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Will the Block block you?
TheRpgmakerAddict- 03/31/2023 08:41 AM
- 257 views
Ciao!!
The Block is a game made by my fellow countryman Testament (author of a pretty cool game, Pocket Quest (originally released in italian and then translated in english, but this can be a cool review for one of the next weeks).
This game is based on a true story: a developer has to made an rpgmaker game for an event, but has only one week to do that. The problem is that he wasted all the month he had to program a new game due to a terrible curse, a creative block! But will be able to overcome this terrible distress and be able to make something complete and maybe good? Or will he waste also the last week and fail?
The legend says that the story of the game was based on its realization, since it was made for the RPG2S (good old italian rpgmaker site!) Cursed Contest #1 (2022), where it earned the first prize. Cool!
How is the gameplay? Well, not what I expected: Testament to replicate the terrible experience of overcoming a creator block choose a series of minigames, sort of quicktime events in which you have to make enough progress to fill a bar in order to make more progress in developing a game. Make 100% before the end of the week and you make it, otherwise... well you don't! I must admit that in my first (blind) playthrough I did 80% but I could probably have done better. Well maybe!
Apparently having fun is part of the creative process... and also mashing the Z key, but my keyboard is asking for mercy!
Anyway how are these minigames? Well in one you have to mash a key to keep the indicator on a green zone in order to make the red bar advance, in another you have to solve mini-mazes, there is one where you have to balance the cursor on a green area pressing right and left, and one in which you have to push the Z key when the red sliding indicator that moves horizontally is over the central green area. I remember also another where you have to enter various sequences of four directional arrows (like "left, left, up, right" or... well you get the idea), but what they all have in common is the limited time. And the final ̶b̶a̶t̶t̶l̶e̶ day has a stage in which you have to play ALL the minigames at once.
To be honest I hated some of these minigames, especially the one in which you have to mash desperately the Z key like there is no tomorrow, others like the mini-maze one (the one where coincidentally I did my best!) were ok. If I am right entering the wrong sequences or failing to press when the indicator is in the green zones means losing points on the bar rather that earning it, unfortunately the second stage, the one with the sliding indicator that moves sometimes did not seem to work correctly as intended.
Visually the game uses some minimalist animated backgrounds in greyscale that depict what our hero is doing. Characters are stylized but their animations changes depending on the progresses made. That's good, for music and sounds I must admit that all is ok, not memorable but it works.
It's the final day and I've to show that I mastered all these minigames... sigh, not a chance!
Final Verdict
This was The Block. Well, I admit that I hoped that there were some little adventure segments between these minigames but hey, that's me. It's perfectly fine as an event game, I liked the graphics, and good job in making all these different minigames, especially for the last level that switches between them! Sadly... I'm not fan of this kind of gameplay, except when it's used as an (optional) addition to a different game, in which you can earn some bonuses (as we saw in other, bigger games such as Theia or The Lonely League). Ok, probably I hate some of these minigames because I sucked at them, but hey, mashing Z isn't exactly fun (or not as fun as solving mini-mazes).
It's an ok game, I liked some aspects more than others but I guess that if you like this kind of challenge and find it fun, go along!
The Block is a game made by my fellow countryman Testament (author of a pretty cool game, Pocket Quest (originally released in italian and then translated in english, but this can be a cool review for one of the next weeks).
This game is based on a true story: a developer has to made an rpgmaker game for an event, but has only one week to do that. The problem is that he wasted all the month he had to program a new game due to a terrible curse, a creative block! But will be able to overcome this terrible distress and be able to make something complete and maybe good? Or will he waste also the last week and fail?
The legend says that the story of the game was based on its realization, since it was made for the RPG2S (good old italian rpgmaker site!) Cursed Contest #1 (2022), where it earned the first prize. Cool!
How is the gameplay? Well, not what I expected: Testament to replicate the terrible experience of overcoming a creator block choose a series of minigames, sort of quicktime events in which you have to make enough progress to fill a bar in order to make more progress in developing a game. Make 100% before the end of the week and you make it, otherwise... well you don't! I must admit that in my first (blind) playthrough I did 80% but I could probably have done better. Well maybe!
Apparently having fun is part of the creative process... and also mashing the Z key, but my keyboard is asking for mercy!
Anyway how are these minigames? Well in one you have to mash a key to keep the indicator on a green zone in order to make the red bar advance, in another you have to solve mini-mazes, there is one where you have to balance the cursor on a green area pressing right and left, and one in which you have to push the Z key when the red sliding indicator that moves horizontally is over the central green area. I remember also another where you have to enter various sequences of four directional arrows (like "left, left, up, right" or... well you get the idea), but what they all have in common is the limited time. And the final ̶b̶a̶t̶t̶l̶e̶ day has a stage in which you have to play ALL the minigames at once.
To be honest I hated some of these minigames, especially the one in which you have to mash desperately the Z key like there is no tomorrow, others like the mini-maze one (the one where coincidentally I did my best!) were ok. If I am right entering the wrong sequences or failing to press when the indicator is in the green zones means losing points on the bar rather that earning it, unfortunately the second stage, the one with the sliding indicator that moves sometimes did not seem to work correctly as intended.
Visually the game uses some minimalist animated backgrounds in greyscale that depict what our hero is doing. Characters are stylized but their animations changes depending on the progresses made. That's good, for music and sounds I must admit that all is ok, not memorable but it works.
It's the final day and I've to show that I mastered all these minigames... sigh, not a chance!
Final Verdict
This was The Block. Well, I admit that I hoped that there were some little adventure segments between these minigames but hey, that's me. It's perfectly fine as an event game, I liked the graphics, and good job in making all these different minigames, especially for the last level that switches between them! Sadly... I'm not fan of this kind of gameplay, except when it's used as an (optional) addition to a different game, in which you can earn some bonuses (as we saw in other, bigger games such as Theia or The Lonely League). Ok, probably I hate some of these minigames because I sucked at them, but hey, mashing Z isn't exactly fun (or not as fun as solving mini-mazes).
It's an ok game, I liked some aspects more than others but I guess that if you like this kind of challenge and find it fun, go along!
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Testament
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CloseTi ringrazio molto (in ritardo, sorry). Mi rendo conto che questo genere di giochi, soprattutto se non divertenti come Warioware, non siano per tutti. Del resto vengo da un'epoca in cui Track'n'field spopolava in sala e le bestemmie e i polsi che ci ho lasciato li so solo io. Bestemmie che ho attirato al mio indirizzo in particolare col minigioco della pressione di Z come se non ci fosse un domani, ma per tutto c'è un motivo e il gioco più "difficile" l'ho attribuito alla giornata in cui sei fuori con gli amici, che rende praticamente impossibile pensare concretamente a un progetto.
Anche tu vedo hai avuto problemi col ritmo centrale, e davvero non so spiegarmi perché, tutti quelli che l'hanno provato, e io stesso nei 100mila test che ho fatto, non hanno avuto problemi, se non per mancanza di abilità (cosa che non voglio insinuare), ma RPGMaker2003 si comporta stranamente a seconda del PC e i giochi "action" non sempre rispondono a modo.
Thank you very much (late, sorry). I realize that these kinds of games, especially if they aren't as fun as Warioware, aren't for everyone. After all, I come from an era in which Track'n'Field was a thing at the arcade and only I know the curses and the wrists that I have left there. Curses that I attracted to my address in particular with the mini-game of pressing Z as if there were no tomorrow, but for everything there is a reason and the most "difficult" game I attributed to the day when you are out with the friends, which makes it practically impossible to actually think about a project.
I see you too have had problems with the central rhythm, and I really can't explain why, all those who have tried it, and myself in the 100,000 tests I've done, have had no problems, except for lack skill (which I don't mean to insinuate), but RPGMaker2003 behaves strangely depending on PC and "action" games don't always respond well.
Anche tu vedo hai avuto problemi col ritmo centrale, e davvero non so spiegarmi perché, tutti quelli che l'hanno provato, e io stesso nei 100mila test che ho fatto, non hanno avuto problemi, se non per mancanza di abilità (cosa che non voglio insinuare), ma RPGMaker2003 si comporta stranamente a seconda del PC e i giochi "action" non sempre rispondono a modo.
Thank you very much (late, sorry). I realize that these kinds of games, especially if they aren't as fun as Warioware, aren't for everyone. After all, I come from an era in which Track'n'Field was a thing at the arcade and only I know the curses and the wrists that I have left there. Curses that I attracted to my address in particular with the mini-game of pressing Z as if there were no tomorrow, but for everything there is a reason and the most "difficult" game I attributed to the day when you are out with the friends, which makes it practically impossible to actually think about a project.
I see you too have had problems with the central rhythm, and I really can't explain why, all those who have tried it, and myself in the 100,000 tests I've done, have had no problems, except for lack skill (which I don't mean to insinuate), but RPGMaker2003 behaves strangely depending on PC and "action" games don't always respond well.
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1
