I was given the opportunity to play a multitude of amazing games this past week at E3 2018. Most of which were big third-party titles like Resident Evil and Spiderman. But as spectacular as those games are, there were quite a few indie titles that stuck out amongst the rest, one of which is a game called Little Bug. I happened to come across the game at an event known as The Mix and at first glance, it didn’t seem all that special. I watched one of my colleagues play as the developer was explaining the mechanics of the game to us. Once I started to understand how the game worked and was able to play it my self, and I instantly I fell in love.
A Powerful Bond
You play as a young girl named Nyah, after a terrible accident she sets out searching for her mom in a strange land with giant looming creatures on the horizon. Young and afraid, Nyah is soon greeted by a spirit companion that helps guide her through these treacherous canyons. The little ball of light is able to form a powerful beam between it and Nyah that pulls them closer to each other and helps her get through the tough obstacles ahead.
Little Bug features a twin-stick control scheme, one controlling Nyah and the other controlling the spirit companion. The game has a notably charming paper mache art style with an incredibly creative platforming, this is a 2D platformer like no other. Nyah does not have the ability to jump, in fact, she is only able to move left or right. As for her companion, it’s free to float around where ever it pleases. Using the beam that connects them, the spirit is able to lift Nyah and sling her across giant chasms, breaking through certain platforms, and help her avoid the other wandering spirits that inhabit the land.
Accessibility is Key
While talking to the developer, he did mention that it was very important to them that the controls were simple and accessible to anyone that wanted to play their game. To do this, the developer made it to where there is only a need to use just a few inputs on the controller. Thus creating a game is simplistic in design but still has the challenge of a great platformer.
Not only does Little Bug gameplay feel especially satisfying to play as you sling your way through creative puzzles and beautiful landscapes. The game seems to have a much deeper meaning to it. Possibly how to coup with loss of a loved one or death in general. It’s hard to say for sure with how much I played but I can’t wait for Little Bug to release in spring 2018 so I can find out. Ever since Celeste, I have loved clever platforming and I would highly recommend Little Bug to anyone that feels the same. Be sure to let me know what you think of the Little Bug in the comments below and look out for more info in the future!
