15 Nov, 2011
Title: Rochard
Platform: PC, PS3 (Reviewed on PC)
Developer: Recoil Games
Publisher: Recoil Games
Tagline: A loveable lout using physics and tackling puzzles to take down the evil corporation
Family Friendly: Rochard never takes itself too seriously, and does stimulate younger minds with some solid puzzles and physics mechanics. Beyond some minor combat with no bloodshed, I would say this is safe for most age groups.
Verdict: Buy It!
Some people look to have simple lives, where they do their job, make some money and have just enough to live comfortably. I imagine John Rochard being one of those people. We meet him looking through the solar system, trying to find some mineral deposits that he and his team can harvest so they can get paid and live with some comfort in the coming months. Sadly, things never work out all that simple in the video game world, and we get to see Rochard pushed to the test to save himself and his crew in a fun physics/puzzle adventure told with a lot of laughs and a bit of action for good measure.
The idea of setting a physics game in a space mining facility makes a ton of sense as it allows Recoil to put together a great batch of puzzles that play on the environment and the equipment that you carry. Equipped with a G-Lifter, a device that negates gravity to lift things, and a Rock Crusher, that acts as a projectile weapon, you are tasked with some simple mundane tasks at first. This beginning sections serve as a great tutorial to get you accustomed to the world of Rochard and how gravity can affect your situations. At a point, things go sour for Rochard and the Skyrig mining facility is attacked by a group of space pirates. It is a simple premise and a bit clichéd and projected, but it works for giving players a plausible reason for being in this world.
Controlling Rochard is easy enough with the left mouse button used to project your Rock Crusher weapon or items you pick up and the right mouse button used to pick up items. You also have the ability to turn on zero gravity to allow for larger jumps and to pick up heavier items in the world. All of these abilities come into play as you work your way through a facility that has been torn into disarray by the recent space pirate attack. Areas have been ravaged by electricity, gravity wells where things turn you upside down, and robot drones that have gone out of control, attacking everyone. The controls in a game like Rochard can make or break the experience, and they are very successful at every turn.
Puzzles are designed very clever, and thankfully, the solutions for most are never too far away from solution. While things start easy enough, you really start to get some brain-busters as you get a couple hours into Rochard, but with some patience and looking around the environment, a solution can be found. Collectibles on the other hand will require a huge amount of thought, as they are normally placed in places that will leave you scratching your head a bit.
While combat is not front and center, it does play into the action at numerous points, and you will need to use your wits and quick thinking to get past these areas. Enemies do not take much to go down, but the same can be said for Rochard. The idea is to get into an area and suppress the threats before they take you down. I did find a few places where you have multiple pirates and drones attacking you and if you are not Johnny on the spot with your actions, you will repeat some areas several times over. Thinning the enemies would have made these sections a little less painful, and thankfully, load times are not too bad when you die, but it does kill some of the momentum when you are repeating these sections three or four times to get it right.
Tying everything together is our character John Rochard. He is funny and lovable in a John Goodman sort of way. He finds a way to get things done and quips in with some humorous one –liners to keep things light-hearted throughout your gameplay. The supporting cast is also fun, with an is-she-isn’t-she love interest and the main villain who is as devious as you would think. All the character voice work is spot on and never feels forced or tired.
Rochard packs together a solid gaming experience, with challenging puzzles, good combat and a series of fun characters for a nice price on the PC. It also helps that it comes in at a nice $10 price point and one of the loftier achievements, speed running the game in under three hours will add a lot of replay value for those looking for a little more after the campaign is finished. Rochard is definitely a buy for those that want something fun and different during this busy holiday season.
The Good:
- Fun characters and humor
- Clever puzzles that never seem unsolvable
- Good replay value for completionists
The Bad:
- Collectibles can be difficult to obtain
- Combat can get overwhelming at times
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