Developer: Samurai Punk
Publisher: Surprise Attack
Platforms: PC
Expected release date: Oct 2014
Screencheat – Preview
Samurai Punk, a small Melbourne-based independent game developer, has come up with a great concept and has managed to execute it brilliantly well. Their latest game, Screencheat, goes back to the old days where split-screen gaming was the best type of gaming where you could easily cheat by looking at your opponent’s screen – even if it was considered to be a bad thing to do. In Screencheat, you are forced to find out just how well of a cheater you truly were and still are.
The concept of Screencheat is something that will attract many players as it is not only nostalgic but also refreshing. At first I was slightly skeptic as pulling it off seemed easier said than done but after playing the game I have to say I’m pleasantly surprised. The first five to ten minutes of gameplay will be slightly awkward as you will most likely be used to seeing your enemies on your screen – now they are invisible. There is no easing into the game however as the deathmatch mode is the mode to learn the game, so you may be slaughtered the first few rounds. After a few rounds you’ll get used to the concept of finding out where your enemies are by keeping track of their whereabouts on their own screens. The movement is pretty straight forward as you will be moving with your WASD-keys while using your mouse to shoot. If keyboards are not your most favorite way of playing shooters, you can always use your controller to aid you in your fight for victory.
For now there are only two maps available, namely Museum and Garden. Both maps are completely different from each other except for the fact that each area is represented by a color. This is to help you navigate the whereabouts of your enemies and yourself. Another thing they have in common is the usage of airflow via shafts or air blowers. These can help you move across the map in a fast way. That being said, the gameplay itself is also fast-paced. You could say the action is similar to that of Team Fortress 2, so fast that your hand-eye coordination will be tested thoroughly. As Screencheat is a shooter, it uses several kinds of weapons. Switching your weapon can only be done once when you’ve respawned. When you’ve chosen your weapon, you won’t be able to switch during the gameplay until you’ve died and respawned again. This makes the game somewhat fair as you will be dying fairly fast anyway. Currently there are four types of weapons you can choose from: Blunderbuss, Candelabra, Revolver Rifle and the Grenade Launcher. Personally I think the Blunderbuss is the most overpowered weapon in the game for now as it will act as a one bullet shotgun, deadly at both short and long range. The Candelabra is probably the most hilarious weapon for now as it is a candle holder with five candles that represent the color of the player. Note that the Candelabra is quite deadly at short range but it is useless at long range. The Revolver Rifle and Grenade Launcher pretty much are what they are, a revolver and a launcher. You may want to be careful with the launcher as suicides can happen in Screencheat and the grenades tend to bounce back.
Earlier I mentioned that the deathmatch mode is the perfect mode to ease in the game, at least that is what Screencheat says. Deathmatch can be seen more as a free-for-all type of mode where you can kill any player. A second mode that is available is the Hillcampers mode. In a way you could look at this mode as a variation of the popular King of the Hill gamemode. Here you will need to stand at the hill, which is represented as a random section on the map and not an actual hill. A player will gain a point for every second that he manages to capture the hill. It can also be contested when two players are standing inside of it. If this happens, none of the players will be gaining points and a third one will most likely get a double kill – ultimately stealing your points. I did find that the Hillcampers mode was less amusing than deathmatch mode with friends where uncontrollable laughing fits kept erupting from our lungs. In fact, a big part of our laughing fits was the randomized kill messages. Being able to Tony Abbott someone with a Candelabra or whomping your friends with grenade launchers is just hilarious.
Visually the game may seem like an assault on your eyes but once you are in the game, the different color-schemes will not bother you at all. While the game is not realistic overall, the finishing touches certainly are. You will be able to find detailed paintings in the Museum map amongst other objects. The audio is well designed and the music you are exposed to is so catchy that you can spend hours listening to it. Hell, it even fits the entire gameplay just perfectly!
Conclusion
If you are looking back at the days where you played Halo while screencheating with a smile on your face, you’ll certainly fall in love with Screencheat. The concept is great and it is executed extremely well. The gameplay will get dull after a while due to the fact that there is not enough content just yet but more weapons and game modes will be added in the release. All-in-all the game is still relaxing and hilarious when you play with friends, both locally and online. Definitely a game to watch out for if fast-paced action is completely up your alley.
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[…] the preview, there have been a few additions to the game: new maps, weapons and even game modes. As I mentioned […]