Clones
Review
There's a new Lemming on the block
by William Thompson
reviewed on PC
Attack of the Clones
At Hooked Gamers, I am not the resident Indie game freak – We all know who that is don’t we? (It’s Priestman, isn’t it? – Ed.) Sure, I have played a few Indie games in my day and I enjoy the fact that they are done on a small budget by one person or a small group of friends. Indie titles are often more innovative than the big budget titles. One Indie title recently caught my eye, not because of any great innovation, but more because of the fact that it sounded much like a game I played on my Amiga 500 many years ago. The game is Clones, which coincidently could be regarded as a clone of that classic game, Lemmings.
Of course, that is not why it has the title Clones. The main characters in this 2D platform puzzle game are known as clones, and it is your job – for the most part – to help these clones get from the entry point to their exit. To help them through each level the clones can be morphed into various forms. Some clones can fly, some can float safely from a height, others can dig – either vertically, horizontally of diagonally – and some can build bridges to cross large crevices. In all, there are twelve functions that the clones can morph into. Unfortunately, in most levels there are a finite number of times the clones can morph into the various functions.
Varied puzzles
Although the bulk of the missions involve getting the clones from point A to point B using any means possible, there are a quite a range of mission types in the 150-odd levels. Missions include helping a particular non-controllable clone reach the exit, transporting an object to a specified location and even destroying enemy clones. Some levels contain portals that transport the clones to various destinations, whilst other levels contain portals that turn the view 90 degrees.
One of my favourite mission types involves levels where three different clone types are required to complete the mission goal. These levels have the three clones that work separately from each other. One group must be completed before restarting the level and working on the second clone group. Whilst working with the second group, the first group performs in a racing games’ ghost-car manner, following the moves you previously employed. The same happens when you complete the level as the third clone group, except both previous groups shadow your previous moves. These levels are often more difficult than the ‘standard’ levels because you need to work out where the clones will be when it’s their turn.
Stuck on a puzzle?
Another great feature of the game is the ‘Show Solution’ option. When going through the 150-odd levels, you will no doubt encounter a few that will leave you scratching your head at the solution. It can be really frustrating playing through the same level over and over again without success. And that is where the ‘Show Solution’ function comes in. It gives a sample solution for the level that has been giving you angst. You can then follow the solution to the letter to complete the level...and bingo, you can move on. Not all levels need to be completed in a specific order though. Sure some levels don’t open up until you have completed a certain number of missions, but many can be done in whichever order you please.
Completed the level...What now?
After completing a level, your score gets uploaded to the online database. It is then that you can see how well you performed compared in a variety of categories to everyone else who has completed that level. Categories include the number of Clones saved, the number of Qdots collected, the number of morphs required to complete the mission, and the time needed to complete the level. It is here that I often thought that I could complete the level in a better or quicker way and want to replay the level. Damn my competitive spirit.
7.2
fun score
Pros
Heaps of levels with a range of goals
Cons
Multiplayer isn’t very populated at this stage
