Not long ago that the zombie games were in a rage fashion. Although the oversaturation has made now fewer titles with this theme are seen many titles that throughout history have gained a place almost as icons of popular culture. Games like Dead Rising or Resident Evil are already more than video games and almost become part of our daily routine. T-shirts, movies, comics or action figures are part of your universe. Garage , which concerns us today, may not reach those levels of popularity. A low-cost production and an aspect of another era may be an impediment to be considered one of the greats of the genre but, will you stay stuck to the screen? Are we facing one of those covers of a quality superior to what it looks ?. Keep reading this analysis to find out why the answer is a resounding yes.
About the game
With a game proposal of the simplest Garage , the game to which the autocorrector insists on changing the name, tells the story of Butch, a drug dealer who for reasons unknown at first just waking up in the trunk of a car. Something that would not be strange for anyone with that profession, however soon realizes that something is not right. With a control system as classic as its appearance, the title makes use of the two sticks to control our character. With the left we move with total freedom, while the right we will use to position Butch and point in the direction indicated with this stick. Thus, we can shoot in circles moving this lever or we can go back with the left while shooting the horde that chases us at that moment.
Those who have played the classic Gauntlet or the latest Hotline Miami , the overhead view will be familiar, and it is something that this garage feels like a glove. It is a game where our main priority is to advance while we manage our ammunition and that makes us curse every shot that we fail, that is why the precision in the control is something fundamental for the success in our game. TinyBuild and Zombie Dynamics have done a great job in this regard, and never throughout the game does it seem that failure is the fault of poor control . We always have the feeling that we are the ones responsible for our mistakes, and of course the adrenaline rush that gives us every success.
The game starts very slowly, as usual in products of this theme. We all remember the first encounter with a zombie in Resident Evil or how Rick Grimes is aware that the world has changed after leaving the hospital. The main innovation of Garage is that it does not intend to innovate. It presents us with a proposal with an aspect that we have already seen, with some enemies that we already know and with an argument that we can see again in any low cost film of those that were only published in VHS . This lack of innovation, far from being a burden, makes us feel comfortable with the game from the start. Not only for lovers of the genre, but for anyone who enjoys action games, Garage instantly becomes something familiar to us.
The Graphics Section
The graphic section of the game is not an exception to this rule. Retro-style graphics do not indicate that the visual aspect of the program has been neglected. On the contrary, the level of detail of the characters and the scenarios makes it clear to us that the responsible studio has taken care to provide coherence to the entire title . We have seen games in which a retro aesthetic is used to mask a lack of work in the characters and especially on the stage. This is not the case of Garage , which oozes retro charm in all its corners. Maybe some lighting is missing in some areas, something that is understandable given the theme and setting of the game, but it is possible that we hit against a wall too many times. The battered nose of Butch finds in the walls of the game an enemy more powerful than the substances that consumes.
As regards the sound and the rest of the setting, the work is equally impeccable. The ideal thing for this game is to make use of headphones, although the one that writes this analysis confesses to be quite cagón and has been incapable to bear the tension to play it thus for a long time. The game is not free of scares that will make those who jump jump with those dogs that jump out the window of the Resident Evil mansion, so if you are one of those who enjoy them, do not hesitate to use some. Both the music adapted to each situation and the rest of the sound effects contribute to create an atmosphere that catches us at times.
The series B movie
At this stage of the film - series B movie, everything is said - we all know that there are several types of zombies. From the most classic with their slow and clumsy movements that you could get away with easily, at least when they did not make up hordes, the zombies-or infected-fast that gave chase in milliseconds. The most common enemies of this game are closer to this second type, and they are not the most classic zombies, so it might not be a great idea to go straight to a group of them. The other main group of enemies of the game, soldiers, are obviously much more dangerous than zombies. A well-polished artificial intelligence coupled with its ability to use firearms , make the levels populated by these enemies can easily become a headache.
As said earlier that the game consists of a top-down perspective, which in theory could give us a tactical advantage by knowing where our enemies are before they see us. But TinyBuild and Zombie Dynamics were not going to be so kind to us. The reality is that if your character has no direct angle of vision with the enemy, you simply do not see him. If you hide behind a column or any corner, you will not see if there is an enemy around until you make eye contact with him. From a room you will see the door, but without knowing what is behind until you open it with a delicate kick. This gives rise to unique situations and provides a tension component that feels like a glove to a game of this type. It has happened to us that, in a phase of secrecy, we have entered a room that seemed to be empty and we have fallen flat on our faces with a few soldiers who have put us in our place.
Luckily, the developers are not so bad and the save points are very well distributed throughout the map. Every time you go to a conflicted zone the game is saved , which means that you do not have to repeat too much progress each time you die, which will be a few times throughout the game.
Gameplay
Although Garage is basically an action game, in reality one of the main difficulties is to manage well the few resources we have. The first aid kits and ammunition are our most precious asset, and practically the only one we will have for history to come to fruition. Sooner than later, and surely by the bad, we will learn that it is better to use the ax to safeguard a couple of bullets for when they really need us. Before we talked about a couple of types of enemies, but the game consists of many more. Rats, double-headed dogs, electric machines that will put us in trouble and of course final bosses much harder than all the previous ones. Although at the easiest level the abundance of ammunition and health items makes things much easier, if you play in a more advanced difficulty mode, look carefully at who you shoot and do not do it unless absolutely necessary.
Because you're going to need all your skill and everything you find in your adventure to discover what noses a guy like you does in a place like this. And is that the story of Butch and how we discover little by little the plot that surrounds us is one of the great attractions of the game . His relationship with his father, with his wife and with the characters that we will find later become one of the spurs that make us play one more game.
The growing difficulty makes us get used to their game system before finishing stamping the console against the wall, deranged by that area that resists us. The variety is given by phases in which a psychotropic substance makes us see the environment beyond what is visible to the naked eye, phases in which exploration and puzzles become the basis of the level forcing us to search through all the rooms, phases of mandatory secrecy -because we are stripped of our weapons- in which we will have to use patience as a main weapon or some phase of flight in which we will use a motorcycle to dodge zombies and obstacles until we reach our destination. And although we want to avoid bigger spoilers, we can not talk about persecutions without naming chapter 10. Something that is sure to surprise more than one.
Conclusion
Garage is essentially a fun game. It is the realization that you do not need a team of two hundred people in a multinational to do things right. It is a game made with love and dedication that exudes the quality that its creators have known how to print. With a solid base that is based on direct action, a story that engages so that we always want to play a little while longer and a game system that supports both very short games, of just a few minutes, and several hours of game sessions, and the obligation to manage our resources and therefore to explore the map to its last corner, Garage is a game that returns each of the cash invested in your purchase, and one of the safest bets if you like the genre, if you want to have a fun time, if you are looking for the simplicity of classics.
Happy Gaming!!!