So you could be forgiven for assuming that Stellar Escape is just another clone. After all, it involves running as far as you can from left to right.
On closer inspection, however, it’s a little more complex.
Simple Simon
The beauty of games like Canabalt is their minimalism. The very reason this emerging genre is so noticeable when cloned is precisely because the original games have so few elements to them. You run forward and you jump – that’s it.
Titles like Robot Unicorn Attack add an extra function or a double jump, but never go so far as to complicate things beyond the point of instant accessibility. This is where Stellar Escape runs off the beaten track.
Rather than having one or two actions available, it introduces five - a series of jumps, slides, and dives that all overcome at least one specific obstacle. Hurdles can be hopped over, lasers dodged, and pipes can be leaped into for a safe off-screen detour, launching you out again later in the level.
Perform perfectly, never losing one of your three lives, and you’ll earn a gold star and a familiar sense of satisfaction.
Simon Says
Although this added complexity shakes up the genre and adds a little depth, it also removes a lot of its charm. Starting the game is a trial by fire, too, as you desperately try to get an understanding of which buttons apply to what obstacles.
The control scheme introduction panel isn’t very helpful in this regard, as it doesn’t explain to you what each obstacle even is. Once you’ve figured this out it seems like each level is just a matter of learning the correct combination of buttons and memorising them.
The Xperia Play’s controls are a mixed bag. Some of them make perfect sense, like pressing 'up' on the D-pad to clamber along handrails, while others are at odds with everything games have taught us as players.
For instance, there are two buttons to jump in a particular way, but neither of these is mapped to the X button – instead, that’s used for sliding. Arguably, these are changes you should get used to as a player - this is not a platformer after all. Nevertheless, it will still take you a long time to become accustomed.
Stellar Escape should be admired for not simply duplicating the formula. It’s always nice to see developers differentiate their games from their inspirations. As a result, Orange Agenda has made a good-looking and engaging game. But those looking for a more classic running game are still likely to find this it too fiddly for their tastes.