Summer Uprising Review: Cute Things Dying Violently
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The game fits into the puzzle genre and offers a single player and multiplayer component, as well as a level editor to create levels for both modes. The basic goal is get at least one of your critters into the elevator, but if you can save them all you’ll earn a star on the level. It may sound simple, but you’ll find that there are many hazards in place to kill your critters. You’ll have to avoid electrical zappers, fire, saw blades, and more to access the elevator, but you may also need to hit switches, use springs, and fight against gravity to reach the goal.
Early levels in CTDV keep it simple and offer helpful training tips to better understand what the game is all about. As you progress further, you’ll encounter some very intricate level designs that actually require thought and patience to complete. There seems to be some slight issues with difficulty balancing but it’s already being addressed by the developer. For the most part, you’ll be able to get a perfect rating on every level with some practice, but don’t expect the game to be a cakewalk because it’s most-certainly not.
Multiplayer mode is limited to local play at this time and I wasn’t able to play it properly due to the lack of gamers that I know personally, however I had a quick go with a second controller and it seemed to be pretty cool. But, I quickly found myself more intrigued by the level editor which allows you to create levels for both single player and multiplayer. You can use over thirty different items to create and detail your level so there’s no shortage of possibilities if you’re creative. I made a pretty treacherous level with a whack of saws to fire my critters through, but even I can’t finish it with a perfect score.
One of my favorite parts of Cute Things Dying Violently is its soundtrack and the simple visual style. With some polish, I think it could pass itself off as an XBLA title. The menus are relatively clean although I think the text is a little on the large side and comes off as ‘in your face!’ But, the soundtrack to the game is just fantastic. You know how a song just stuck in your head and you can’t get it out and find yourself humming along all day? That’s what happens with this game’s soundtrack. It’s just bouncy, fun, and you really enjoy listening to it as you play. I love a game with a great soundtrack because it only enhances the experience. In fact, you can check out, and download the soundtrack for free by clicking here!
CTDV is definitely one of the top indie games on the Xbox Marketplace, let alone in the Summer Uprising lineup. As I mentioned, developer and fellow Twitter user @AlejandroDaJ is being very supportive in terms of fixing issues with the game if you notify him, and he’s just a great guy to speak with as well (verified by our writer Kyle). With over fifty built-in levels you’ve got at least 3-5 hours of enjoyment, and a lot more if you’re a perfectionist that wants to earn a perfect rating on every level. Not to mention, it’s the first (and only) XBLIG title to offer (delicious) “Achieve Mints”, not to be confused with Microsoft’s own “Achievements”. It’s the same concept though – perform certain tasks and you’ll get an Achieve Mint while Cute Things are dying violently. For only a buck, that’s right, 80 :MSPoints: you could be having a great time playing Cute Things Dying Violently, so what are you waiting for? Check it out at the Xbox.com Marketplace!
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