Metroidvania, now there is a term that we seem to hear less often over time. The really scary thing is that some of you will be too young to remember the two games that gave birth to this term, the first time anyway. As you all know, I like a trip down memory lane, when I saw Outpost Delta trying to modernize the Metroidvania genre, I was invented and I just needed to see what it was all about.
First of all. For those of you who missed the Bus, we will give you a very brief explanation of what Metroidvania is. Metroidvania was born from a very specific style of play used by Metroid and Castlevania. We’re going back to a time when games weren’t very big and developers had to find sophisticated ways to make them feel longer than they were.
What they did here was either completely block parts of a level, or make these areas really difficult without specific items and bonuses. To get through these areas, you had to collect keys or the necessary items to be strong enough to succeed. It was smart, because it made maps look much bigger and really made you work for your progress.
Okay, so take everything I just mentioned, and this is your base for Outpost Delta. You play as (surprisingly) an android called Delta and have to save a research station from alien invaders called Klaath. Since you and the computer are the only living beings on the Station who are not hostile, you have done your job for you.
In the real Metroidvania mode, you start the game with practically nothing. You start with your Blaster and that’s about it. Delta can also manipulate the gravity of the outpost with the help of the Station’s AI, but for this you will also have to work, because it will be taken away from you at first.
Aside from the looting aliens who have no problem blowing you up, you also have to worry about the Station itself. One of the bosses in the game interferes with the AI’s control over the outposts’ systems, which means that security measures such as deadly laser beams are deadly to the wrong side. A large part of the Resort is also very strongly projected into the air, so there will be a lot to navigate if you go from point A to point B. It will not be an easy task to get to these useful little benefits.
That’s right, let’s start with what I like about Outpost Delta. First of all, he is true to form and does not try to fix a formula that was not broken. This game really stays true to the rather large traces it follows, and that’s commendable. It’s not just mechanical. Graphics. it is a 16-bit title that is very well in The era to which it pays homage. The graphics and sound are colorful and match the theme, so it’s great.
The story is simple but well written. This is not a role-playing game, so it does not need to captivate you and train you. They just need enough story to pique their interest without distracting them from the Action. Outpost Delta does that right balance for what the game is about. Am I going to tell you more about this? Of course not! Aside from the obvious spoilers, I’m not here to be your personal narrator. Play the game and find out.
What I don’t like is that this game is a little too faithful to its founding theme in some less attractive aspects. I grew up in the 16-bit era and there are so many things to love. There are also a few things that can gently return to the 90s. Shitty control systems are one of those things. The aiming system on The Delta Outpost would be enough to make a Stormtrooper feel like a Crack shooter. I admit that my shocking goal could have been my gamepad, which is not the best on the planet, but simply pointing my gun in the right direction was uncomfortable.
Since this is essentially a platform game, jumping and maneuvering must be smooth and precise. For me, it felt almost as heavy as aiming and I spent a lot of time not-found jumps, being hit by lasers and generally having trouble moving around. Again, this could be due to my controller or more generally my own abilities, but as an experienced player I shouldn’t have a problem with the basics and did it.
You don’t get a lot of life at Outpost Delta. By itself, this is not a bad thing and you can find more blocks to add to your life bar. However, the cumbersome controls meant that I was often hit and that four shots on a game screen did not seem balanced for the difficulty I was facing. Dying all the time doesn’t make for a fun game. To compensate for this point, many health cans are thrown at the place, but you need to catch them without being killed first.