Take control of up to 50 masochistic little blue creatures and try to earn enough points to feed Momma. That sentence sums up the premise behind Swarm, a recent downloadable release from developer Hothead Games. To get an idea of what the game is like, think of a more violent and backwards version of Pikmin, where you're not only rewarded for completing puzzles and getting to the end of each level, but also sacrificing members of your swarm along the way. If this new approach to a seldom-visited puzzle game genre sounds interesting to you, then this may be something you'd enjoy. After all, Momma needs to be fed and it's up to us gamers to do so. Just be warned that the ride isn't always smooth - there are some rocks along the way.
Swarm is a game that doesn't focus much on providing an in-depth storyline. All that players are told is that you must earn enough points to feed the hive mother (Momma) so that she can grow and open up new areas to explore within the game world. It's a very basic premise, but it fits the game well. It would have been nice if there was a bit of a back story about the blue creatures (referred to as 'Swarmites,') and their hive, but the game doesn't suffer from its lack of explanation. The basic premise is enough to go on and all it really is there for is a reason for the game's masochistic content. Feed Momma enough and she'll let you progress. It's simple enough and easy to grasp.
If you've ever played Pikmin before, then you'll be familiar with this type of game, which also has some things in common with the Lemmings series. In each of the game's ten levels (plus two boss fights,) players lead a group of 50 (or less) Swarmites as they try to gather enough nutrients for their hive mother. This is done by picking up purple or red collectible ions, as well as DNA strands (five of which are hidden in each level.) The coloured ions can be found strewn throughout the level but are also found in explosive boxes and through the activation of timed switches. In order to earn the necessary amount of points that are required to progress to the next level, players must try to time their collecting to earn multipliers. Each new ion you earn adds to your multiplier, and most levels are easy to fail unless you get a high multiplier going at least once during your run. Luckily, you'll be able to keep your multipliers going even when you can't find any ions or DNA strands, just by sacrificing your minions. It's a really interesting and helpful design choice/twist, and the game rewards you well for it. The smaller the amount of Swarmites you're in control of when you get to each checkpoint, the higher the bonus you receive will be.
As you progress through each level, your Swarmites learn new abilities. These abilities vary from a charged attack that can take out crates and assist in jumping to far away platforms, to the ability to form a tower with the blue creatures. Players are also introduced to the fact that they can spread out their swarmites or draw them closer together, using the left and right triggers on the XBOX 360 controller. Every new ability can be used to assist in solving puzzles, towards the goal of earning the maximum amount of points possible in each level. In order to pick-up some of the hidden DNA strands, you will need to use these special abilities. I was happy to discover that, once I picked up a DNA strand, I didn't have to pick it up again if I lost all of my swarmites. Each of these new moves is relatively easy to use, though I did find that too many moves were mapped to the trigger buttons. I also noticed that the controls weren't as precise as they could have been. Though it's not a game breaking issue by any means, it was a tad annoying at times.
Though what I just described may sound easy, believe me when I say it isn't. Each level is full of different traps, environmental hazards and even some dangerous elemental enemies. Progression alone is a challenging feat sometimes, but coupling that with the game's high score requirements creates quite a (hectic) challenge. Split second decisions are required a lot of the time, as you decide whether it's more important to keep a high amount of the suicidal blue minions in your pack for tough obstacles ahead, or whether you can spare a few to keep your score multiplier going. It's very easy to make the wrong decision, though the game doesn't beat you down for failing. Checkpoints are quite frequent and, when you lose your last Swarmite, you respawn at the last checkpoint you passed with a full group of 50 tiny blue guys. Sometimes this can even be a tactic that can be used if you've missed a collectible DNA strand or a pressure sensitive pad, close to the checkpoint. Though you will lose your multiplier if all of your Swarmites are eliminated and that can be annoying in itself, especially if you're on a roll. Players are continually rewarded for the varying types of deaths they inflict on their minions, through a scoring system known as death medals. These medals come in varying types such as incineration and electrocution, and can be leveled up from lower metals to gold over time.
Swarm's mixture of action and puzzle elements works quite well, with some smart design choices evident throughout the game. I was impressed with how each level was designed to allow for a myriad of different scores, depending on your play style and your luck (which can factor in quite a bit at times.) If you go through without worrying about timing and multipliers, it's likely that you'll get to the end of the level without enough points to carry onward. Though, if you have a pretty good run, you're likely to succeed. Those who are good at these types of games will appreciate the ability to earn insanely high scores through the smart utilization of Swarmite sacrifices and score multipliers. I was in the middle, earning some decent scores, but finding some sections tough to complete because I wasn't getting great multipliers. A lot of trial and error was required on my end, but I always felt that it was my fault I wasn't able to proceed at those times, and not a terribly frustrating design choice implemented by the developers. That's definitely a good thing when it comes to these types of games.
The experience is not without its flaws, however. There are some minor issues including the fact that the game can become quite repetitive, is overly-dark and can sometimes become frustrating when it causes you to lose score after checkpoints reload. However minor, they do affect gameplay at times and will bother some people more than others. Unfortunately, there is also a major glitch that annoyed me to no end, where the game will freeze at its level select screen. This morning, I played Swarm for approximately 2 hours and it froze on me three times. The other day, it froze on me once at the same menu. Hopefully Hothead Games will patch this glitch quickly because it puts a damper on a game that is relatively well-made otherwise.
The overall look of the game leaves something to be desired. There are some well-done effects, as well as creative level designs, but the game's locations don't vary much at all. After a few levels, the world tends to look drab, as almost every level takes place on metal platforms raised above a partially destroyed world, without many changes taking place as you progress. Most of the game is very dark, which makes it hard to see things sometimes. However, the developers did a pretty good job of utilizing the darkness at certain points in the game, forcing you to use the light from swinging lanterns and/or light bugs, to show you the way forward along treacherous pathways. The games look is serviceable but forgettable. I wish that Hot Head would have decided to use a colourful cell-shaded art style for the game, which would've given it more personality and would have been more in tune with the look of the level select menu.
On the other hand, its audio is pretty impressive. Its 1950s sci-fi inspired original score works well with the game's content and sounds good. It's eerie yet melodic, which I liked. Additionally, Swarm features a myriad of different sound effects for every type of potential death you can inflict upon your swarm-like minions, as well as sound effects relating to ion pick-ups. Each sound is quite well-done, and I didn't really find anything to nitpick when it came to the game's audio. It's well-done, albeit nothing you will remember in future years. The audio technicians did a good job of creating sounds that fit well into the game's world and were believable, never taking me out of the experience. A lot of the time, sound was the main indication that let me know when one of my little blue guys had met an untimely (and usually gruesome) end.
In conclusion, I must say that I enjoyed playing Swarm for the most part. It has some minor issues, as well as an incredibly annoying freezing glitch, but it's pretty well-made otherwise. Fans of games like Pikmin and Lemmings are sure to find enjoyment with it, as are people who enjoy puzzle games in general. The development team did a good job of melding the action and puzzle game genres to create something interesting that we haven't really seen before - at least not in this masochistic way. Just be warned that, despite the Swarmites' colourful appearance, this game is for a mature audience only. Though it could've used a few more levels and some more variety within its environments, Swarm is a game that is worth checking out, even at its fifteen dollar (1200 Microsoft Points) price tag. Hothead Games should be commended on trying to create something unique within a game type that we haven't seen much of, even though it does have some issues.
Rating: 7/10
Swarm was released as a downloadable game, for the XBOX 360's Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and PC on March 23, 2011. It is now available for 1200 Microsoft Points, which is equal to fifteen American dollars.
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