
-
Featured in one of the Indie World Directs, Supermash seemed like one of those titles that could go either way. Conceptually taking two genres and creating games that are a mash-up of them both sounds incredibly cool. But if you spend a few minutes trying to contemplate how this would be done effectively, and in a way that’s fun, you can quickly realize it would be quite an undertaking to get things right in even a few, let alone all, of the potential combinations the game supports. To a degree the experiences being hit or miss could likely be expected, just in the time I spent playing it the main issue was that I can’t say I ever played a combination that represented that “Eureka!” moment where it came together. Whether the issue was a lack of clarity in what you’re supposed to even be doing, objectives that were either too easy or in some cases even impossible to meet, or controls that are just a bit too awkward or sluggish it just never seems to come together convincingl. The result is a string of generally flawed or half-baked gameplay you’ll more often endure than enjoy, patiently waiting to see it pay off, but I can’t say I ever got a taste of that desired outcome. There’s no doubt the game bit off more than it could chew, but reflecting on the challenge it put itself up to I actually question whether it was doomed to struggle from the concept itself. By deconstructing and then cobbling back together elements from different genres in a haphazard way you seem to inherently force yourself into, at best, being a jack of all trades but master of none and if there’s no clear combination that delivers a superior experience it seems to defeat the purpose of even trying.
Justin Nation, Score:Fair [6.2]