escapeVektor 3DS Review: A modern Pac-Man

escapeVektor
Platform: 3DS (Reviewed), Vita
Publisher: Nnooo
Genre: Arcade

escapeVektor was originally a WiiWare game that came out last year on the Nintendo Wii Shop. What was originally supposed to be split up into four chapters has now been combined into with all four chapters in this year’s release on the 3DS eShop and the Playstation Vita’s PSN. escapeVektor Chapter 1 was one of my favorite digital releases of 2011 and it has been a long and worthwhile wait for the full version a year later. The following review relates to the 3DS version of escapeVektor.

The game follows Vektor, who is trapped in your Nintendo 3DS and is enslaved to do the CPU’s dirty work. With your help, he can finally unlock his past memories and escape the CPU’s clutches and finally find freedom. As you progress throughout the game, you finally learn how he got to where he is now and just how evil the CPU really is.

This game is essentially a modern arcade style game of Pac-Man. To complete a level, you need to successfully go over all the unmarked lines while avoiding the different swarms of enemies sent to destroy you. As the game progresses, you will unlock new abilities as well get upgrades to your current abilities. Your main abilities include the ability to boost for a short period and the nice ability to destroy all around you. Eventually you unlock better boost abilities and a great storage to hold the boost and bomb abilities. Of course, you’re not the only one who get upgraded. Along with the levels eventually throwing tricks in your path, the enemies also start to become upgraded with some chasing you instead of their usual set paths as well others that will undo any of your marked lines. All together, this makes for one awesome and at times insane arcade like game setting. If that wasn’t enough, beyond the four chapters filled with a lot of levels comes a huge amount of extra bonus worlds and online leaderboards.

The simplistic look really works well for it. The colorful backgrounds and tilting camera also helps make the 3D effect look great as well. Because the world tilts a little as you move through each level, the 3D adds some nice depth to it. The bottom screen is used in a very creative fashion to show you what’s below you and coming next. Most other games I’ve played might just use the bottom screen as a score board or just a blank screen. Luckily it is used in a sense that becomes needed and useful on a two screen device. Other then the gameplay itself, the music of the game is one of its best features. The grooving music really makes each stage addictive and really makes you want to continue on to the next level instead of calling it quits for the day. Overall, this game not only plays great, it also looks and sounds great.

If you are looking for a fun game to play, this is the game for you. At four times the content for only a $10 price tag, you can’t go wrong. With an awesome soundtrack and hours upon hours to unwind and try to beat your and your friends’ high scores, there is a lot to do here. Anyone looking for a modern style arcade game should look no further. This game will last you a long, long while.

Rating: 10/10