Developer: XGen Studios
Publisher: XGen Studios
Platform: PS3, PS4, Mac, PC
Super Motherload – Review
Motherload, the old flash game from back in the day, succeeded in keeping me entertained for quite some time although the basic goal was to dig and dig and dig some more to find valuable minerals which you could sell for money and buy upgrades for your machine. The setup was very simple to say the least but man, it was addicting! Let’s take a closer look at the sequel of this classic called Super Motherload.
Story
Apparently, Earth is dealing with some serious energy crisis’s and overpopulation and so The Solarus Corporation constructed surface bases on Mars to get a hold on the precious minerals of the planet and bring them back to Earth. They’ve send people deeper and deeper under the surface to bring back even more richness and wealth. Unfortunately, suddenly all communication with the operators is cut off and it’s your quest to found out what exactly happened down there.
As you dig deeper, you’ll receive weird and ominous broadcasts of the lost crew members and it’s pretty clear that something very wrong is going on. The story has several different paths to follow and because of this there are multiple endings to discover which add to the replayability.
Graphics
Graphically the game is certainly not as impressive as an AAA title, but that’s just fine. The 2D view is very comfortable to look at and overall, the calm and static environments provide a nice change from today’s lightshows and fireworks on screen when playing games. Other than that, there’s not much to say. What you see on screenshots is basically what you get throughout the whole game.
Sound
The soundtrack is not really impressive. In fact, I ended up putting it off as it was way too fast paced and hyper for this genre of game. It’s way more enjoyable if you just hear the sound of your drill eating chunks of earth away. The broadcasts are convincing enough and keep you on an edge as you continue your journey through unknown territory.
Gameplay
Basically, this game is all about digging. Digging, picking up minerals, selling them, upgrading your machine and doing this over and over again. Sounds boring you say? Well, you’d be surprised! It’s actually quite relaxing to make your way deeper down in the layers of rock and dirt. At first, you won’t be able to dig very deep as the standard fuel tank will prevent you from wandering far away from the fuel station.
Whether you choose to move your machine with de D-pad or the analog stick, the controls are responsive and everything goes fluent. Just one thing that often led to some frustration is the situation where you have one block of earth “floating” on screen and you really want to dig it through and you just keep flying over the block or sliding down when the machine is not standing perfectly on the block. Some more “stickiness” would have been pleasant but this is just a minor issue that one person will find more irritating than another.
So, cargo filled, fuel tank emptied and hull nearly breached, you find your way back to the surface and sell all the precious minerals for some hard needed cash. Then the choosing begins, what will you upgrade first? Some will prefer having a larger cargo which will provide you with more space to stash ores, diamonds and so on. Others will want to be able to dwell longer in the dirt and will go for a better fuel tank. The game doesn’t tell you which of the two is better, it’s all about personal preference but in the end, it’s just logic that you wouldn’t put all your money in a better tank if you still have to resurface to empty your load. Upgrading everything to the maximum is what will keep players busy and this is just the aspect of Super Motherload that’s so addicting. Is it repetitive? Yes, but just because you have to do something a lot of times doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it. Don’t expect to fill your days with this game though. It’s a nice pastime between two larger titles or when you just want to relax for half an hour but it’s not really something you’ll be playing hours on end.
The game comes with an up to four players couch coop meaning there’s sadly no option for online multiplayer. With four players playing simultaneously it can get quite hectic on screen but it’ll definitely turn out to be some good fun although it loses a lot of its tranquil gameplay as you’d experience when playing solo.
Conclusion
Super Motherload won’t appeal to everyone. If you want a lot of action, an intense storyline or beautiful graphics, this isn’t where you’ll want to look. Fans of the original flash game will certainly appreciate the sequel and even for new players it could be worth to take a closer look at what it’s all about. The game is simple and not a real challenge to beat, but it might provide some relaxing moments when you don’t really know what (bigger title) to play next.
Super Motherload - Review,
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