13AM's multiplayer endeavour is the most fun I had in a while!
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/hands-on-preview/40935/gamescom-2015-runbow-just-leaves-you-smiling-wii-u
After playing it at MIX in June 2015, I wanted to play Runbow one more time. It proved incredibly addicting and we just constantly laughed with a big group of nine folks. How would that be with a smaller and more focused group of two to four people? Well, it turns that the game is just as fun and clever and a blast from beginning to end. Runbow has become my most hyped Wii U eShop game and it has taken over my heart.
If you haven't heard about Runbow, allow me to fill in the blanks. The game is a 2D sidescrolling run and destroy ordeal and your main objective is simply getting to the end. While it does sound plain, Runbow ensures at every step that it isn't. While running and punching may get you ahead, timing your movement is also very important. The background colour constantly changes and this makes platforms appear and disappear. You can feel safe at the one point, but be completely stunned at another. Runbow keeps you on your feet and wants you to stay sharp at all times.
What makes it such a blast is that the focus gets constantly shattered in a barrage of surprises. Levels feature a variety of obstacles and being at the beginning of the screen will not always help you. Players can perform simple combos to stop an opponent completely in their tracks and force them to move to the back. Next to that, there are a variety of items that you can pick up like one that switches you with another player or another that flips the screen upside down. Every time mayhem occurred, I just laughed it off and threw a remark towards my opponent. It became a true back and forth struggle, which made me keep playing for a good number of hours.
This Run mode is, however, just the start of Runbow's diverse offerings. Another fun mode were the Arena battles, which are single screen challenges against other players. With your easy combos and the obstacles in the environment, you will have to ensure that every enemy meets their doom. There are rooms filled with pits, spikes and lava so staying on point is extremely important. Then there is the King of the Hill, where players have to hit a spot for a certain amount of seconds. These spots are usually placed at very tricky spots, but unlike other modes you will keep returning for obvious reasons. It allows you to take more risks and make that victory all the sweeter!
The final multiplayer focused mode is Colour Master, which sees one player using the Wii U GamePad to place a variety of traps. You will place bombs, remove the colours from the world, switch around the controls and remove platforms by splatting paint all over the place. The Wii U GamePad player decides who lives or dies and working together as a team is every important to survive. It is a very interesting way to bring a whole bunch of people together and let them work with one another towards a common goal.
You will also work alone or friends in a specially tailored adventure mode. This contains a variety of missions for you to uncover and each has their own objectives in place. You will have to collect coins, destroy enemies or simply survive the level to the best of your abilities. If your character performs the final act, you get to choose which mission you tackle next. With objectives of different difficulties, you can make it as devious as you want to. Your ultimate goal is to complete all four maps and that isn't an easy task in the slightest.
What makes Runbow stand out aren't just the ways that you can play the game. While you can tweak the multiplayer experience with custom rules, there are bigger achievements in the package. You can play the multiplayer modes with other people online for example, which makes it perfect for any given situation. 13AM Games, the developer of Runbow, did say that it won't run natively through the Nintendo Network. There will be a way to invite friends or play random matches however.
Locally though, this is the ultimate party game. Runbow can be played with up to nine people, which is quite unprecedented. You will be able to grab four Wii Remotes and attach a nunchunk or Classic Controller to each. Together with the Wii U GamePad, it seems like the very best way to get some friends together. If you don't have any Remotes, don't sweat it. As long as you have a smaller group, you are free to use Wii U Pro Controllers as well. 13AM Games really cares and wants anyone to jump into the festivities, which I really applaud.
Next to all of this, the developers have various achievements in place and some will unlock one of several guest characters. There will be options like Rusty from SteamWorld Dig, CommanderVideo from BIT.TRIP, Shovel Knight from Shovel Knight and so many more to choose from. Each of these characters has a cool taunt animation, which you can activate by pressing a button. By playing the various modes, you will unlock music and art, which you can all look at in a handy dandy gallery!
Runbow looks truly sharp on the Wii U. With a colourful and friendly style, it will appeal to players of all sizes. There is a comic book vibe to it, which makes me overly happy and jump for joy. After a player's victory or everyone's crushing defeat, delightful messages will play before the next level pops in. They are laugh out loud funny and worth paying attention to. The music gives it all an extra jazz flavour, which is perfect for being on the run!
For the complete duration of Gamescom 2015, I played Runbow for almost five hours. While that may seem crazy, I just had a blast racing through the levels and finding new players to battle. Everyone can understand Runbow, but mastering every trick is a completely different game. If you are playing alone or with friends, Runbow just brings smiles and laughs to whoever gives it a look. That is the showing of a strong video game.
Topic: Gamescom 2015: Runbow Just Leaves You Smiling (Wii U) (Read 1414 times)
