Scurge: Hive

It's easy to harp on the Metroid Fusion similarities (which are numerous), but Scurge: Hive stands on its own as a solidly fun title. The game took me about ten and a half hours all told, and once you complete Normal mode, you can go on to play Hard, then Super Hard, then Bleeding Eye Sockets modes, if you're into that sort of thing (these being the only forms of replay/unlockables).

It's not going to win any graphical awards, but most things look crisp and clear (there are a few perspective-related visual glitches). Likewise the soundtrack isn't epic, with level themes ranging from "pretty good" to "meh," but sound effects are surprisingly effective, especially given the hectic nature of the game's pacing.

The infection timer is a really cool gimmick, and really the feature that makes it more than just a Metroid knock-off. It, along with hordes of enemies, alters the whole game atmosphere significantly. Your goal isn't exploration: it's survival. The levels aren't designed for the player to probe the minutiae of crumbled walls, but for the player to shoot the fuck out of the weird monsters in the way and get the hell out of there. As such, backtracking isn't a research expedition but a liability, and if you miss a keycard (required to open some doors) going back for it is a royal pain.

Whether the "To be continued" at the end of the credits will be fulfilled remains to be seen, as Scurge was a fairly low budget project from a fairly low budget studio, but at the same time it is living proof that the small development team is not dead. I admit that my initial expectations were quite low, but I was very pleasantly surprised. Kudos to you, Orbital. (Give me Pirate Battle!)

Progress: Beat normal mode