Developer: Ask An Enemy Studios
Publisher: Ask An Enemy Studios
Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
Tested on: Switch
A Dual Hand Disaster: Trackher – Review
“Your score is meaningless unless you exist”. This quote will be engraved in your memory after playing an afternoon of Trackher, the split-screen single-player Twin Stick Shooter from Ask An Enemy Studios. Its concept is one to make your brain work hard since in this action game you control the left and right side of the screen at the same time. You’ll have to destroy ships on the left and collect materials on the right. Do you have what it takes to survive this dual hand disaster?
Story
As this game is an arcade title, there isn’t a story. You just start the game and try to get a high score and get out. A large story isn’t really missed thanks to the simple nature of Trackher. Some more background information about the two ships you are commandeering would have been nice but the gameplay tells us their purpose.
Graphics
To see your score get obliterated by a wave of enemies in this hectic top-down 3D shooter, the player is presented with this whole ordeal in Voxel graphics. These pixel inspired visuals give a nice retro-vibe to the fast-paced split-screen combat and with both sides divided into different color pallets, there is a strong feeling of good vs. evil. The left side is cooler with blue tints and a blue ship, the right is more hectic with a red ship and a lot of fire going on. As the left side fights, while the right one gathers, the visuals give some kind of calming vibe through the panic you will be facing.
Sound
Retro visuals fit best with older styled bleeps and bloops. The music feels fairly modern but the sound effects sound like the classics from the 80s. A retro tune would have been nicer but it seems that modern music is chosen because the updated Voxel graphics are being used rather than returning to the 8-bit glory days and their midi tracks.
Gameplay
A Dual Hand Disaster: Trackher is a split-screen single-player Twin Stick Shooter where you play both games simultaneously. In the beginning, your objective isn’t very clear, you are greeted by two ships and most people die around 5 seconds after spawning in due to a trap that is only explained after death. After some runs, you get the hang of what to do. The game is split into two sides, left and right. The left side is a blue ship that destroys enemy vessels that are trying to invade the right playing area. The red ship on the right must collect enough materials for both ships to extract. Since the player is controlling them both at the same time, the link to both ships must be maintained. Using them will decrease stability and only the red ship can fix this issue. After completing the necessary objectives you can just exit the level by pushing the buttons prompted on the screen for extraction. Keeping an eye on both sides isn’t too easy and while both elements are quite different, some people will have trouble concentrating and enjoying the game.
Luckily, on the Switch, you can just unplug the Joy-Con controllers and let a friend help you out. This way, the game can be turned into a great co-op title. Discuss with your friend who is best suited for which role and work together to get a high score. After you gather 12 parts you may extract, or stay to increase your score to get a high place on the leaderboards, but don’t forget: “Your score is meaningless unless you exist” meaning that once you die, your score is completely deleted from existence.
While surviving the onslaught might sound difficult, there are only three inputs to control the game. The left ship is controlled by the left joystick and the trigger button for firing, while the right ship only needs to be moved around. So, there’s no need to remember a million button combinations while multitasking like an IT worker. The controls are easy, but gameplay isn’t as the game has a steep learning curve unless you have some condition that makes you brilliant at multitasking. For this reason, this game is one that can be dropped as quickly as it gets picked up.
Conclusion
Trackher is that game that seems mysterious and might interest you because of its split-screen single-player setting, but due to its steep learning curve and instruction-less start, it could turn out less appealing than initially thought. Thanks to the simple controls and the Joy-Con ability of the Switch you could turn this game into a fun multiplayer title and just progress in the game and get a better high-score.
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