Thanks to the kind folks at Funavision, we received a code for their new indie game Duologue. As a twin-stick shooter it inevitably draws comparisons to Geometry Wars but there’s a little more to the game than that. In fact, with the inclusion of a polarity switching mechanic, there’s an Ikaruga influence on Duologue as well. Clearly Funavision intends to stand on the shoulders of some true giants in the shmup genre.
There’s not much of a plot to Duologue, although one hardly seems necessary in an an arcade shooter. All you really need to know is that you are a tank and everything on the screen that isn’t a tank is not your friend. Score points, advance to the next wave, rinse, repeat.
Reverse the polarity! Maybe!
The polarity-switching mechanic at the heart of Duologue is a welcome addition that definitely adds a bit of variety to what could be a stale example of the genre. For those unfamiliar with the concept, its a simple system where the player switches between two different coloured shots to defeat enemies of the opposite colour. Where Duologue attempts to add something new is with the ability to repel enemies as well as just shoot them.
Unfortunately, the ability to repel enemies proved to be completely redundant when I played Duologue. In order to kill an enemy, you have to shoot it with opposite coloured bullets to the enemy. When you select the opposite coloured bullet to your enemy, you also generate a shield that’s the same colour as the enemy. The opposite coloured shield repels the enemy and the opposite coloured bullet kills them. Since most enemies can be destroyed with one shot and the ones that can’t are fairly easy to avoid, I found myself never really using the shield.
Nice art direction, now use it more often
If there’s one thing I found genuinely interesting about Duologue, then it’s the visuals. Much of the game has a cute cel-shaded style. In particular, I really enjoyed the sight of a weird little eyeball surrounded by bubbles floating around the screen. Other bosses and minibosses share this aesthetic and it gives the game a unique flavour that I’ve not encountered before .
However, there are some glaring inconsistencies in the art direction that I found irritating. One enemy that’s thrown at you is an awful little sprite that looks like a Boglin. Other mundane enemies appear from time to time and further compound the sense that half of Duologue’s art direction was incredibly well thought out and the other half was utterly throwaway.
A few other points worth mentioning:
- The game costs 240 MS points and I’d say that’s a fair price.
- I did not have a chance to check out the 4-player co-op mode.
- There are a total of three game modes, none of which do much to differentiate themselves from one another. They’re basically just different scoring systems with no alterations to the core mechanics.
- For an arcade shooter, it isn’t very challenging. I found myself getting to the halfway point on my first playthrough. Personally I appreciated the gentle increase in difficulty but if you are seeking a brutal challenge then this may not be the game for you.
- There is a rhythmic element to the scoring, however it is very subtle and I didn’t find myself making use of it. If you shoot an enemy to the beat of the music, it increases your score. Whilst I appreciate the depth this adds for expert players, I wonder how many expert players of a small indie title there will be.
When Duologue moves beyond the standard arena shooter formula, it does so in incredibly subtle ways. If its more inventive mechanics were made essential to success this would be an exemplary game. As it stands, I found Duologue to be a simple, fun shooter with vibrant if inconsistent visuals. A fine example of the genre and a reason to keep an eye on the developer.
You should play this game if…
…you enjoy arena shooters and like cel-shaded graphics.
Final score
Impressive presentation lifts this twin-stick shooter well above mediocrity.
