1. The_Shed

   10

   You have to know what you're in for with this game to enjoy it. If you do, it's a masterpiece, one of the best examples of a small-but-oh-so-fun arcadey experience which is infinitely replayable and deep. Other reviewers obviously don't know what they're in for. A couple of hints: i) after the tutorial, every level is randomly generated EVERY TIME you play it. You can't learn the levels like other games: you have to be actually good at PLAYING it, it requires skill and practice to get better and learn how to deal with issues. ii) It's goddamn unforgiving. Hand in hand with point i), this game will take you apart repeatedly until you learn to do things like: avoid running under spiders, drop things in front of arrow traps, save ropes and bombs more than money, GET THE CLIMBING GLOVES AS FAST AS YOU CAN, stay the damn hell out of a yeti's armreach... And so on. It's wonderfully deep and infinitely new and fresh. GET IT AND ENJOY IT, FOLKS. (The only issues I've noted are very, very rare bugs and... That's it. It's great stuff, and I haven't even tried 4-player splitscreen co-op, which sounds incredible).… Expand

   • Helpful? 6 of 10 users said Yes.
2. BorisMagee4444

   9

   I have put countless hours into this game since release. Each time I play I learn something new, and there is an incredible amount of depth and nuance to the gameplay. While there are some systematic problems with the game (such as the randomized nature resulting in the very occasional cheap death), I have fallen in love with Spelunky. If you are a patient gamer who loves to get personal with every facet of a game (and recieve great rewards for doing so), pick this game up. I did on release day, and haven't stopped playing since.… Collapse

   • Helpful? 1 of 1 users said Yes.
3. Xborn74

   8

   Spelunky is a XBLA game costing 1200MS Points, based on an Indie game that was released for PC in 2008, and consists of a 2D platform game with old-style gameplay, as we saw in 8 and 16 bit consoles. The basic game is the prerogative of an explorer, after an Aztec artifact, which has to go through various underground levels and stages, to the exit of them.
   
   The Graphics of the game are simple, but the XBLA version won a updated look, being cleaner and more polished, still maintaining the old-style look, but being attractive, with a more "lively" and colorful. Everything else, like Menus keeps the air retro game. The CG animation of the game use to tell the story and have a simple air, but more refined.
   
   Audio: songs and voices are simple, but with a good audio, and effects, and voiceovers (in animation) are consistent with the actions and what you see, but still keeping the classic look we see in graphics.
   
   Gameplay: here is concentrated the greatest attraction of the game - the game has a series of 14 levels, which should be circulated with controls typical of the old platform games, and using some objects to help walk the galleries and avoid hazards such as spikes, sags and enemies, ranging from the simplest like snakes to advanced ones, like ghosts.
   
   You have objects like a rope (to climb up or down from a session), pumps (used to break the floor or walls) and a whip (to break objects or kill enemies), and other items that are being released with the progression in the game (such as jet packs).
   
   The Levels has the objective to reach the exit using its limited and scarce resources, and in the meantime, picking up treasures and rescuing characters if you want. You can make your way using the items, or try to cross using pre-established paths, but keeping the retro look, nothing is as easy as it sounds.
   
   If you die, you'll be returned to the initial stage of the game, and added to that, we have the fact that the levels are random generated, never a stage will be equal to each other and never the difficulty will be predetermined.
   
   Summary: the game is a very good classic platform game, with a retro air, but it presents a difficulty that may disappoint many people, but to please players who like games more hardcore platform games - the price is a little salty, 800ms points would be better.… Expand

   • Helpful? 6 of 7 users said Yes.
4. DeadMansHand

   7

   Got the game based on reviews. Liked the game itself, but found it a bit too difficult for my tastes. There is a fine line between challenging and frustrating. I'd recommend the game to people who enjoy intense puzzle-solving mechanics. Certainly worth downloading the demo!… Expand

   • Helpful? 3 of 5 users said Yes.

See all 21 User Reviews