J2games
09-25-2008, 09:04 PM
Faramix's launch title, CellZenith is being released on Sept 30th. Check out Bill's review - we've had some hands on time and this is a great PC game! (see screenshot here: http://j2games.com/new/forum/index.php?topic=2699.msg7396#msg7396)
Faramix Enterprises - http://www.faramix.com
CellZenith - http://www.cellzenith.com
Places to buy it:
D2D Purchase Page - http://www.direct2drive.com/2/6936/product/Buy-CellZenith-Download
GamersGate Purchase Page- http://www.gamersgate.com/index.php?page=product&what=view&sku=DD-CZ
CellZenith (Faramix)
Much as the indie film revolution of the 90s helped revitalize Hollywood, the indie game scene continues to recycle classic gaming elements and repackage them for systems ranging from today’s most powerful computers to mobile phones. The massive budgets and extensive time required to produce today’s high profile games now rivals even the film industry’s big budget blockbusters, but games produced by small teams with a singular vision can turn out solid entertainment that sells for $20 instead of the usual $50-$60.
Take, for example, Faramix’s CellZenith. Its design and gameplay are definitely retro—it’s not difficult to imagine playing a visually stripped down version of this game on the Atari ST or Amiga, for example. But because of the massive improvement in off-the-shelf software, games such as CellZenith provide not only good old-fashioned play value, but also the kind of gaming diversity that was standard in the Atari 2600 era. If you look at early Atari releases such as Combat, Breakout and Air-Sea Battle, they were packed with all manner of variations on the basic game and/or play mechanic. Similarly, CellZenith packs on the value by including a nice variety of mini-games based on the macro game.
CellZenith is an old school sci-fi shooter with sweet graphics and first-rate music and audio FX. In the Campaign mode, players command a team comprising 35 CELs and a CEL Carrier to which the CELs can be attached. Moving from level to level you acquire additional units, both air and ground-based.
There’s a lot in here, with a dazzling range of levels and a consistent onslaught of enemies and upgrades, all designed with sufficient care and diversity to keep you coming back for more.
Personally, however, I enjoy games that I can play quickly to fill in a dead 10-15 minutes and the mini-games that are included in CellZenith have become instant favorites. Cel Attack and Ball Escape, a pair of space invasion-type contests, should instantly hook any fan of classic videogames while entries such as Black Hole will truly test your hand-eye coordination.
My only real complaint with CellZenith is that it requires a mouse. I mean, you can TRY to play it using a regular laptop touchpad, but the frustration will probably overwhelm your enjoyment of the game. It’s too bad, since this would be a great game to play on my laptop while sitting in airports or on planes. Nonetheless, the additional functions that a mouse/keyboard config can facilitate makes it worth the extra peripheral (this game allows you to fly in one direction while shooting in another, for example, one of my favorite game mechanics).
CellZenith isn’t the next Gears of War, but it doesn’t pretend to be. It is a solid, neoclassic videogame entertainment package, however, and well worth every penny of its $20 price tag.
--Bill Kunkel
Faramix Enterprises - http://www.faramix.com
CellZenith - http://www.cellzenith.com
Places to buy it:
D2D Purchase Page - http://www.direct2drive.com/2/6936/product/Buy-CellZenith-Download
GamersGate Purchase Page- http://www.gamersgate.com/index.php?page=product&what=view&sku=DD-CZ
CellZenith (Faramix)
Much as the indie film revolution of the 90s helped revitalize Hollywood, the indie game scene continues to recycle classic gaming elements and repackage them for systems ranging from today’s most powerful computers to mobile phones. The massive budgets and extensive time required to produce today’s high profile games now rivals even the film industry’s big budget blockbusters, but games produced by small teams with a singular vision can turn out solid entertainment that sells for $20 instead of the usual $50-$60.
Take, for example, Faramix’s CellZenith. Its design and gameplay are definitely retro—it’s not difficult to imagine playing a visually stripped down version of this game on the Atari ST or Amiga, for example. But because of the massive improvement in off-the-shelf software, games such as CellZenith provide not only good old-fashioned play value, but also the kind of gaming diversity that was standard in the Atari 2600 era. If you look at early Atari releases such as Combat, Breakout and Air-Sea Battle, they were packed with all manner of variations on the basic game and/or play mechanic. Similarly, CellZenith packs on the value by including a nice variety of mini-games based on the macro game.
CellZenith is an old school sci-fi shooter with sweet graphics and first-rate music and audio FX. In the Campaign mode, players command a team comprising 35 CELs and a CEL Carrier to which the CELs can be attached. Moving from level to level you acquire additional units, both air and ground-based.
There’s a lot in here, with a dazzling range of levels and a consistent onslaught of enemies and upgrades, all designed with sufficient care and diversity to keep you coming back for more.
Personally, however, I enjoy games that I can play quickly to fill in a dead 10-15 minutes and the mini-games that are included in CellZenith have become instant favorites. Cel Attack and Ball Escape, a pair of space invasion-type contests, should instantly hook any fan of classic videogames while entries such as Black Hole will truly test your hand-eye coordination.
My only real complaint with CellZenith is that it requires a mouse. I mean, you can TRY to play it using a regular laptop touchpad, but the frustration will probably overwhelm your enjoyment of the game. It’s too bad, since this would be a great game to play on my laptop while sitting in airports or on planes. Nonetheless, the additional functions that a mouse/keyboard config can facilitate makes it worth the extra peripheral (this game allows you to fly in one direction while shooting in another, for example, one of my favorite game mechanics).
CellZenith isn’t the next Gears of War, but it doesn’t pretend to be. It is a solid, neoclassic videogame entertainment package, however, and well worth every penny of its $20 price tag.
--Bill Kunkel