faced with a giant time-travel warp that takes you back through time, and shoots you towards your home, sending you crashing through your wall and into your living room to face your past self.|
Trying to quickly explain what had just occurred, you stare into your own eyes and say “Okay. I’m you from the future… wait a minute…” But, just as you begin to put the pieces together, you hear something behind you. “Oh sh-,” you scream as a giant bloody claw closes its grip around you. “I should’ve seen this coming!” The announcement trailer for the game also showcases a flying, mutant shark-octopus boss that players will have to face. Did I mention it’s hilarious?
