Most downloadable content is too miniscule to devote a complete review to. But sometimes we still want to highlight such an add-on or two. Thus, A Look At: a sort of mini-review/impressions piece or whatever term you prefer for when we wish to highlight DLC, general post-release updates for games (say, Monaco’s recent level editor), or whatever else we decide this thing is applicable toward. We’ll see.
Our debut article takes a look at the recent character pack add-on for Gaijin Games’ excellent Bit.Trip Presents Runner 2. Enjoy!
It’s not uncommon for indie games to share characters with one another. Super Meat Boy, for example, borrowed from all sorts of games to fill its character roster, from blockbusters like Braid’s Tim to obscurities like Flywrench’s… Flywrench. Bit.Trip Presents Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien has decided to joined the fun, it’s recent Good Friends Character Pack bringing six (seven on PC) new characters to the mix, all guest-stars from games both big and small.
Quote (Cave Story), Dr. Fetus (Super Meat Boy), Josef (Machinarium), the guy from Spelunky, Raz (Psychonauts), and, if you have the PC version, Atlas (Portal 2), along with an invisible variant of Bit.Trip protagonist CommanderVideo are included. Each of the characters are represented flawlessly. Raz uses his psychic abilities to destroy blockages, for instance, while Dr. Fetus uses Bandage Girl to deflect beats. None of them play differently from any of the existing characters, as per usual, but add some enjoyable variety nevertheless.
Invisible CommanderVideo, however, does affect play. His transparency makes it harder to keep track of his position, easily lost amongst the chaos of later levels. I tried him on hard and more than a few mishaps due to losing sight of him. Perfect if you’re looking for a greater challenge. This skin alone more than makes the add-on worthwhile, even if you don’t care for the rest of the newcomers.
The Good Friends Character Pack is only $3 and is available now on Steam and PlayStation Network, arriving soon on Xbox Live Arcade and the Wii U eShop.
