Bayonetta
Publisher: Quimby RBG
Developer: Quimby RBG
Platforms: Xbox 360
Release Date: May 8th, 2010
Publisher: Quimby RBG
Developer: Quimby RBG
Platforms: Xbox 360
Release Date: May 8th, 2010
MoonShine is a strategy/trading game set in the 1920’s, during the period of prohibition in the USA. You play a black market operative as you buy and sell various quantities of alcohol, which you can then choose sell on at later ‘day’ once the market has changed, either for a profit or a loss. The game’s format is a series of consecutive menus. Some would find this change of pace in regards to the indie market, from action-packed mayhem-fests to something a bit more quiet and calm, as a welcome change, whereas others may see it as a change for the worse. This aspect is all down to personal opinion, although whatever your opinion, you can’t deny that this is a style of game yet to be explored on the indie games marketplace.
The time frame of the game is measured in days, which are effectively just turns. You can progress through each day once you have finished your daily dealings fairly rapidly, meaning you can progress through many in-game ‘days’, during a real-life day.
The game is short and simple to complete, but to combat this, the developer offers a range of single-player modes, on top of the option of going back and trying to beat your high scores. There is also a single-player section in which you can create your own mode for extra entertainment. It only offers simple customisation features but it is still another way to extend the life of this title.
Overall, MoonShine, offers a new experience yet to be seen on the Indie game marketplace, although some could find this experience rather boring and uneventful due to the simple nature of the game. It is stylised to reflect the era with the use of music from that period as well as visual features like some of the images and newspaper cuttings. This gives the game an authentic feel but still fails to lift you from the uninterested depths that you will soon plummet to after playing this game for a reasonable amount of time. It is an innovative idea from the ambitious developers, but unfortunately it isn’t executed as perfectly as you would hope. Still, I hope this will inspire others to follow suit and try their hand in the strategy genre on the Indie games marketplace.
The verdict:
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