“When Harry Met Sallyâ€; a classic romance comedy that pitted Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan against each other in a hysterical adventure.
If Grip Games’ “One Epic Game†was forced to adopt a similar moniker, one could easily come up with “When Metal Slug Met I Must Run.†Successfully combining the frenetic shooting fun of the classic “Metal Slug†series with the fast obstacle aversion of “I Must Run,†“One Epic Game†lives up to its name.
For a few bucks, this game will cause your fingers deeper calluses than most Vita games. The graphics, which look remarkably similar to “Metal Slug,†capture that old-school feel perfectly. The control, albeit simple, doesn’t hide anything. The game is difficult, but not unbeatable and requires practice, lots of it.
This is primarily because the jumps need to be timed perfectly and power-ups, which change weapons, are thrown in places where you need to be to make said jumps. For example, if you have a great weapon, such as the laser, you could lose it by jumping on to another platform, where another unavoidable power-up could be. This power-up could contain a short-range weapon like the shotgun, which works completely different. As a result, you’ll have to change your plan of attack in-game. Through this, it’s easy to see how “One Epic Game†will challenge you much more than a sandbox title where death doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the game.
Speaking of dying, get used to it. It’ll happen a lot. Although there are only three gameplay modes and they all feel similar, the difficulty and pace of the game makes it one that thrives on replay.
The story is a wacky mash-up of video game cliché and although the English translation is sometimes wonky, it holds up well. The hero’s cool costume and Deadpool-esque breaking of the fourth wall adds to the comedic elements of the title. While it’s not the strongest attribute of the game, it’s one of the better selling points.
Will its straight-ahead gameplay, fluid controls and clichéd, but endearing story, “One Epic Game†ends up stealing more attention away from the Vita big boys than they might like. The fact that a game inspired by such old-school gaming traditions and so vested in it can swim with graphical powerhouses alone makes it an undeniable success.
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