Review: Cloning Clyde (Steam)

If you were paying attention last week (and if you weren’t, what the hell?), you already know how excited I am for this week’s Steam release of Cloning Clyde.  NinjaBee Games has released some rather interesting titles across multiple systems, so I anticipated the chance to play another of their games on my chosen platform.  This simple yet complex side-scroller really caught my eye, and I made a personal vow to acquire this game (how lucky I am to work for a reviewer site!).  Cloning Clyde has been available to Live users for some time now, but we PC gamers have had to wait.  I suppose the big question is, was it worth the wait?  Let’s find out, shall we?

I should start by saying that all of my major problems with this game were noticed withing the first ten minutes of playing, and forgotten after I’d been playing for half an hour.  Since my qualms with the game were so minimal, I will just blurt them out, and get on with telling you the rest.  I just want them out of the way.

The first thing I noticed that really kind of peeved me, was the absolute lack of several expected video controls.  The game offers no Full Screen option, no Resolution options, no Video Options what-so-ever (well, you can change the outlining).  The windowed mode is okay, and it does allow me to pop out of the game to check my messages or go find those random things I think up while I am gaming, like can you make Hippocorns if you mate a Hippogryph and a Unicorn (I don’t know, I’m just weird, okay).  I was surprised to see something so common, missing.  Having no video options is okay by me, but I prefer to be able to Alt-Enter my shit, if ya know what I’m sayin!

Monkey!

Dropping things when you step off from any height, even a simple step down is enough.  I understand dropping when falling, but while practically going down the stairs?  I have played a ton of side scrollers, so this has come up more than once for me, and it is just something I find particularly annoying when I am attempting to transport objects.  As with any game, you learn to work around quirks like this relatively fast, so I wouldn’t get too worked up over it (what, do you want to come off all OCD?).

The music wasn’t very inspiring, in my opinion.  Many times it just reminded me of some kind of weird “Barn Yard Mayhem” slapsticky soundtrack.  I couldn’t stand it, so I switched it off to listen to my own tunes, problem solved.  I have never been one to attach to many soundtracks anyhow, and often times I find my own music more involving then the in-game audio.  Call me sick, but there is just something about kicking chickens to Placebo that I find soothing.

Chicken!

Okay, phew!  Now that all my shit talking is done, I think I can finally move on to the real nitty gritty!

I like this game, a lot.  The object is simple; destroy the robots, save your clones, save yourself.  But it gets so much deeper.  Splice a clone with a sheep, make him jump higher.  Splice a clone with a chicken, make him fly.  Splice a clone with TNT, and explode your way through everything!  There are plenty of splicing options, each granting abilities needed to complete each level, but only if you work together.

In the beginning the levels are kind of short, and I got a little bored, but once I was two worlds in, I couldn’t stop playing!  Sometimes you are working with many clones at once, to depress multiple switches, make specific Spliced Clones, open doors, launch the others on a catapult, with all the objectives the levels just seemed huge!

Ker-Blooey!

I mentioned a likeness to Kid Chameleon, and I couldn’t have been more accurate.  Clyde has a very similar feel to it, using those clones to get to every corner of the map, but if you don’t do things just right, you might have to start over from scratch.  It can be a pleasurable kind of suffering.

The story is told through comic panels, and the graphics follow suit with a kind of cell shaded look.  Clyde runs around in a hospital gown, complete with it’s open-backed, bare-assed goodness.  That’s right, as you climb ladders and jump around, you get a nice chubby bum to visualize in your dreams!  No worries parents, there is an option for Clyde to appear donning a nice clean pair of whitey tighties.  Yeah, an Underwear Option!  This made me laugh so hard,  I mean, really?  Who is this concerned about a cartoon butt?

Check out dem glutes!

All in all, I am happy with this game.  With it’s simple complexity, and plenty of challenges, even time trial modes, it has plenty of replayability.  This version has 13 added Steam Achievements (25 in total) to unlock as well, so you can brag to all of your friends how great a Chicken Kicker you really are!

Cloning Clyde releases on Steam, Tuesday, March 15th 2011, for $4.99!  At this price, you really can’t afford to ignore it.