The digital delights of Sony’s scrumptious PlayStation Network service know no bounds. Aside from letting punters compete in online gaming, stream films, browse the Internet and more, its premier attraction rests in the copious supply of downloadable games ripe for the picking. From PSN exclusives to PSOne Classics, minis and plain old add-on content, Sony’s online space is chock full of goodies battling it out for your hard-earned digital dollars.
Welcome back to another installment of Inside PlayStation Network, where every Monday – Friday we’ll pluck a PSN release—be it new or old—and put it in the spotlight for a thorough dissection. Fancy getting a new PSN game but don’t know what one to plump for? Perhaps this feature will help. Didn’t realize that a game was available in your region until now? We’ve got you covered. Or, perhaps you were musing over what those lucky Japanese folk were tucking into over in the Land of the Rising Sun? You can be sure our coverage will extend to those rare regional exclusives as much as those firmly embedded on the public consciousness.
Today, we shine the spotlight on the bite-sized PixelJunk Shooter 2
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Developer: Q-Games
Region(s) available: North America, Europe
Players: 1-2
PixelJunk Shooter 2 literally has you working from inside the Belly of the Beast, as the old saying goes. Having been gobbled up by a hulking alien monstrosity, Q Games’ follow-up to the original digital delight has you piloting a pint-sized vessel and blasting your way through the intricacies of the creature’s insides. Along the way, you’ll extricate hapless scientists, accumulate precious gems, and mop up legions of bad guys. There’s even a few cerebral distractions thrown in for good measure, rounding out PixelJunk’s decidedly polished paradigm.
The game’s riddles, for lack of a better term, primarily boil down to figuring out ways to circumvent various obstacles by utilizing a number of elements at your disposal. Got some lava that needs cooling off? Then chuck some water over it, and bob’s your uncle. On the other hand, maybe you need to blow something up (always fun)? Then see what happens when you combine lava with a highly potent gas. Bish bash bosh. Mixing and matching these components is just as instrumental in progression as it was in the original, and equally as intuitive to boot. Needless to say, PixelJunk purists will feel pretty comfortable here under the sequel’s welcome blanket of familiarity.
Still, the sequel does bring a few new distractions to the table. Chief among these include the impact that darkened areas have on the player, resulting in you being bundled by enemies should you linger around for too long. Of course, being that you’re actually inside a living, breathing creature, inherent dangers such as stomach acid also plays its part in hindering your progress. Wash this stuff off sharpish, or it’s gonna hurt. Other new additions include the Light and Hungry suits, which lets you navigate dark areas and gobble up parts of the environment, respectively. On the enemy front, the action typically comes thick and fast, and there’s some pretty meaty bosses begging for a pasting too, evoking the retro-filled antics of days gone by.
As you’d expect, combat is perfectly tailored for having a mate tag along in the campaign, a feature that PixelJunk Shooter 2 accommodates via local multiplayer. If that doesn’t float your boat though, you can always dump the cooperative-based action and plump for some contention-filled online multiplayer. Here, it’s a no-holds-bared head-to-head affair which sees gamers slogging it out to see who can snag the most scientists in four-rounds. Players are split down the middle into defenders and rescuers. The former it tasked with the gratifying job of dispatching opposing team members, while the latter works to snatch as many men-in-white-coats as possible. You’ll also rake in a heap of experience points from copious online bouts, affording ample opportunity to purchase extra weapons to facilitate your alien gut-busting antics.
That’s your lot for this week. Tune in again Monday for another glance Inside PlayStation Network.