Scapeland is a farming game with a sinister and mysterious twist, plunging you into a desperate mission to find safety.
TL;DR at bottom
Gameplay:
Scapeland starts as a simple farming game, following a faceless protagonist who is trying to make a living. However, after a few days a large military force arrives and you have to flee, drastically changing the atmosphere and style of the game. Before you were a farmer, and now you are a fleeing civilian trying to sneak past patrolling soldiers and cameras without getting caught. Each level provides a different challenge to overcome, and you have to survey the area, learn the patterns of the soldiers and cameras, and make it to the end of the level.
There are three main mechanics in Scapeland: throwing objects, cones of vision, and noise. You can throw rocks or bottles that you find in the level to make noise and distract the soldiers so you can get past their cones of vision, which if entered will alert them to your presence and get you captured. Your footsteps also make noise and, naturally, running makes more noise than sneaking. The controls are not complex, (and can be played with a controller, which is better for a stealth game but the PC controls are completely usable,) and they are not hard to get used to, so you can be effective with your escape rather quickly.
In between the stealth levels, you are thrust into a strange change of pace, where you are suddenly playing a running game, akin to the mobile game Temple Run. This seemed like a strange choice to me, but it added to the frantic feeling of actually running away from the soldiers (as they are chasing you as you run).
The levels typically are not too hard, and they can be solved logically and by using the feature that allows you to view farther around the area so you can survey and plan. I only got stuck twice, both of which I had to look up how to do but I managed to get through in the end. Sometimes the answer isn't completely clear, but with some investigating and trial and error, every level can be solved with time. The game isn't extremely long, and can be finished quickly if you are skilled at these kinds of games. Either way, the game is enjoyable (mostly when you finally beat the level) all the way to the end.
8/10
Graphics:
The graphics were one of the first things that caught my attention when I saw Scapeland around two years ago. I knew that I really wanted to play it, but I never got a chance to until recently. The graphics are polygonal and stylistic, but they look very good and show just enough detail for the kind of game this is. I never encountered any issues with textures or models but the running levels seemed a bit strange to look at, I couldn't exactly put my finger on what was off about them. Other than that, I had no complaints about the graphics and they were great to look at as I played.
7/10
Music/Audio:
Audio isn't an important component to this stealth system as some games are, since you are relying on the cones of vision. Because of this, there isn't much audio to go listen to. For every level, you mostly hear constant gunshots but they add to the atmosphere of an area that is in total war, as well as creating a sense of urgency. Although the sound effects are lackluster, there was never a time that I was bored of the sounds. There is quieter music during the stealth portions, but the running portions feature hectic and fast paced music that fit the tone well. There were good choices of music by the developers, wrapping the game in a nice package for the player.
7/10
Conclusion:
Scapeland is a fun little game that presents an interesting concept and play style. The graphics and idea of the game had always stood out to me, and I certainly wasn't disappointed when I finally got a chance to play through the game. The controls are simple yet effective, and the mechanics are all integral to the gameplay but are easy to master. The game isn't that long at all, but you can easily spend a decent amount of time trying to figure out how to approach a level. Some of the choices are weird, most notably the running portions, but I enjoyed Scapeland through and through.
Overall: 7.5/10 - Recommended
TL;DR
Pros:
+Unique concept
+Effective stealth mechanics
+Good graphics
Cons:
-Strange running portions that break pacing
-Mildly lackluster audio
Check out my gameplay of Scapeland below to get a better idea of the game.
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