Game Review | Superflight
Game summary: Fly in a wing-suit through colourful mountainscapes and try to score as many points as possible by pulling off risky proximity manoeuvres. (superflightgame.com)
I can't remember how I first found Superflight, but I do know it was cheap and fun for a long time. Like many other small indie games (this was made by three students) that rely on a single 'gimmick', it does prove repetitive if you play it for any great length of time, but it's so much fun that it can take quite a while to happen.
The reason I found it so addictive is because it's a relaxing thrill, as much as that mind sound like an oxymoron. This is mainly because you can choose just how dangerously you want to live, and how close you want to get to the procedurally-generated environments.
The visuals do the job, but not much more, with it looking more like you're controlling a cardboard cutout, but they at least convey a convincing sense of speed to your movement and depth to each location. However, it's the sound that's the real star.
In all honesty, there isn't much more to it than wind noises, but it's all so satisfyingly convincing that it improves the entire experience immeasurably - and it sounds even better if you're wearing headphones. I don't know if the students used actual wind sounds or not, but it absolutely works regardless.
And you do get to enjoy it because the controls are so simple - you're always falling, so you only have to worry about how fast and in what direction. That's probably the lasting appeal of such a simple title: every mistake feels like your fault, rather than Superflight messing things up for you.
It all combines into such a neat little package that makes Superflight more than the sum of its parts, and an enjoyable time-waster. You've got the freedom to make it as chill or exciting as you'd like, and it has that 'one more go' nature to it that can make an intended 5-minute session actually end up being much, much longer.
Superflight is a limited game, but a lot of fun. Outside of the new Spider-Man game, the wing-suit in this is probably the most fun method of travel you'll find in a game. And, while the graphics are functional at best, the roaring wind sounds phenomenal - especially on headphones.
Comments