LudumData

The Best Of Us by Zed

[raw]
made by Zed for LD22 (COMPO)
It is STRONGLY reccommended that you play this game wearing HEADPHONES. Otherwise, make sure you can HEAR SOUND. It is INTEGRAL to your enjoyment of the game!

A multi-genre sci-fi tale of heroism and self-sacrifice, 'The Best Of Us' is really four games in one. A scrolling Shmup, twin-stick shooter, rail-shooter and 2D platformer all in one, tied together with full voice acting, cutscenes and a minimalistic soundtrack.

All control-related instructions are handled in-game.

Also, there's a kitten in Chapter 2.

Enjoy!

Windows http://gamejolt.com/freeware/games/adventure/the-best-of-us/6807/
Source http://dl.dropbox.com/u/15995948/Application2.mfa
Original URL https://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-22/?action=preview&uid=4687

Ratings

Coolness 100% 1
Overall 3.25 111
Audio 3.69 17
Community 2.79 227
Fun 2.78 182
Graphics 1.98 572
Humor 3.34 37
Innovation 2.68 256
Mood 3.06 131
Theme 3.38 123

Feedback

Jiyko
19. Dec 2011 · 10:43 UTC
Dat Voice over, awesome.
matthias_zarzecki
19. Dec 2011 · 11:19 UTC
Nice story! It has aliens and twists and a guy named Jack Asskicker and everything!

The stereo-thing is a bit problematic though. And I'm not sure exactly when the buildings started smiling, but it must have symbolized Jack Asskickers descent into madness.
binary_girl
19. Dec 2011 · 13:40 UTC
good stuff man.. the voice over adds alot to it :)
bmcfallen
19. Dec 2011 · 14:14 UTC
great game, loved the voice over, and the graphics were charming. Nice way to tie all those different types of games together also.
ziomorti
19. Dec 2011 · 16:12 UTC
I must say this is more an experience rather than a game. Great voice over, nice story and, even if the graphics and the mechanics are not "top-notch", well packed.
Good job!
Pierrec
19. Dec 2011 · 17:31 UTC
The best game I tried so far...ok...I tried only 10 or 12, but this one is way above. As funny as bunny story, but better on other thinks like gameplay and this new thing..."mood". Congrats!
Valeour
19. Dec 2011 · 17:56 UTC
Haha, brilliant. Gameplay wasn't fantastic, but it was a really good story. The epilogue was very clever too. Also loved the humour, well done ;D
7Soul
19. Dec 2011 · 18:02 UTC
Even tough the gameplay is boring, the story kept me going, and the ending was awesome. I used a headset but I didnt see the point of it, as the sound was coming from both sides pretty much equally.
The epilogue cracked me up XD really unexpected
ladron
19. Dec 2011 · 21:50 UTC
Great job on the story and the voice acting! The gameplay was...well...not that great. Of the segments, I like the jump/shoot platform section the best.
eld
20. Dec 2011 · 12:12 UTC
While the maze-level gave me headaches and I experienced filler, the voiced dialogue did pull me through all the way to the ending :P
soy_yuma
20. Dec 2011 · 20:33 UTC
Congratulations! I liked it very much. I would have loved more rage from the main character in the end, but the story is good!
SonnyBone
21. Dec 2011 · 05:13 UTC
I thought the thumbnail was pink cars in a green parking garage. TURNS OUT... IT'S PEOPLE! ZOMG!!!
Jorjon
21. Dec 2011 · 22:39 UTC
Great story, crappy graphics, cool music. I really liked it! +1 for happy buildings.
waynebeam
23. Dec 2011 · 00:49 UTC
i was surprised you fit in that many levels that played differently. i especially liked the four-way firing in the second. and the voice over! loved it. nice work
Shigor
25. Dec 2011 · 15:51 UTC
Well... four games and not that bad story. Good work, but I think you'd do better if you focused more on less, I almost gave up in the first chapter. Your decision to just track score and don't hurt / tell player anything is interesting idea, but... I don't know, I think it made game less engaging.
tcstyle
25. Dec 2011 · 20:13 UTC
Superb stereo voice acting. I liked the end and also the epilogue.
Level design inside the mothership was quite annoying.
sirius_black9999
28. Dec 2011 · 01:57 UTC
awesome storyline ;) and a well-built game, and even if graphics seemed, it kinda worked ;)
jeffz
02. Jan 2012 · 08:08 UTC
great voice acting, 5/5 on Theme!
Kelly Thomas
05. Jan 2012 · 17:49 UTC
Great narration!
I found it jarring to be told that I had "score over 3000" but my score was being kept secret.
Maybe say something vague like "your performance will be graded" rather than specify an specific number.
"
caranha
05. Jan 2012 · 19:57 UTC
Very nice story! I think this game could be much improved by adding an actual losing condition. But still I'm impressed by your effort: 4 games in one + a complete audio story + a lot of rated games! Thanks :-)

One thing -- on chapter 2, it is a bit weird that they are talking about a sign that the player hasn't actually seen yet. It would be nicer if the "control room" sign were moved to the beginning of the level.
Dietrich Epp
05. Jan 2012 · 22:02 UTC
I guess I shouldn't keep shooting those rats, eh?
Aaron
08. Jan 2012 · 03:37 UTC
While I applaud your ambition, creating many different elements (esp. in limited time frame) always always runs two big risks of being able to be criticized for any element and lacking coherence. Thanks to your art style and narrative design, you avoided the latter... but individually, the chapters got boring. Wonderful voice acting, theme & mood, so I wonder if the game would have been better if you spent all your talents on one element instead.

Still, sir, you are a brave man and a very cool one too. ;)
DalsGames
08. Jan 2012 · 15:24 UTC
Wow, I really liked the voice over! One of the best storys I've played for long! Graphics was not great but very charming!
Cosr
09. Jan 2012 · 04:56 UTC
My biggest complaint is that the actual gameplay doesn't really live up to the narrative/voice acting (which is honestly a little melodramatic in a not so good way at times). Some of the sections, mostly the first and a little bit the second, go on far too long for what they offer.
marudziik
09. Jan 2012 · 21:47 UTC
Voice acting is pretty good. I don't mind it being melodramatic - it's funnier this way, but it's not really coherent in terms of gameplay/graphics.
demonpants
10. Jan 2012 · 01:36 UTC
Any chance of getting this on Mac OS X / Unix?