The XBLA indie games have seen tons of improvement since its beginning. Now more than ever it is really easy to find a good game for only a dollar. Edible Entertainment‘s Veks and Silence is a great example of such a game. V and S combines a very unique art style with gory 2D side-scrolling shooting to make a one of a kind experience that you can’t find anywhere else. Though the game isn’t without its problems, V and S is a fun game and can easily justify the one dollar price of entry.
Veks and Silence does not have much of a story, certainly not one you will care about. Thankfully, V and S doesn’t need a story to be fun. To put it simply, zombies have taken over and it is up to you, Silence, to help rid the world of these flesh-eating baddies. Zombies aren’t the only monster you will be fighting, however. There are also radioactive flying sharks, multiple types of stationary turrets, and a number a different gun wielding robots to name a few. Every enemy has a weakness that you must exploit by using a certain weapon.
There are four different weapons in V and S: the pistol, sniper rifle, shotgun, and heavy machine gun, all of which have different firing types (obviously) and different weights which will effect how high Silence jumps. Edible Entertainment does a good job of making each weapon useful in different situations. This being said, I think it would have been very smart to implement some type of system to buy/upgrade your weapons and not have them all unlocked from the get go.
V and S uses money as the score for how you do on each run through the game. Once you die, you lose all your money should you retry at the beginning of a level. Again, I really would have liked if the money you acquired in game could actually be used in some way. Sadly, all it is used for is the score. The score system itself is pretty much pointless considering that there is only a local scoreboard, and unless you share a Gamer Tag with someone else in your house, you will be seeing your name on the board exclusively.
The game can also be a bit excessive in difficulty at times as well, especially for not having different difficulty modes. You will most likely have to play a level more than 10 times to complete it which can become very frustrating to any casual gamer. The difficulty does add to the game’s lasting appeal, but if you are someone who isn’t looking for a challenge V and S probably isn’t for you. The main reason behind the game’s difficulty is its bad control scheme. It is almost impossible to kill some of the high mounted turrets because Silence can’t aim upward from a stand-still position. This makes the turrets your hardest enemy and will most likely kill you the majority of the time.
The different levels of V and S all have a unique feel and look. You certainly will never feel like you have been to the same place twice (unless it’s because of playing the level so many times to complete it). The game is full of color and has a interesting 3D cartoon look to it. It is very clear from the second you start the game that V and S has a great art style.
Veks and Silence comes short in the soundtrack department, however. The music for the game isn’t too bad but when you overlay Silence’s incredibly annoying yelps, it will make your ears bleed. The game’s audio is so annoying that I was forced to turn down the volume to a quiet setting.
Overall, Veks and Silence is not a perfect game but it is still a fun way to pass an afternoon. Even with the game’s many flaws, V and S still stands out with its strong visuals and enjoyable gun play. There are also plenty of little gems in the “cut scenes” that will give you a chuckle such as the MGS communicator gag. V and S is well worth your dollar and will certainly provide a few hours of fun. To hear more from Edible Entertainment make sure you check them out on Twitter and visit their website.
