| Developer: Awfully Nice Studios |
| Publisher: Awfully Nice Studios |
| Genre: Arcade, Action, Indie |
| Price: $7.99 |
| Where to buy: Steam |
The arcade genre as it is now is mostly used as a base for most games today. Other times the center of attention as a grasp of yesteryear. It is always nice and welcomed whenever something comes along to tickle to the idea of a simple, solid and fun to play game decides it wants to just be that. Fun. Nothing major to it. No bells or whistles. That was the beauty of a good game. Keep it simple. People will remember it. However today we are covering The Bug Butcher. A game in which you basically kill Xenomorphic like insects that plan to kill you and stuff. Well the scientist dude behind you. You gotta protect him you know. The actual story behind the game is not really that detailed. Other then you are the bug exterminator version of Issac from Dead Space named Harry. You are told the respect facility lands into some hot water and you gotta kill some adorable looking evil creatures with reflexes and plenty of bullets.
Gameplay is simple as it can be A+D move left or right. Or if your using a gamepad (recommended obviously) you move analog left and right. A is to fire, X is to ignite a charged up ability like a freeze wave that freezes enemies in place for a short time while you unload your bullets into their tummys. Anyway lets back track a bit and focus on Harry, you can upgrade him in arcade mode with coins. Those coins can be looted from enemies off the ground by walking over them. In total you may upgrade weapons you unlock along the way along with his speed. Trust me after awhile the speed is a must. I went 3/4s of the way for his speed. I did not want to go lighting fast but fast enough to move when I truly need to. Moving into game modes the game offers a couple. The main being arcade. This being the hub of the brisk story. At first you are greeted by a reflex tutorial. The type that get you used to the game before tossing you into the kettle. If you are used to games like this already you can not skip the said introduction and just gotta go with the flow. After that it brings you into the weaponry. As well as the enemies and their general behavioral patterns. For example the ceiling climbing spiders try to abduct the scientist. Just shoot them, blah blah. You get the drill. Shoot everything. Simple stuff here folks.The soundtrack is a work of art in itself. With a intense following beat. Getting more aggressive as you chain combos. I usually consider a soundtrack the back bone for most games. Being second place to gameplay naturally. The game gets a bit more challenging via story mode until the end. Then its over. I was not as bummed out because I clocked in about 4 hours slamming the game. Which for any sort of arcade style game is pretty good track time wise. I found my self addicted over a short period of time. I went to a gamers anonymous group, they had free coffee.
In Closing:
The Bug Butcher follows the same suit many games in the league of Pang followed. This time around what we get is a straight to the point addictive game. Under the shell of a New Grounds style art style that brings you into a vibe of zen. Where the arcade genre is in great swing. With nothing but your reflexes, and quick wit are your only friends. Sure under a few hours the arcade mode is over, but for the price you do get your moneys worth. It has a ton of replay-ability with its Panic modes with local co-op at the forefront. If Co-op is not your thing, you can do it singleplayer too with no story to hold you back from trying to get a high score. Bug Butcher is a solid experience. Get it!
Recommended – If you enjoy the arcade game Pang. Or just love a game with a booming soundtrack that keeps your pulse strong and your fingers stronger.
