Game Review: Rochard
Billy O'Keefe - Mclatchy -Tribune News Service
Oct 07, 2011
For: Playstation 3 (via Playstation Network)
From: Sony Online Entertainment
ESRB Rating: Teen (suggestive themes, mild language, fantasy violence)
Price: $10
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Sidescrolling puzzle-platformers have flooded the downloadable market over the last few years, but there's no such thing as too much of a good thing when the quality bar is this high. "Rochard" gets its name from lead character John Rochard, a salt-of-the-universe astro-miner miner who turns superman when his crew comes under attack by space bandits.
The game eventually outfits you with traditional firepower and explosives, but for a good while, your only means of defense are a device that changes gravity on the fly and a tractor beam that can push, pull and throw objects. "Rochard" presents combat applications for both, but the real treat comes from the clever ways you must use the beam and gravity (and, eventually, other gadgets) to safely traverse from room to room. Reliable controls, believable physics, sensible puzzle design and generous checkpoints make for a game that's universally accessible.
But "Rochard" isn't afraid to make you work, filling levels with enemies and puzzles that require timing and controller finesse as well as brainpower to overcome. (That goes triple when, as occasionally happens, the gravity reverses and you must play upside down.) "Rochard's" audiovisual presentation is terrific, with a funny voice cast and a great look that will remind many of "Team Fortress 2." The lengthy adventure easily commands the $10 asking price, and if you're up for it, the harder puzzles standing in the way of bonus collectables - along with a special trophy for speed runners - make it worth replaying once and possibly twice.
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