Ainevoltas 2

2 Repetitive replayability?
Ainevoltas 2 was developed by the team over at SilverNova, founded in 2005 by Tim Wilson, the same collective that brought us “Final Vision” and “EverEternal WinterWorld”. Ainevoltas 2 is a platformer RPG, much like that of the previous “Final Vision”. You guide “Justin” on an extremely cliché adventure, through a castle on his quest to find out why the monsters are invading.

On the whole the game has the basic infrastructure of a great platformer RPG. You guide your way through an elaborate maze of passageways in a castle, you hack and slash monsters and level up, in turn devoting skill points to certain stats such as health, strength and your’ healing and jumping abilities… But that’s it. The game just feels bland and doesn’t feel like any thought, besides the basic system and maps, was put into it. The (lack of) storyline is so overdone, and sure some games pull it off well, but this isn’t one of those games. The game script is mind-numbingly boring and it just seems like the developers tried too hard to be funny, or that’s exactly what they aimed for and wanted you to cringe at every subtle attempt at humor…

The default controls work great, but you also have the option at start up to set your own controls for each character action. Unlike a lot of games, the controls were precise and responsive which was one of the few pleasantries’ you will be granted while playing. Although the game does have responsive controls, that isn’t to say it isn’t without its hiccups. A fairly major problem with the game would have to be hit registering; you could be standing on top of the enemy, taking countless amounts of damage while savagely swinging your sword through it hitting nothing but air…

The game’s AI was fairly standard, you walk on the enemy’s platform, and they run and slash, although battling the pesky frogs and rats end up being more enjoyable (and all round more frustrating) than some of the games larger and even boss opponents.

The music in the game was great, very reflective of each level, a good example being that of “The Chapel”. A very Castlevania-esque map, the eerie organ and ambient noises tie in perfectly with the sprite sets, as does the music for the remainder of the levels. The sound effects are great too, albeit the chime of a level up or what looks like a snowflake boomerang (a secondary, projectile weapon for a character acquired later in the game) or the crisp snap of a whip, it all sounds wonderful and sharp.

The game is solely single player, which brings about the question of replayability and I’d have to say it’s arguable. When you wholeheartedly complete the game, searched every nook and cranny for each gem and special stat bonus, you are granted the chance to play the game again but this time with a different character. Now, you’re thinking, “Oh, awesome, a whole new world for character 2”, no. The world stays exactly the same, the guild quests remain exactly the same and the location of every monster, every stat bonus, every gem and every NPC remain exactly the same…

Ainevoltas 2 looks and sounds wonderful, although lacking in parts (predictable, boring AI and slightly bugged combat). Is it worth the download? If you’re into platformer RPG’s, it’s definitely a must try, but if you can’t handle the forced, dry humor or repetitive combat, don’t feel the need to continue, you’re not missing out on much.