Developer: Bitmap Bros. Publisher: Mindscape Release: 1992 Genre: Action
Action puzzle games are usually not my cup of tea. Not that I am a meathead but if given the choice between shooting fools in Contra III or taxing my brain in Lemmings, I’m going to go with Contra every time. That being said when they hook me they get me good. Gods was completely not on my radar. But when I was given the game I gave it a chance and came away impressed. It has its extremely frustrating moments but overall it has a lot to offer those who like to think as well as platform.
Gods was originally an Amiga and Atari ST game that saw various ports, chief among them the SNES and Genesis. Its story sees four Guardians invade the realm of the Gods and take their place. The gods offer to grant one wish to any hero strong enough to defeat the Guardians. The unnamed hero sets forth, with his prize being a seat among the Gods themselves.
Gods is both a platformer and a puzzle game, with equal weight given to both. Your hero is not the most agile with every move needing consideration. It is a lot like Castlevania in that regard except not as rigid. There are a large variety of weapons to purchase or find, and these stack. Eventually you can pile wide beams, daggers, and bombs together to create a wide spray of destruction. The shop keeper’s inventory constantly evolves as you progress and aside from food and items you can even buy a familiar late in the game.
Despite the wealth of options action is not the core of Gods. Puzzle solving is the focus and the game’s strongest element. In general every level is basically a rush to find the exit. But to reach it will require some puzzle solving. Each level has some specific task that needs completion before the exit becomes available. Usually these require finding specific items and bringing them somewhere which sounds simple but is usually anything but. You’ll have to manipulate switches, prioritize your inventory and scour every corner of the current map to reach your goal. The game offers cryptic hints that give just enough information that you can figure it out on your own. Even the sparse enemies are used to solve simple puzzles like carrying items through treacherous areas. Some levels feature multiple goals and the freedom to tackle them in any order keeps the game fresh.
Next to the puzzles the level design is overall great. Even though each area is broken down into three stages they are all one continuous map. Every stage hides secrets in every nook and cranny. Literally. The game rewards you for the simplest tasks like clearing an area without taking damage or exploring a dead end. The stages manage the tough feat of being large enough for exploration but small enough to avoid requiring a map. But as great as the level design is Gods has a number of design quirks that are baffling and keep it from being as good as it could be.
There is no one issue with Gods that brings down the experience but a series of smaller ones that pile up to make it frustrating. Enemy spawns are insanely cheap. Usually they spawn when you cross a threshold. However they often appear right on top of you and sap your health. The sluggish controls with their input delay mean you are slow to react and death will come unexpectedly often. Enemy placement is also not great and the game is riddled with far too many unavoidable hits. Like far too many European games of the time there are no invincibility frames when hit. Anything can drain your life bar in seconds and health restoring items are hard to come by or expensive. I wish the game had better balance as these flaws make it very difficult.
Those that were around in the 80s and 90s know that European games were notorious for their difficulty. Gods follows along those lines and feels punishing at times. The game is stingy with gold and you need it to buy better weapons to deal with enemies. It often comes down to healing yourself or buying weapons you will not get to use long if you don’t heal. The lack of invincibility frames is a real killer. There are so many spike traps and such that feel near impossible to avoid due to the laggy controls. If you survive long enough to reach the end of each area you will face giant bosses that feel out of place. The game would be better without them. I could tolerate the flaws if there i-frames; that one is the real deal breaker.
In Closing
Gods is a tough one to sum up. Its pacing and puzzle solving are great. But its design flaws are numerous and will turn away many. I like it and consider it above average but also acknowledge that it is an acquired taste.
