When asked to think of the episodic games they are most excited about in the coming year, many fans are likely to mention one or more of Telltale Games' recent and/or upcoming projects, but newcomers StarQuail Games may just have the next big iterative game on their hands with Tiny Barbarian DX.
Those who grew up in the 90's will be pleased to know that the "DX" in Tiny Barbarian DX is indeed a callback to the identifier that was used by developers to identify which of their portable games were developed specifically for the GameBoy Color. Unlike software of that era, or the industry for that matter, Tiny Barbarian DX is part of an increasingly large collection of episodic games available for purchase on the PC.
Like the classic GameBoy Color titles that inspired the game's art style, Tiny Barbarian DX also features a relatively simple control scheme. Of course, while easy to learn and aesthetically appealing, it will take you a bit of time to completely master the game's combat mechanics. You'll have a handful of sword slashes, not to mention the most satisfying elbow drop I've seen in a game of its ilk, but Tiny Barbarian remains joyously free of any overly-complicated leveling mechanics or spell-casting systems present in many recent brawlers.
To be honest, players really only have two jobs in Tiny Barbarian DX:
1. Run/Jump/Climb forward.
2. Kill things.
To keep the pacing varied, StarQuail also included a couple of segments in Tiny Barbarian DX where the protagonist rides around on the back of a large cat - because what 90's action game would be complete without the obligatory animal-riding segment? Players can even use their abnormally large feline friend to launch themselves up to heights that wouldn't be reachable by the diminutive Barbarian alone, offering players an extra means of exploration while scouring the game world for hidden collectibles.
With all of that out of the way, let's go ahead and address the elephant in the room.
At present, there's only about an hour's worth of content available for Tiny Barbarian DX, give or take 20-30 minutes (based on your abilities). Hell, there's an achievement for completing the current batch of Tiny Barbarian DX content in just over half an hour.
Thanks to the power of Steam Reviews, we know that some people have enjoyed Tiny Barbarian DX enough to play that same hour's worth of content five or six times, but it doesn't change the fact that the game's existing campaign content isn't as long as a feature-length film. Assuming that Tales 2-4 turn out half as entertaining as the first chapter of Tiny Barbarian DX, the game will absolutely be worth the ten dollars its currently fetching on Steam, and I'd be shocked if the game didn't get a few discounts in upcoming Steam Sales too. Still, some may want to wait until additional content has been released before buying their copy of the game.
I'm also happy to report that Tiny Barbarian DX joins what turned out to be quite a lengthy list of 2013 new releases that feature purchase-worthy soundtracks. StarQuail succeeds in creating an aural experience that matches the on-screen action while also making certain that players have something to nod to on their path to completing the first of four "tales" for Tiny Barbarian DX.
I'm not so hooked on the music that I'd leave the game idling in the background, but there's an above average change I'd buy the Tiny Barbarian DX soundtrack if it were available on Steam (or elsewhere) for a couple of bucks.
Tiny Barbarian DX Review - Final Verdict
I can't imagine the game making anybody's Game of the Year list, but Tiny Barbarian DX is a genuinely entertaining throwback to the sort of 2D, side-scrolling action-platformers that dominated the handheld landscape during the mid and late 1990's.A single play through may not offer the same number of hours of entertainment as more-established episodic series, like The Walking Dead or The Wolf Among Us, but Tiny Barbarian DX makes up for its brevity with genuinely fun gameplay that rarely leaves you feeling cheated upon death.
Hell, I'm a bit ashamed to admit how many times I've attempted to claim the achievement for surviving two-plus minutes of action in the game's pre-menu screen Horde mode. At this point, I think I die a little inside each time I fail to improve on the minute and fifty-nine seconds that currently stands as my high score, but that's another matter entirely.
If you're looking for the most bang for your gaming buck at this exact moment, then you'll probably want to hold off until some/the rest of the planned Tiny Barbarian DX content is released by StarQuail Games. However, if you're willing to spend a few dollars now, Tiny Barbarian is an absolute delight to play, and looks to be one of the (increasingly large list) of episodic games I'll be keeping tabs on over the next twelve months.
Score 3.5/5
Have you had a chance to play Tiny Barbarian DX since the game's Dec. 3 debut? Think you're going to wait until Tale Two and/or Tale Three are released before buying a copy of Tiny Barbarian DX? Think the game deserves a higher/lower score than we gave it?
Let us know in the comments section!
