Ah yes, the side-scroller: at some point in our short lifetimes, games in this genre were abundant. And lo, the SHMUP (shoot ‘em up), I’m certain I wasn’t the only person to come out of the womb with a portable version of Galaga. Lastly, psychedelic visuals…good ol’ “holy hell I think I’m on something” visuals which never get old. The truth is, dear DIY readers, I haven’t felt this way about a game since Llamasoft’s Gridrunner. You may be wondering what game I’m talking about… (But I guess the title is quite the spoiler).

None other than hermitgames’ Leave Home on XBOX Live Indie Games. I have to admit, I have quite a few gripes with the XBLIG system and the way it’s handled, but there’s no denying that when I come across a gem it imprints itself in my daily activities. Leave Home is a gem. Not to say this score-based horizontal shooter doesn’t have its shortcomings, but Leave Home contains an extra bit of refinement that I appreciate seeing in any indie game.

Gameplay

If you’ve never heard of the game then here’s the first thing you should know: it contains a fixed-length experience. That might turn some people off because they like the model of the survival type as was utilized in so many of the arcade shooters from the days of our youth. But the good news is that every time you play Leave Home, you’re opening up to the possibility of obtaining a completely different experience. Depending on how well you do, the game will reward you and punish you. Enemies will get tougher and stages will become much more generous with regards to your score.

For the most part, it functions the way you would expect it to: you move with the left analog stick and press A to shoot. The right trigger will curve your bullets. Despite sounding rudimentary, you’ll need to play it to understand how the game truly shapes itself around you. The stages scroll for the most part but sometimes they rotate and give you a chance to take things slow. Each time I have played it, the difference has been astounding. Whenever I concentrate and engage myself into the world, my score climbs higher and higher; whenever I choose to lazily and hastily play through it, I’m met with some unfortunate circumstances and often find myself cursing at the screen. You can die as many times as you want to, but losing that score multiplier is truly a piss-off.

The main problem I found with the game is its length. As the developer states in the “Notes” section of the main menu, it was intended to be short. I’m all for the idea of the gameplay shaping itself with how well you’re doing but without power-ups and pick-ups, I feel the game can get a bit dull. What will keep you playing are the achievements which–to me, at least–seem to be astoundingly difficult (e.g. fire 50,000 bullets, finish but die only 3 times or less, score 150,000 points, etc.). Fortunately, the game rewards your success by letting you play through the 5 Test Stages. Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten a single one because I’m not good enough.

Style

The designs and retro-neon feel of the game is astonishing. Without a doubt, the one area where Leave Home shines unequivocally is it’s delicious and delicate style. The visuals are eye-popping, especially when you first feast your eyes on them. Stages look individual for the most part and keep you on your toes. The possibility of crashing into those set pieces will keep you gameplay-focused, but since you’ll repeatedly tackle the game don’t be afraid to take a second or two to appreciate its aesthetic value.

Story

Nothing in this category.

Everything Else

Chances are if you’re into SHMUPs and retro-gaming, then the $3 prize tag for Leave Home is more than enough to keep you entertained for a while at a bargain price. On the other hand, if you’ve never cared for SHMUPs before, this may not be the opportunity for you to start doing so. Keep in mind that the game is very challenging and soak it in with an open mind. I guarantee the first thought you’ll have after you’re done will be, “that game ended too quickly.” Don’t stop there. Play it another few times and you’ll understand what I’m talking about. hermitgames has done an exceptional job with creating a challenging experience worthy of the ones who wish to undertake it.

[DIYgamer was given a free copy of the game for review purposes. This in no way affected the outcome of the review.]