Indie Case Files

Battleblock Theater - Episode 1 - 02/12/2017

Battleblock Theater - BBT is a comedy platform game developed by The Behemoth.  

The Behemoth - Founded in 2003 by John Baez, artist Dan Paladin, and programmers Tom Fulp, Brandon LaCava and Nick Dryburgh.  The company is based out of San Diego, Cali.

Opening Thoughts

Graphics

Nate - I really enjoy the look of BBT.  I find the graphic quality and style to suit the story and gameplay very well.  I found the simple shapes and designs along with the bright coloring to be very welcoming and give you a bright point in an otherwise “dark” game.

Kory- I love how behemoth always keeps the same style in their games. It looks slightly childish but with such a dark undertone. It’s a classic drawn looking style and I hope they never decide to move away from it.

Gameplay

Nate - While there wasn’t anything original about the gameplay, it was flawless and fun.  The controls handled smoothly, You never felt like your character was difficult to control.  And while the controls were simple, the puzzle elements in the levels kept you playing them over and over to get all the gems, the yarn, and to complete it fast enough for your A++ rating.

Kory - Tight controls are a must in a platforming game and this one nails it. Along with platforming are puzzles and those get harder, more intricate, and involve more fore thought before deciding to tackle what's in front of you. I focused on the Co-op side of the game which has completely different levels designed for you and a buddy. You are constantly throwing, punching, boosting, and occasionally yelling at your partner trying to find that finish and nab those gems. The customization aspect of the game is fun as well. You spend those gems you collect on different faces for your character and there is almost an endless amount to collect.

Story (If Applicable)

Nate - Where do I begin? The story in this game is awesome! It’s so much fun with tons of humor to go with it.  I always found myself at a point that I was smiling or laughing.  And when you aren’t seeing a story driven “cut scene” the narrator always finds a way to squeeze a chuckle out of you.

Kory - Like i said in the style, this game has a dark undertone and that mostly comes from its story. You and hundreds of friends are aboard the S.S. Friendship with Hatty Harington, Hatty is apparently “bestest friend to everyone”.  S.S. Friendship becomes shipwrecked on a mysterious, seemingly abandoned island, and the crew itself vanishes. You wake up and attempt to find your friends but Hatty has gone evil and there is a huge theater on the island. You and all your friends are forced to complete the theater challenges to live. As you progress through the game the narrator tells you the history of the theater and the hilarious cats that control it. The ending has some major twists so its worth it to play it through.

Closing Thoughts

Would We Recommend It?

Nate - For sure!  BBT was a very fun game to play.

Kory - Hell yeah, any Behemoth game is an instant recoomendation from me. They stay true to their indie roots from newgrounds.com and I insainly respect that

Would We Play It Again?

Nate - Most definitely! It’s a game that requires replaying levels again and again to master them, but also provides the fun and entertainment that makes you want to anyway!

Kory - You can get 2 separate playthroughs that'll be completely different and the way i play games i need to complete them both

Final Rating

Graphics

Nate - 4.5 / 5 - Okay, so it’s the first episode, and as we go further, we’ll have more games under our belt to compare to our past played games.  But as it stands for now, BBT gets a 4.5 from me.  The graphics were simple but flawless.  Never once while playing it did I wish it looked any different.

Kory - 4 / 5 - I only say 4 because its nothing mindblowing but it is beautiful to look at with all the vibrant colors and its style is one of its own.

Gameplay

Nate - 5 / 5 - It’s not often in modern gaming that we find a game that plays flawlessly.  The same disclaimer from above applies here, but I don’t think that will change much.  I’ve been gaming for over 25 years, and it’s very rare to play a game, and to know, this is exactly what the developers were going for.

Kory - 5 / 5 The controls are like I said TIGHT. Never do you feel like you got jipped or you jumped when you didn't mean to. Its a pretty casual game but the difficulty does spike up and makes it  more worth while experience. Co-op thought gets a 4 /5 cause there are times where you get really frustrated with your partner with collision and hitting each other but once you get going co-op can be shit ton of fun

Story

Nate - 4 / 5 - The story was fun, provides plenty of laughs, and has some fairly dark humor.  I would say, the only downside would be after you’ve heard the story and the narrator’s quips over and over from replaying it, I could see it becoming stale.

Kory - 4 / 5 If this game didnt have the narrator then this would be a 2 / 5. He really makes this game and keeps you laughing the whole way through but without him the story would be pretty bland.  

Overall

Nate - 4 / 5 - Play this game.  It’s fun, has its moments of challenge, and will keep you entertained for exactly how long it’s expected to.  Certainly something I will revisit again in the future to try to get more Steam achievements and get A++ on more of the levels.   

Kory - 4 / 5 Love this game, its not ever trying to be anything else and you can tell. You know you are playing Battleblock and not some clone of a different game. I love when a game can create its own niche. The puzzles and platforming in this game work flawlessly together, this game is worth your time

About The Show

Indie Case Files is hosted by Kory Eldridge and Nate Ward.  It is recorded live on Twitch every other Sunday night at 11pm eastern time.  At the end of each episode they will announce the game they will be playing over the next two weeks.  You can follow them both individually on Twitch to watch them as they explore, enjoy, and express early opinions on the game they will be discussing on the next episode.  

Got a game you would like to suggest that we play? E-mail us or tweet us with the hashtag #indiecasefile and we will be sure to add it to the list.

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That will do it for this week’s episode.  Thank you very much for listening and taking the time to read our show notes.  All links will be provided at the bottom of the page.  Have a great night! We’ll see you in two weeks!

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