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Swarm Review for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

Swarm Review for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

Ignoble Death

There are few games I’ve played in recent memory that tackle their subject matter with such nihilistic glee the way that Swarm does. Rockstar’s original Manhunt presented murder as a conceptual snuff film in a similar way, and the indie flash game Every Day the Same Dream and Suda 51’s Flower, Sun and Rain also spring to mind. But Swarm is different. It’s not supposed to necessarily be taken seriously, for one. The developers at Hothead also clearly have a sick sense of humor, as the swarmites you’ll spend the duration of the game killing off (either by accident or as sacrificial lambs to the slaughter for the game’s bizarre alien higher consciousness “Momma”) don’t just die without pity or dignity, but are actually victims of a game-long joke on the part of the dev team.

Swarm Screenshot

These cute little critters, reminiscent of cartoony goblins or lower level minion-types that made their way out of the confines of a stereotypical-if-stylized RPG, will be killed by the thousands. And you’ll probably at least smile when it happens. The game demands it—Swarm revolves around a combo-based structure that necessitates swarmites sacrificing themselves for Momma in order to keep a point chain going, while the cartoony look and somewhat darkly comical presentation on existence in willing slavery is necessary for the game to remain both morally presentable and enjoyable. That way it’s okay to grimly chuckle when a screaming few are sent splattering into the lens of the camera, or the decimated remains of a herd of the blue-blooded little guys are walking around confusedly without limbs, looking vaguely miserable and perhaps a little confused over why they suddenly are in their death throes. PTSD, indeed.

The world, too, is as uncaring and merciless as your concern over the swarmites’ well-being. A twisted junkyard wasteland, the hard terrain the swarmite masses must traverse throughout the game’s cruel setting is a bitter, rusty no-man’s land where death is never more than a few seconds away. Traps are not infrequent. Rotating blades, pits of fire, seemingly organic metal tendrils ready to impale any wayward swarmite, even the strange inhabitants of whatever planet Momma is trying so hard to occupy are hellbent on murdering you. The art direction here is great. Both mature and silly at once, Swarm takes the best and most bizarre parts of Earthworm Jim and Limbo—think Silent Hill’s Hell as a Saturday morning cartoon, as drawn by Jonen Vasquez.

Swarm Screenshot

Perhaps my favorite aspect of Swarm is the way the game simply dumps you off in its world with absolutely no explanation. You control your cluster of swarmites, which maxes out at fifty, and are told that Momma needs x number of points to reach her goal for the level. The willing swarmites are mute, and there’s no story to speak of, allowing your imagination to construct your own backstory as to the strange things you will encounter, or simply sit back and just take in the game’s wealth of weird imagery. Your sole goal is to obey Momma and get whatever point values she needs. The way this is handled is through the rapid, yet careful control of your swarmite horde, who are tasked with essentially racing to the proverbial finish line—in this case a massive genetic tube that Momma absorbs her following through—collecting as many DNA fragments as possible to feed her.

Swarm Screenshot

The swarmites themselves act as a flawed solitary unit, and can be made to disperse or huddle together, create living ladders, run, jump, and throw in unison. Considering how messy this could have been, Hothead handles your swarmite group admirably, and with a significantly realistic sensibility in terms of what happens when one or multiple swarmites fall behind. Though they move in a relatively small space when consolidated, you can lose half your horde easily by mistiming a jump, moving too quickly through a timed trap, or simply not being mindful of a particularly precarious edge. Thankfully, organic cluster points that resupply your mass are frequent, though it’ll still take a deft hand in order to activate some of the motherload DNA bonuses, which require a certain number of swarmites to use, scattered throughout each level.

Swarm Screenshot

Swarm is more of a platformer than an all-out strategy game, but you do need to be mindful of how carefully you get through each area of a level if you want to max out your points. The gameplay becomes that much more interesting once you realize that after initiating DNA pick up, the game become a mad dash to its end. The more DNA you collect, the higher your score multiplier becomes, and before long the timed nature of your combo multiplayer makes it necessary to string together long chains of actions as you frantically overcome trap after trap within any given level.

Things get particularly stressful in the later levels, when you have to balance swarmite deaths from, say, bashing DNA-containing boxes, while simultaneously spacing actions out enough to keep your multiplier going while also navigating the traps in the ever-more perilous level layouts. You can also send swarmites to do their doom in a pinch to give the clock on your multiplier an extra boost, although the deeper into the game you get, the less useful this tactic seems to be. Needless to say, blindly running through an environment, which the game often forces you to do, means you’re going to have to replay most levels multiple times in order to get a good enough score to move on. This can be trying sometimes, but with the game’s pacing and the sheer number of points you can get if you’re good, it quickly becomes an addictive challenge.

Swarm probably won’t appeal to everyone, but it’s a good example of the kind of indie design sensibility that can really flourish in a smaller market where development risks aren’t as much of an issue. The $15 asking price is a little steep, considering you can beat the game in a handful of hours, but despite its brevity, Swarm is a very original and entertaining little game that I would encourage platform fans—especially those liable to laugh at the game’s black comedic tone—to pick up.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.3 Graphics
Swarm has high production values for an indie downloadable title, and its cartoonishly grotesque art style is delightful. 4.0 Control
Controlling a mass of swarmites as a single unit actually works pretty well, although your fingers may get a little sore from jamming on the right trigger. 3.8 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Sound is somewhat minimal, but Swarm’s soundtrack is as good as it is appropriately paired with its twisted aesthetic. 4.0 Play Value
Swarm’s bizarre take on platforming is a great, addictive challenge, but this strange journey is over too quickly. Here’s hoping for some DLC. 4.2 Overall Rating – Great
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 – 1.9 = Avoid 2.5 – 2.9 = Average 3.5 – 3.9 = Good 4.5 – 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 – 2.4 = Poor 3.0 – 3.4 = Fair 4.0 – 4.4 = Great 5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

  • Navigate your army of swarmites through a twisted, treacherous world in this unique platformer
  • Sacrifice swarmites to maintain your combo multiplier in a race against the clock
  • Compare scores with your friends via leaderboards

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