Like many students, I’m pretty much broke. I’ve eaten Burger King at least six times this week, I worship ramen, and every penny saved is a video game earned. Spending $50 or more on a blockbuster title might make gamers into mindless slaves of consumerism and pretty graphics, but that is a curse we’re willing to live with.
For those with less money than myself, all is not lost. Recent years have seen an explosive growth in the independent market, thanks to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Store. These indie developers have found new ways to explore less commercial, more creative video games for a fraction of the cost of a console game, with some of the big-boy developers doing the same. The results are that gamers get to explore interesting new worlds for less than $20. Here are just some of the games you could be playing right now, instead of forking over $60 for “Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.”
“Limbo”
Cost: $14.99 (1,200 Microsoft Points)
Developer: Playdead
A stark, simple platformer that will creep you out in ways you never thought possible. You control a small boy in a monochromatic wasteland (the Latin name of limbo, limbus, means “edge” of Hell) as he solves puzzles and faces untold horrors. An ambient soundtrack and sparse aesthetic keep the player focused but unnerved, right up until a giant spider impales the boy with one swift jab. This game has been critically acclaimed since it first appeared and is, without a doubt, the best horror game since “Silent Hill 2.” You’d be doing yourself a disservice by not experiencing it for yourself. Just try not to scream.
“Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World: The Game”
Cost: $9.99 (800 Microsoft Points)
Developer: Ubisoft
If you don’t love Scott Pilgrim, then you shouldn’t be reading this column. The 23-year-old Canadian slacker who lives in a video game-like reality finally has a game to call his own. Fashioned as an old school beat-’em-up similar to “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Scott’s quest to defeat Ramona Flowers’ seven evil exes has become even better. The game combines the story of the graphic novel and the movie, and it ups the video game-related humor considerably. Find three other friends to play co-op, and get the maximum amount of fun. Rating: Awesome!
“Pac-Man Championship Edition DX”
Cost: $9.99 (800 Microsoft Points)
Developer: Namco Bandai
Pac-Man never has been this good. It’s almost a sacrilege to speak of the classic in such brazen terms, but it has been fully re-imagined for the 21st century, and I don’t want to go back. “Championship Edition DX” updates the classic arcade game by designing new levels that are so colorful and transfixing that I’m beginning to wonder just what kind of pills Pac-Man has been eating all this time. A thumping, energetic dance soundtrack adds to the swirling blues, greens and reds, turning the game into the best acid trip ever. Elements of “Snake” have been added as well, as the ghosts now follow you around in a line. This gives the player the opportunity to amass a long chain of them before chowing down buffet-style on their ephemeral carcasses. Welcome back, Pac-Man. I’ll see you at the next rave.
