Cave Story Review

Cave Story is a freeware action/adventure game available for the PC that proves some of the best things in life really are free. The game was developed over the course of 5 years by the hard work of one man known as Pixel, and it was translated from Japanese to English by a devoted fan.

Make no mistake, even though this game is free the polish and quality of the game is just as good, even better than most games you would have to pay for.

Story 9/10

The action adventure genre rarely has a story one cares about, the only important part being told what to slaughter mercilessly.

Cave Story’s story is presented in a very lighthearted way, yet it manages to reflect very serious matters, including the cruelty of the world and how the weak are exploited. Very rarely does a game manage to make you seriously care about your character’s actions, but Cave Story does this magnificently. Should you get the bad ending, the player will feel remorse for what they failed to do and should have been able to do.

The basic plot is you, the character, are caught in the midst of a conflict taking place on a floating island. You must help the local inhabitants, Mimigas, against The Doctor who is seeking to use them as weapons. The characters are loveable, even the bad guys (who couldn’t love Balrog’s signature “Huzzah!”?). They’ll all grow on you, and when something bad happens to them in the plots, it’s hard not to feel bad for them.

Gameplay: 10/10

You begin the game with only the ability to move and jump. Soon enough though, you’ll acquire your first weapon a rather weak pistol. Throughout the game you get a variety of weapons, like a missile launcher, flame thrower, and even a sword you throw at the hoards of enemies. Sounds like basic stuff right? What sets it apart is the ability to level up a weapon, up to level 3, with experience points. You acquire these by defeating enemies and picking up the energy they drop. When a gun is upgraded, it gets stronger, the shooting animation changes, and some guns like the Bubbler just change the way you can use them. For example, at Level 3 the Machine gun is capable of letting you hover in the air should you shoot downwards. Adding to this, the player will lose experience points whenever they get hit, thus an incentive is made for the player to get better and learn enemy patterns.

Another plus is the fact that the weapons all operate differently, unlike other action games where the weapons are mostly the same, just having different strengths. The Bubbler really stands out, creating bubbles that eventually shoot out bullets when you let go of the fire button (Great for defensive purposes).

You begin the game with a mere 3 points of health, but as you progress thought the game you will find health upgrades, along with missile capacity upgrades, to beef up your strength. Some are somewhat hidden to reward curious players.

You progress through the game by passing areas that slowly open up to you, in a manner similar to the Metroid series. The game is mostly story driven, with your character being told where to go, so getting lost shouldn’t be much of an issue. You’ll usually be dropped in an area and be told to look for your objective, which leaves a sense of exploration for the player.

You’ll definitely need your platforming skills for this game. You’ll be jumping over spikes, landing on floating platforms, and be quick to avoid instant death traps. The game is very fair, never being too hard, and the traps will be obvious to anyone who is aware of their surroundings.

Graphics: 8/10

The graphics in this game are a hit or miss. I am personally judging it for its emulation of old school 8/16 bit graphics. The sprites in this game are wonderful, yet could be better by today’s standards. The terrain and backgrounds are lovely and extremely well done.

The weapon effects are done well. The lasers look like standard laser beams, the Fireball weapon’s fire gets more and more extravagant as it levels, and so on. The Player will have fun seeing what effects the weapons have when first acquiring them.

Lovers of retro gaming will adore the graphics, while those used to the new detailed 2-d sprites games use nowadays might be a little put off.

Music: 10/10

Another area where Cave Story excels. The soundtrack for this game is amazing, and should you download the game it already comes with it for free.

Like the graphics, the music is reminiscent of old school games, with each track complimenting its respective area greatly. This helps add to the atmosphere of the game, and draws the player in during important moments like the player’s return to the Mimigia village much later in the game.

Overall: 10/10 *

Cave Story is a game that excels in all areas. With the added bonus of being free, its very hard to argue for a reason not to at least try it.

The story’s subtle deepness will draw you in, and the gameplay will keep you alert and interested in reaching your next plot objective. The replay value of the game is really up to the player, especially if you want to go for the best ending, which is doubtful you’ll get on your own the first time around. After your first time, you’ll be able to go through the game relatively quickly, in about 4 hours.

So make your next game Cave Story. It’s truly a unique wonderful experience that wins on so many levels.

*not an average of separate scores*