Written by: Alex

 

 

 

"The Dishwasher: Vampire’s Smile" continues developer Ska Studios’ run of stylish, mechanically tight games. The 2D side-scrolling, blood-soaked, slash’em-up sits as a mix of both old and new game concepts, picking the best of each to create something that feels fresh and fun.

 

 

Beginning in a prison ship around the moon, I take control of ‘The Prisoner’, who quickly set about escaping her cell. Uncertain of herself she struggles at first, with her limited powers to make her way off the ship. Quickly she begins slipping in and out of nightmarish dreams, awaking each time to find some obstacle has been negotiated, and new abilities acquired, bringing her powers more in line with those of The Dishwasher’s from the first game. Flicking between dream and reality she finally makes it to an escape pod and heads down to the moon intent on revenge for her false imprisonment for Earth’s destruction.

 

 

After the daring escape the scene cuts and I am offer a choice, do I continue as The Prisoner or The Dishwasher, each with their own narrative through the games fourteen levels. The effect of this decision is mostly cosmetic with the level layout and basic combat remaining unchanged, but each has slightly different moves and story. But these mild changes prove more than enough to justify a second play through, if only for the fun of powering up each character’s weapons, and the fun of disemboweling and beheading hundred of cybernetic zombies as you fight your way to each of the three corrupt corporate overlords.

 

 

I have always assumed that the barrier to entry on many modern games is in the difficulty of navigating a 3D environment. But while TD:VS is 2D, its use of every button on the pad may disprove my assumption, requiring as it does a strong understanding of the controller and the underlying mechanics.

 

Despite its seemingly simple 2D perspective suggesting something more accessible, it soon proves otherwise. Simple attack and jump moves are attached to the four face buttons, allowing me to leap around the screen tearing apart all who stand in my way. These moves are then supplemented by the triggers, which modify the main for button’s effects to add magic and guns to my arsenal. The bumper buttons also play a role swapping between up to four mapped weapons on the fly, a necessary skill in some area of the game.

 

TD:VS also borrows a number of elements from recent 3D fighters. With the second analogue stick dedicated to dodges and rolls to avoid attack. This adds a sense of speed that is more reminiscent of the 3D Ninja Gaiden games than any 2D title. Dodges teleport me from one point to another instantly in a number of graphically satisfying manners, giving a sense of movement similar to that of the X-Men’s Nightcrawler.

 

 

Responsive, satisfying and with a camera that follows the action perfectly, this is a game that requires a strong familiarity with the pad and all of its functions.

 

 

Perhaps the biggest sticking point for TD:VS is its difficulty. I have no issue with hard games, but spikes in the challenge always annoy. Having navigated my way to the last level, only to have bosses from earlier level thrown at me in quick succession (or at the same time) with no gap to recover in between or check points simply felt lazy in the context of the rest of the highly constructed experience.

 

It became a frustrating challenge that I felt ill prepared to deal with and unable to overcome, forcing me restarts on easy. This then caused the problem that I was able to tear through the entire game on easy, without much challenge.