The man sat beside me is sweltering in the afternoon heat. The woman to my left is also perspiring at an alarming rate. Is…is this normal? Regardless, I have little choice, so I accept my place as the filling in the world’s most undesirable sandwich. It is 5:30pm at Kings Cross St.Pancras, but for a short moment, London’s busiest train station embodies the fiery depths that lay home to the antichrist himself. I emerge victorious from the bowels of London, with an overcast sun beaming down upon me; it feels like I have bitten the toe of Satan.
I arrive at my destination: hundreds of CD’s are glued to the wall; a 70’s disco floor, with its ever changing colourations, shines brightly in the corner. Teamed with the relentless pounding of catchy 8bit beeps and boops, and the aforementioned heat, I am not in a good way. I sit down on a circular cushion and wear the headphones placed in front of me, cancelling out all exterior distractions. There are many redeeming qualities that are distinctly absent from my repertoire, but quick reflexes and hand-eye co-ordination must sit atop the world’s most depressing podium. Thankfully, I am told that Level 4 is one of the easier ones, so Level 4 it is.
I hop into my orange spaceship and travel down a seemingly endless road of purple neon. With the 8bit soundtrack becoming increasingly strident, I manoeuvre around tight spaces, doing my best to subvert the litany of attacks on my senses. There are shades of Rainbow Road at play, and much like Mario Kart’s infamous galactic highway, I meet my untimely death as I stray helplessly overboard.
This is Spectra, described to me as an 8bit music racing game. It is an odd combination, perhaps even an unprecedented one, but does it work?
Face melting guitar solos; world tours; groupies; adoring fans gushing over your flawless rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody – Spectra has none of these things.
“But I thought you said it was a music game?”
It is, but while Rock Band and Guitar Hero fight over who is to be the headline act, Spectra is more than happy to adopt the role of the up and coming alternative artist. The game sports ten procedurally generated levels, all of which carry the same goal: reach the end with the highest score possible. Completing a level is no easy feat, so I found. Innumerable obstacles proved to be a sterner test of my skills than I had anticipated.
“You still haven’t mentioned the music.”
Yes, yes. The music.
The game features a variety of different songs, written by Chipzel (Super Hexagon), that are beautifully intertwined with the gameplay. Some tracks were reminiscent of Hotline Miami, while others originated from the other end of the musical spectrum, featuring serene voices similar to those found in Halo. Irrespective of one’s impartialities to this genre of music, the selling point is the relationship forged between the gameplay and the 8bit backdrop is good enough to suggest telepathy. Spectra’s soundtrack plays a paramount role in ameliorating the experience; Chipzel’s tracks are prominent but not overbearing, and as I began to reach a level’s climax, the music pounded harder and beat faster.
Spectra is due to release this Friday for Xbox One and PC, and If I am to have one doubt, it is of the game’s longevity. If you have a rival that you are eager to trump, and if you can not resist the lure of achievements, then there is enough here to cement your stay. Spectra might not hold your attention for hours at a time, but my short hands-on experience has piqued my interest enough to warrant a second look.
Tags: 8bit, Insufferable Heat, PC, Spectra, Xbox One
9 Posts in Total
