Developer: The Alekon Company
Publisher: The Alekon Company
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Alekon – Review
There seems to be a little niche in gaming devoted to rail shooters where – instead of using a gun to pick off enemies you encounter – you are using a camera to take pictures. Pokémon Snap would be the most prominent example, but more titles in the genre are popping up on Steam and across consoles, since there’s more to offer than just being a Pokémon side-adventure. Alekon is one of these games, taking the concept to a whole new level while squeezing all the content out of it you could possibly want from this type of game. Given the results, the developers did a pretty good job at it too.
Story
Alekon drops you into the plot unceremoniously, even making jokes about how you’re really supposed to know all this information beforehand. Nonetheless, a whimsical flying orange fluffball known as Japley explains the situation to you anyway. You are now in the land of Fictions, which are strange creatures who survive on creativity. Sadly, Dullness has been spreading over the land and the only way to remove it is for you to set out and photograph as many of these Fictions as you can, preferably in different poses. By doing this you unlock new areas and hopefully will be able to meet Alekon, the Fiction of Creativity itself, who can finally do something about this entire mess.
Graphics
Visually speaking Alekon is very nice to look at. Arguably the most important part of this game in terms of design are the different species of Fictions, and the devs did an amazing job with them. They range from incredibly cute to kind of creepy, but they’re definitely unique. They don’t look like cheap Pokemon rip-offs either, which is also very important for the game’s identity. The different islands you explore also have pretty neat designs, each sporting their own distinct theme with the Fictions you can find there matching that theme.
Sound
Alekon has a decent soundtrack, with a lot of upbeat tunes that fit the game’s lighter atmosphere. Just like how the Fictions on all the islands match the themes, so does the music change accordingly. One of the things you might notice is a strange lack of sound effects. Even with all the cute creatures crawling around, there is a distinct lack of noises coming from them, which is a bit of a shame. There is also no voice acting in the game.
Gameplay
Alekon is an on-rails first-person photography game, with plenty of side-quests consisting of small minigames to occupy yourself when you’re not snapping pictures. The game consists of a series of islands you can visit. Each island has a handful of different paths that function as the mentioned tracks. You choose which path to embark on and the game moves you automatically along it at a steady speed, allowing you to look around and take pictures of the Fictions you encounter. At the end of the ride, Japley goes over the pictures you have taken and awards you Creativity.
Pictures are scored depending on a few factors such as the angle and how visible the Fiction is in frame. Fictions also have different activities they do – referred to in the game as poses – with the end goal being to not only take a picture of every Fiction once but also take a picture of every possible pose they could be doing. To help in this quest, you get donuts to throw at these adorable munchkins, prompting them to eat (which often counts as a pose), or maybe you can just use them to hit poor Fictions in the face if you’re a sadist.
Each path can be taken as often as you like of course, with other paths being unlockable by finding certain secrets. Once all the paths have been found and cleared at least once, a free wander mode becomes available for that island. In this mode you’re not limited to the track and can walk around wherever you want, often allowing you to find additional Fictions.
For every species you photograph, one of these Fictions joins you in the hub of the game. Here you can talk to them and get short side-quests which usually consist of very simple minigames. They’re a lot of fun to undertake and reward you with silly customizable options such as flags or fireworks, or other in-game secrets. As you go on, you will also uncover some additional gameplay mechanics that will in turn enable you to uncover more secrets on the islands themselves, making going back to old locations worth your while.
Conclusion
Alekon will definitely give you a good time if this genre even remotely appeals to you. It’s simple and adorable, with a fresh sense of humor and minimal gameplay that still has a lot of content for you to explore. The most notable feature here is that the developers were clearly inspired by Nintendo’s franchise, but very much did their own thing, creating a very unique experience. If you think you have an eye for photography, definitely give it a try!
No Comments