Small Arms  Preview for Xbox Live Arcade

- Luke, Staff Writer

Sunday, October 22, 2006

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Title: Small Arms .............................................. System: Xbox Live Arcade .............................................. Genre: Action .............................................. Publisher: N/A .............................................. Developer: Gastronaut Studios .............................................. Release: TBA .............................................. Online: Yes .............................................. ESRB: Rating Pending (RP) .............................................. Small Arms brings together everything that is good about a small indie game. It is fun, has bucket-loads of charm, and doesn’t need big corporate budgets lavishing upon it. In fact, developers Gastronaut Studios are so small, that they only have a development team of four people. It is quite outstanding that a team with the limited resources and funding that they do, can put together what is set to be a fantastic addition to the Xbox Live Arcade. Small Arms is billed as a mixed hybrid of action and platforming, and from a glance, it is pretty easy to see why that is. Up to four players can duke it out across varied environments with an assorted range of original characters. The game seems to draw heavily from inspirational past games such as Powerstone and Super Smash Bros, but at the same time gives the unique genre a fair few new features. And while the ties with these games are evident, Small Arms plays out in quite a different way. It’s no longer about button mashing your way to victory. Instead, gamers must use their characters individual attributes to ultimately take down all the opposing enemies. Characters are a very strong drawing point of Small Arms, as they are certainly very different from anything we have seen before. You’ll be able to choose from a selection of ten characters from the beginning of the game, but you will unlock more as you progress through story-mode. As said before, the characters are not just generic combatants that are thrown into the game quickly; they are all completely original. Such fighters as an assassin pig named ‘Mr. Truffles’ and a cyborg cat aptly named ‘Marky Kat’ are just a couple of the whacky characters you can choose from. It is very similar to Powerstone in the sense that all of the characters have their strong points, and it is up to you to decide which suits your style of gaming. Weaponry in these types of games are usually the main aspect of gameplay, so it comes as no surprise that Small Arms offers some brutal weaponry in order to obliterate your foes. The sheer damage some of the weapons will cause is immense, and these can be fully upgraded as you travel through the story-line. Each character at the beginning starts off with one default weapon that is entirely exclusive to them. Mr. Truffles for example, has a laser sniper rifle which can be upgraded as you beat levels. This isn’t to say you can’t pick up weapons scattered throughout levels, however. An incredible amount of guns and melee weapons can be picked up, and all of those can be upgraded too. When focusing on the stages themselves, a lot of different, expansive levels can be chosen from. You can choose from some basic stages such as small villages and simple geometrical jumping levels, but the real nit and grit lays in Small Arms more interactive levels. You can battle it out on a speeding train, or even get caught up in the air with a completely dynamic tornado. It is going to be unquestionable fun knocking another character from a train, straight down to the unforgiving ground that surrounds you. Small Arms is also set to feature some Xbox Live multiplayer modes, which are sure to be a major hit with gamers. You’ll be able to select from various standard modes, and also more ‘set-rule’ options, which include activities such as timed matches, and of course, the weapon-restriction style battles. One thing to be noted is that Gastronaut Studios are planning to release pieces of downloadable content for the multiplayer mode after launch, so the game will consistently remain fresh for gamers. While the game is still a while off from release, it is looking pretty stunning already for a Live Arcade title. Small Arms engine is developed entirely by Gastronaut themselves, and it pays great homage to their talents given how ‘next-gen’ it looks. Stages are covered in beautiful textures, and post-processing effects such as the flash from guns and explosions are looking top quality. Not only that, but the lighting is looking fabulous. High-dynamic range effects swamp over objects realistically, and it looks incredible when gazing upon some of Small Arms more urban environments. Small Arms doesn’t yet have a solid release date or price, but just looking at the game in its development must certainly warrant a purchase. It has bundles of charm, and truly takes the genre back to its roots. Not only is it original, but it portrays a wonderful picture of today’s independent development scene. Away from all the flashy gimmicks and tired-out expressions of corporate funded games, Small Arms could well take the word ‘fun’ to a whole different level.

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Luke