Frustrating

They Are Billions
PlayStation 4

DEVELOPER Numantian Games’ They Are Billions is one of Steam’s Early Access success stories. Despite its humble beginnings, it has managed to make a name for itself in a genre that many consider long dormant. Presenting a mix of city-building, tower-defense and real-time-strategy elements in a post-apocalyptic setting, it pits a budding human colony against innumerable hordes of the undead in the late 22^nd century. Its gameplay forces the last bastions of the human race to build and develop a base of operations on which they survive, and then thrive, against a seemingly never-ending tide of flesh-tearing, brain-eating zombies.

Released during the holiday season in 2017, They Are Billions became a certified hit, and fast. Instead of resting on its laurels, however, Numantian Games listened to feedback from gamers and continually improved on its intellectual property, thus keeping its forward momentum. And given the positive response, a crossover to the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 was a matter of when, not if. It now finds itself a home in the libraries of current-generation console owners as one of the few RTS titles that can be played with a controller in hand. But how well? Is it really just as good as on the PC?

For the most part, the PS4 port of They Are Billions hews close to its original version. It looks and feels great, and, the learning curve notwithstanding, plays pretty fluidly. Those who have already taken on its challenges with keyboard-and-mouse setups will be happy to note that it‘s a near-perfect recreation; it renders the same components — from units to buildings to enemies — the exact same way, and forces gamers to approach decision points as they would on the PC. Build houses and high walls. Scavenge for resources. Juggle the management of food, power, and research — all while preparing colony against the inevitable next wave of the undead.

Which is all well and good, except for one thing: The DS4 controller gamers rely on to see their intentions through on the PS4 is limiting at best. As adept as they may be in the use of analog sticks and controller buttons, there’s simply no way they can go as fast as if they had a keyboard and mouse instead. The handicap isn’t apparent in, say, building planning and placement — which can be done with minimal effort even with imprecise controls. There’s no rush to doing it, either, as the option to pause the gameplay allows for an unlimited amount of time to formulate plans. Meanwhile, control groups are still present, and units team in as responsive. When things are hunky dory, navigation is easy going.

For gamers, the frustrations set in when They Are Billions hits its pressure notes. During tense sequences, when supposedly quick decisions make all the difference between life and death, micromanagement is all but impossible on the controller. For example, the DS4 makes it far more difficult to root out smaller pockets of zombies without casualties. Pathfinding has, even on the PC, been serviceable at best, with units frequently getting stuck on buildings. It’s a relatively minor issue overall, but when coupled with a controller setup, can lead to some pretty slow and frustrating sessions of jostling and maneuvering.

The complications of imprecise unit movements are magnified when gamers are compelled to command large groups. Late in They Are Billions, when proper placements of humongous armies of soldiers are required to progress, the lack of fluidity and precision becomes such a nagging irritant that pausing the proceedings winds up being the only remedy. And while the virtual cheat doesn’t render the game unplayable, it dampens much of the pacing and tension, countering its very purpose; its more action-packed segments are supposed to make adrenaline flow, not artificially stimulate gray cells.

Significantly, They Are Billions on the PS4 likewise carries over the PC version’s blemishes. The lack of a fast-forward button remains an issue, and slowdown is still noticeable, especially in the busy denouement. While not exactly deal breakers, they do tend to underscore deficiencies vis-à-vis the source material. Which, to be sure, are compounded by the absence of a campaign narrative (albeit a corrective patch has been promised for rollout next month). That said, it manages to live up to its name as an enjoyable romp for console owners with no access to the original.

THE GOOD:

• A faithful port of the highly acclaimed PC version, with the same presentation and gameplay elements

• A heady mix of city building and zombie killing

• Decently paced RTS-cum-survival offering

THE BAD:

• No campaign narrative; patch still incoming

• Intrinsic limitations of controller

• Still misses essential features that should have otherwise cut down tedium

RATING: 7.5/10

POSTSCRIPT: Taimumari: Complete Edition is an impressive port of a highly regarded platformer released on Steam two months short of four years ago. As the title suggests, the Nintendo Switch version already contains the main game and a couple of additional modes otherwise offered separately on the personal computer. And developer TERNOX has changed nothing in the presentation; it likewise has gamers control Himari, a young wizard sent off by High Keeperess Kanamishi to travel across ages in an effort to return to citizens of Zaria the capacity to care for time and thereby restore balance to the world.

Taimumari: Complete Edition’s side-scrolling gameplay is seemingly simple. As gamers go through themed levels that take on the character of their final boss, they’re able to get Himari to scale walls and do double jumps and forward dashes, not to mention inflict damage at close range through a trusty sword or from afar via magic spells. For all the no-frills look it adopts by way of homage to the glory days of eight-bit consoles, however, is likewise retro in the challenges it presents. It offers three difficulty settings, but, regardless of choice, death should be seen as inevitable.

There are five levels all told, all fairly lengthy and requiring quick reflexes and impressive hand-eye coordination to navigate. For every run-through, Taimumari: Complete Edition allows for just three lives; using them all up requires a restart of the given level from scratch. Thankfully, gamers are afforded skill upgrades between levels via stars collected during the journey. That said, button mashing is a requisite in the face of the maximum four spells being subjected to depleting, albeit replenishable, mana. Enemy variety is limited, but the bosses do take significant work to overcome.

In the final analysis, Taimumari: Complete Edition manages to justify its significantly higher price point on the Switch. At $14.99, it’s a heady throwback to an era in which gamers grappled between plodding on and simply throwing their controllers at the television screen. This time around, they benefit from portability even while being treated to old-school graphics and sounds. And by the time they do get to finish it after half a dozen hours, they will have felt a keen sense of accomplishment. (8/10)

THE LAST WORD: Idea Factory International has partnered with Limited Run Games for the physical release of Mary Skelter 2. Set to be up for preorder on Nov. 26, the Switch version of the three-dimensional dungeon crawler includes Mary Skelter: Nightmares, the first installment of the series previously available only on the PlayStation Vita, but revamped for system improvements and balancing adjustments.

Mary Skelter 2 was previously out on the PlayStation 4 in Japan. It’s a direct sequel to Mary Skelter: Nightmares, which saw principal protagonist Jack and best friend Alice try to escape “The Jail,” an underground prison administered by the monstrous Marchen. Boasting of a new battle system that gives Jack the power to become a “Nightmare,” but at staggering cost, it is slated to go live on the Nintendo eShop later this month.