Act: Cellblock Squadrons [by Super Furious Software]

Game Review: Cellblock Squadrons
Release Date: January 24, 2005
Developer: Super Furious Software
Genre: Action > Shooter
System Requirements: Windows 98/Me/2000/XP, 1 Ghz Processor, GeForce 2+, ATI Radeon 8500+, 128MB RAM, DirectX 8.1+
Players: 1
Price: $19.95
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Right away Cellblock Squadrons from Super Furious Software gets brownie points for offering a refreshing change to the space shooter formula. Rather than playing the typical “hero” character you are given the role of convicted enemy of the government, forced to work off your substantial debt to society by flying combat missions against a multitude of alien aggressors.

The gameplay takes place in 1-week increments that begin in your cell with your Prisoner Access Device, which allows you to check for e-mails from the warden, other inmates or your “automated psychiatrist”. You can even respond to some e-mails by selecting from a list of replies, usually with amusing results. The PAD is also used to access a database of information regarding alien races, ships and prison life. This is helpful in figuring out exactly what you will be facing when you launch for your mission.

Once your basic e-mails are dealt with you then select or review the upcoming mission and find out how much you will be paid…if you survive. During combat you are given points based on the amount of damage you do to the enemy and the points-leader gets to select the mission to fly the following week. This is important and provides good motivation to be aggressive. Some of your squad mates will select the low paying but relatively safe missions whereas others will choose the risky but highly rewarding ones. You must walk a fine line between repaying your debt quickly and remaining alive.

The ships that are offered for general missions are exactly what you would expect for prisoner vessels, they’re junk. Each has stats in speed, handling and armor along with special attack or defensive capabilities but in general their weaknesses negate their strengths. However, as your skills increase and you become a points-leader you will have the option to pick from more advanced experimental ships.

You pilot your ship into combat using the mouse or optional game controller and it takes some getting used to. The combat in Cellblock Squadrons is quick and furious but the ship controls can be touchy and it’s easy to over do it and send yourself spiraling in the wrong direction.

Missions rarely last longer than a few minutes and that is where a few little cracks begin to appear in an otherwise superb presentation. With such short combat sequences the majority of your time ends up spent in between missions. While this may accurately reflect the life of these prisoners it also makes for a much slower paced game.

The prison cell segments could have been more interesting if the developers had raised the believability of the e-mail and communications with your squad mates. The bulletin board system in Global Defense Network is a perfect example of how this could have been done, where many a reviewer and player were unsure of whether it was a real on-line bulletin board or just part of the game. Added to this is the noticeably generic AI for both ally and enemy ships. The result is that the differences in combat techniques for each alien species alluded to in the PAD archive rarely manifest themselves in actual combat situations.

Despite these minor hang-ups, Cellblock Squadrons offers a truly unique slant on space fighter simulation. It was clearly developed with a care and attention to detail that’s rare even for mainstream PC games and if you enjoy this genre even a little, Cellblock Squadrons is sure to find a place in you heart (and on your hard drive) for quite a while.

Graphics: +
While the space backgrounds are not as bright and exotic as those in the Starwraith series they are more than adequate for the job. The 3D models are smoother and less polygonal than those in similar games but lacking in fine texture details that would have helped sell the scale of the ships.

The static images used for story sequences and transitions between each week in your cell are surprisingly effective at setting the mood of the game. If the developers ever expand Cellblock Squadrons or produce a sequel there is real potential to add an in-depth adventure game element using these sequences. The interfaces for both the PAD and your ship’s HUD are clean and very well designed.

Again all these elements are lacking the “flash” that you see in other games but in a way that helps reaffirm the tone of Cellblock Squadrons. This is not high space adventure – you are a lowly prisoner, surrounded by people just trying to survive. There’s little room for superfluous flashy details in a world like that.

Sound: -
The music that backdrops the story sequences and time spent in your cell is of good quality and suitable for the overall mood of the game. Thankfully there are no techno beats to be found here!

In combat, the lack of any voice acting or interaction with your squad mates is noticeable, with only the thrusters, explosions and weapon sounds to keep you company and those are of standard science fiction fare. Even something as small as adding a voice-over of the warden’s orders as you launch for combat would have added points here.

Gameplay: +
The combat engine is smooth as glass and runs well even on systems below the recommended spec, as long as your graphics card supports the OpenGL features. The minimum system specs say a 1Ghz but the game ran quite nicely on my PIII 866 with an old 64MB GeForce 2 Pro card, and that’s with the level of detail cranked all the way up.

There is a patch available for the game although I found no noticeable bugs while playing and the load times between your cell and combat sequences are minimal. Overall, it’s a smooth and seamless experience that keeps you immersed in the game for long periods.

Options: +
Cellblock Squadrons gives you plenty of control over your display and audio settings as well as the ability to adjust your mouse sensitivity or select an alternate controller. Sadly, general gameplay elements, such as difficulty, are not adjustable.

Value: +
Let me put it this way – you owe the “state” $500 million dollars in combat missions in order to pay off your debt to society. That is a lot of flying time!

Fun: +
The level of difficulty ramps up nicely in terms of being able to take out the enemy and survive. You would be hard pressed to find a way to die, even intentionally, up until about the 10th mission, so players can improve their skills at their own pace. One you are ready to try to become the points-leader be prepared for an insane challenge even on earlier levels.

Like any game of this genre, you get out of it what you put into it. Sure, space combat can be repetitive since it mostly involves swooping in on a target and flying in circles until you destroy him. It’s up to you to invest yourself in the story to make the game worthwhile, and if you’re willing to do it then you will have a heck of a lot more fun.

Overall: "Try"
If you are a fan of indie space shooters / simulators you are probably used to suffering through long periods where there are simply no new games available. And usually when a new title finally is released it’s hard to play it without making immediate comparisons to other indie science fiction shooters. But while there are the inevitable similarities that go with the genre, Cellblock Squadrons packs enough original ideas and slick production values to stand out as a new high point for the genre. Recommended!
Added: October 29th 2005
Reviewer: Kyle Nau
Score:
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