Ricochet

Game: Ricochet
Developer: Valve
Platform: PC (as a mod for Half-Life).
Release Year: 2011
Stephen's Rating: 7/10

Ricochet is an arena/action/duel/sport game created as an official modification of Half-Life.

Basic Plot

There is no story, and the setting is some kind of futuristic sports arena with neon coloured platforms.

Gameplay

The game involves traveling from platform to platform using a series of "jumps" which boost you to a pre-determined platform elsewhere on the level. The player cannot jump without the aid of these.

Here you can see the enemy player up close. You are standing on a neon platform, and the yellow arrow is a "jump" which will catapault you to another platform.

The objective of the game is either to knock your opponent off the platforms into the abyss below, or to slice their head off. You do this by throwing glowing discs at each other. There are two kinds of discs; ones that knocks the other player back, and ones that slices them in half.

You can get upgrades to your attack including triple shot and freeze shot. Frozen players are instantly shattered if they get hit by another disc. Strategy involves knowing the maps well and changing positions to keep your opponent off guard so you can get a clear shot. You can also bounce your discs off walls if there are any.

You can just make out the blue stream of a disc being fired at an enemy player.

Positives

The simplicity is refreshing. It's a fantastic and competitive game if you want a burst of action without committing to anything long term.

Negatives

There were not many levels to pick from and my interest in the game would never last a very long time.

Memorable Moments

I had a lot of fun with this game while flatting at university. There was much yelling and shouting across the flat as we destroyed each other in duels.