Flotilla (video game)
Flotilla | ||
---|---|---|
Designer(s) Brendon Chung | | |
Engine | XNA | |
Platform(s) | ||
Release | Xbox 360
| |
Genre(s) | Turn-based strategy | |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer (co-operative) |
Flotilla is a 2010
Chung began developing Flotilla immediately after the closure of
Gameplay
Flotilla is a three-dimensional simultaneous
At the beginning of the game, the player is usually given two ships to control, but more become available as the game continues. Ships may be rotated arbitrarily in any direction.[5]: 2 The single-player mode is an "adventure" that can be played an indefinite number of times. These adventures have a duration of around 30 minutes.[6] The character dies at the end of each adventure and the player is given the option to play again.[5]: 2 A hardcore mode, which removes the solo mode's standard 30-minute time limit, was later added to the game.[5][6] Each time the player starts a new adventure, a new galaxy is randomly generated and filled with planets and enemy ships.[5] The player may take a short tutorial before beginning the adventure.[4]
Each planet offers a possible quest or challenge to the player. Challenges are tactical battles in which the player must fight against a variety of enemies.[3] However, ships can be harmed only from behind or below; attacks from any other position will be countered by the ships' shields.[7] Upon succeeding, a new chapter is added to the player's character's story, and the player is rewarded with ship upgrades.[4] These upgrades are used to customize ships with improvements, such as increased firing speed or heavier rear armor. The upgrades available to the player upon finishing each encounter with an enemy can vary, so the player may not receive the same upgrade by playing the same encounter in two different adventures. Flotilla has cooperative and split-screen multiplayer modes that can be played with an additional Xbox 360 controller.[3]
Development
Flotilla was developed by Brendon Chung's video game studio,
The concept of Flotilla came from a combination of "sci-fi like
Before Flotilla, Chung worked on a prototype, a
On February 27, 2020, Flotilla's 10th release anniversary, Blendo games released the game's
Reception
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
Metacritic | 72/100[14] |
Publication | Score |
---|---|
Edge | 7/10[15] |
GameZone | 7.0/10[16] |
PC Gamer (UK) | 78/100[17] |
PC Gamer (US) | 81/100[18] |
PC Zone | 71/100[19] |
Flotilla received a mixed response from video game journalists upon release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the game received an average score of 72 based on 7 reviews.[14] British magazine Edge included Flotilla in its 2010 list of the Best 20 Indie Games available in the Xbox Live Marketplace, and acknowledged that the game was "as exacting as it is quirky, a stiff challenge beneath a sugar coating."[20] Mike Rose included Flotilla in his book 250 Indie Games You Must Play.[21]
The American version of PC Gamer commented that Flotilla "is a charmingly crafted bite-size portion of tactical fun".[18] Meanwhile, the British version of the magazine elaborated that although the game had its share of "charm and character," it was nonetheless a random experience.[17] PC Zone UK characterized Flotilla as stylish and funny, but concluded that it was a "sadly disposable" experience.[19] Edge gave a mixed response to the game, but praised the battles, which they considered "engaging despite their simplicity."[15] An editor from the website Charge Shot praised the game's artificial intelligence and overall design, but criticized the multiplayer mode.[7]
Joe Martin from Bit-Tech named Flotilla a "hilarious and brazenly original" game. However, he criticized the interface and navigation gameplay, which he condemned as "trying to pilot a radio-controlled helicopter with someone else's feet." He also mentioned the lack of a speed-up feature in battles; he considered such a feature necessary for the game.[22] GameZone's Tom Dann also felt frustrated by the ship maneuvering mechanics, though he concluded that they "can also be rewarding and entertaining".[16] Flotilla was nominated for the 2011 Independent Games Festival Visions Award,[23] but lost to Amnesia: The Dark Descent.[24] It was also listed among the Honorable Mentions for the Excellence in Visual Art and Excellence in Design awards.[24]
Sequel
Blendo Games announced Flotilla 2 in April 2018, with a then-expected release date of August 1, 2018. It was released on August 17, 2018. The sequel is designed for virtual reality hardware and initially exclusive to the HTC Vive headset; the virtual reality aspect allows players to move around the space environment to plan out their tactics.[25]
References
- Microsoft Corporation. Archived from the originalon April 2, 2014. Retrieved March 29, 2014.
- ^ "Flotilla". Steam. Valve. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
- ^ a b c Plunkett, Luke (February 2, 2010). "Flotilla, For All The Homeworld Fans Out There". Kotaku. Gawker Media. Archived from the original on April 12, 2010. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
- ^ a b c d Chung, Brendon. Flotilla (Windows). Blendo Games. 2010.
- ^ Future Publishing. Archived from the originalon April 4, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g Harris, Phil (July 12, 2010). "Brendon Chung (Blendo Games) – Interview". Square Go. Archived from the original on September 26, 2012. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
- ^ a b Rob (March 17, 2010). "Review: Flotilla, or Ender's Game: The Game". Charge Shot. Archived from the original on July 1, 2013. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
- Sci Fi. Archived from the originalon February 27, 2009. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
- ^ AnthonyD (February 8, 2010). "Blendo Games Interview". The Gamers Hub. Archived from the original on January 10, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
- ^ Novo Staff (April 28, 2014). Gaming Week: Flotilla Archived April 29, 2014, at the Wayback Machine . Novo Adagio. Retrieved on April 29, 2014.
- ^ flotilla source release on blendogames.com (2020-02-27)
- ^ blendo-games-have-open-sourced-their-strategic-space-adventure-flotilla on gamingonlinux.com (2020)
- ^ "Source code of tactical space game Flotilla (2010)". GitHub. Blendo Games. 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
- ^ CBS Interactive Inc. Archivedfrom the original on August 17, 2010. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
- ^ Future Publishing. May 2010. p. 102.
- ^ a b Dann, Tom (June 22, 2010). "Flotilla Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on March 16, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
- ^ Future Publishing. September 2010. p. 95.
- ^ Future Publishing. p. 81.
- ^ Future Publishing. June 2010. p. 87.
- Future Publishing. Archived from the originalon April 4, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
- ISBN 9781439875759. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
- ^ Martin, Joe (March 14, 2010). "Flotilla Review". Bit-Tech. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
- Gamasutra. February 16, 2011. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
- ^ a b "2011 Independent Games Festival Winners". Independent Games Festival. 2011. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
- ^ Brown, Fraser (April 26, 2018). "Flotilla 2 will fling you into tactical space battles in VR". PC Gamer. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
External links