Developer: Snowhydra Games
Publisher: Snowhydra Games
Platform: Switch
Tested on: Switch
Zarvot – Review
Zarvot, a game about cubes. At first glance, these few words are all you get from Snowhydra’s first Nintendo Switch release. All things considered, this little subtitle hits the nail on the head just right. Despite being the first game this company has ever made, it seems to have been well received by players all over within the first week of its initial release. So, is this game as three-dimensional as its graphics, or will it just be square?
Story
Zarvot is, primarily, a game about living, thinking and feeling cubes. In the Story mode, you play as Charcoal, a cube determined to complete his best friend Red’s birthday present. At the beginning of the game, you and your friend Mustard are about to finish the gift when tragedy strikes and you have to start assembling your present all over again. As you progress in the game, you fight a whole lot of enemies called ‘Glasists’.
The deeper you dive into the story, the more invested you get into the three main characters. At one point you find out Red has been sad for a while, which is when Mustard and Charcoal decide to cheer their friend up. This sets off an adventure to remember, in which you traverse areas and battle bosses that all have their unique traits. Nothing in this game feels out of place.
Graphics
The graphics of Zarvot are very impressive. The cubes themselves are really cute, and every area you travel through is different from the last one. These distinct differences make it so that the game never gets repetitive.
As mentioned before, the cubes look very cute and are animated as such. Most of the enemies look pretty similar, but differ just enough from each other in order to tell which enemy attacks you in what way. Almost every area has a boss waiting for you at the end. These bosses are real life objects coming to life. For example, you’ll find yourself battling a carton of frozen milk or a robot rubber duckie. It’s elements like these that make this game so much fun.
Sound
The music of Zarvot always perfectly suits the situation you’re in. There is never a moment in this game where you’ll find the music to not contribute to the atmosphere of the scene you’re exploring. The sound design is also great. When a wave of enemies is about to spawn around you, you hear a distinct alarm sound warning you about what is coming. And when the wave comes in, the sounds of the attacks you and your enemies use are unmistakable.
Gameplay
Zarvot is a 3D arcade shooter game. The game has three game modes: Story, Versus and Arcade. The Story mode is based on a chapter system. Each chapter is different from the others and has its own unique charm. From a beautifully detailed forest to a very streamlined freezer, every level is beautiful in its own way.
And the charm doesn’t stop there. Almost every little thing about this game is captivating. The three main characters (Charcoal, Mustard and Red) all have very interesting personalities. Charcoal, the character you will be playing as, is very mature, determined and caring for its friends. Mustard is very playful. You will get a good laugh from this character at many points during the game. You mostly travel with this character, although it doesn’t help you in any way. Red, however, will help you out once it is introduced. Red has a very genuine personality and will do anything to protect its friends.
In this game, shooting is called ‘pewing’. Pewing is the main way to hold off enemies. You can’t ‘pew’ forever – the more you shoot in quick succession, the closer you get to overheating. Once you overheat, you have to wait for a little bit before you can shoot again. You can hold down the ‘pew’-button and aim for a big shot that can take down multiple enemies at once, but it takes time to charge. Another attack is called ‘chomp’, which you use by holding down all four action buttons at the same time. You can only do this after having attacked a certain amount of enemies, and it regenerates a little bit of your health.
As a shooter, the biggest part of this game is spent shooting enemies. They mostly come in waves, which get tougher the further you get in the game. At some points in the game you get to calm down though. There are multiple moments where you will find yourself in situations where you’re trying to dodge objects whilst riding a skateboard, or trying not to fall off a narrow bridge. These examples and many other obstacles are a welcome addition to the game and add to its already charming quality.
The further you get into the Story mode, the more difficult the game gets. So difficult that it might take you several attempts to beat a level or a boss. If you have a short fuse, you might want to take a break every now and then. Lucky for you, there are two more game modes for you to get into.
Arcade is for 1 player. There are 9 maps that can be unlocked through finding small artifacts in the Story mode. In the Arcade mode you fight off 5 waves of enemies, trying to get the highest score in the fastest time possible. This mode starts off pretty easy, but gets very difficult really quickly.
And last but not least there is the Versus mode. The Versus mode is a multiplayer game mode where you can play against up to three of your friends. There are six games to play within the Versus mode: assorted, elimination, deathmatch, vox, sumo and joy-vot. Each game is unique in its own way and will keep you and your friends on the edge of your seats.
Conclusion
Zarvot is not just your regular arcade shooter game. The Story mode tells an emotional tale of three friends that would do anything for each other. The beautiful worlds you travel through and the characters you come across all have their own identity and individual characteristics, which make it so the game never gets repetitive. The dialogue in the Story mode is quirky and funny, and adds to the charm of the game. The Arcade mode is a fun challenge, and the Versus mode will have you and your friends on the edge of your seats. With Zarvot as their first ever release, Snowhydra Games have made a great first impression.
Zarvot - Review,
No Comments