The Face-Off is between Red Warrior, by Lampogolovii, and Ditto, by Nitrome.
Both Red Warrior and Ditto employ a very similar 'hook' in their gameplay. Both games involve the player moving through levels with a mirror or double. The primary character acts as the physical gameplay advancer, with the double acting as the puzzle solving catalyst. It's fairly remarkable to me that both games came out so close to one another. Which one was better? Let's find out!
Red Warrior centers around a box moving through the levels with the ability to hold on to walls. The double is always a mirrored image of the main box, occupying no physical space and is able to move through the physical objects in the world. When the player chooses, the map can flip, mirroring the field and switching the physical box to the double box. It's a very fun mechanic. And having the secondary box completely incorporeal definitely keeps the frustration level low.
Through the game, the mirroring alternates between horizontal and vertical (but never changes in-level). That helped the game feel fresh. And the introduction of some enemies who shoot bullets and blocks that don't mirror with the landscape also help on that front. In general, the game was short enough that I never once felt like the game was dragging on. It was a very pleasant experience and I wanted it to last longer.
Ditto was a bit of a different story. In contrast to Red Warrior's bright, light-hearted atmosphere, Ditto is a dark, frequently intimidating experience. The colors are dark, the art style is fairly creepy, and the game in general gave me some serious willies. The core game revolves around your character moving through the level, passing by small gates that reflect you. When reflected, the objects on both sides of the gate stop the player. This makes for very difficult problem solving at times, trying to mesh two different platforming environments in your mind. When you're not in view of a gate, your shadow disappears, both visually and physically.
One main feature is a shadowy flying ghoul, who kills you and your shadow when it touches the shadow. And just like your mirror reflection, it only appears through gates. This creates the very interesting strategy of timing your movement through gates to avoid any ghouls. Doing that while also meshing the two sides for platforming gets...annoying.
So, I will say this. I did not find Red Warrior particularly challenging. It was entertaining, and I enjoyed myself, but it was just a fun little romp. Ditto, on the other hand, was much more intense. It was a thrilling experience and it was very difficult. The platforming took serious forethought and the puzzles were legitimately quite hard.
Which mechanic did I like more? I'd have to lean towards Red Warrior. The level flipping was very fun, and it was something tangible that the player can enact. It was rewarding and fulfilling. Ditto's mechanic was static, it was passive. That doesn't quite match the excitement level during the game.
Which game was more fun to play? Once again, Red Warrior takes the edge. It might depend on your mood at the time, but Red Warrior is an easy game to just sit down and play. Ditto takes the right state of mind to enjoy. So Red Warrior has more universal enjoyment factor.
Do I recommend one over the other? I'd say, if you like a challenge, you should definitely check out Ditto. It's a wonderfully crafted game, and it's a good solid platformer. Standing alone, I would review it highly. It's frustrating, but I usually felt pretty good after finishing, but I always felt like taking a break afterwards. With Red Warrior, I played it start to finish and I was happy the entire time. It didn't take very long and it was just plain fun. So if you're just looking for an enjoyable little game, Red Warrior is a great choice.
Scorecards:
Ditto
Category
|
Score
|
Time Value
|
7
|
Money Value
|
10
|
Originality
|
9
|
Ryplayability
|
7
|
Fulfillment
|
6
|
Final Score
|
7.8
|
Red Warrior
Category
|
Score
|
Time Value
|
8
|
Money Value
|
10
|
Originality
|
9
|
Ryplayability
|
8
|
Fulfillment
|
10
|
Final Score
|
9.0
|
Let me know what you think of Ditto and Red Warrior!
Until next time,
Ryan
Ditto pictures courtesy of Nitrome, Red Warrior pictures courtesy of Kiz10
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