Would you like 2K Play a game? Axel & Pixel reviewed

2K Games launches their new, casual 2KPlay label with the whimsical XBLA game Axel & Pixel from Silver Wish Games.

Graphics

Axel & Pixel fuses cartoony characters with photo-realistic fantasy dioramas.  Each standard level looks like an extremely
detailed model-train landscape, only weird!  Just what you might expect from the dreams of a hermit painter that lives in a
secluded mountain valley.  Overall the style reminds me of the Monty Python movie interludes…

Gameplay
Normally I wouldn’t call an adventure game “casual”, as they can be quite frustrating.  A&P however is the quintessential
“Point and Click” adventure game, supplemented by a few overly forgiving Quick Time Events.

You do not directly control the characters in Axel & Pixel.  Instead you control the cursor, looking for hot-spots that
change the color of the cursor, or change the icon.  Each level has one or two simple puzzles to solve before you can
continue your chase of the wicked, magenta rat that taunts you with a mysterious key.

Most of these puzzles are fairly obvious, but will occasionally devolve into the dreaded adventure game pixel hunt.  A&P
does feature an easy hint system, which will highlight the next necessary action, should you become stuck.  There are also collectibles scattered throughout the levels that add to the play time. 

Find hidden bones for Pixel, or collect the hard to reach paint tubes so that Axel can finish his painting.  Some of the levels contain “Vistas” which may only be available after you have interacted with the environment, creating a subject worthy of capturing on canvas.  Thankfully you need not sweep every pixel on every level to find these collectibles.  By simply pushing the back button,
you can see whether the level you are on features any of these collectibles.  If there is an item present on the current level, and not yet found, there will be a star next to it in your inventory. 

The game is split into the four seasons by three mini games that inject a bit of action into the mix.  The mini games consist of a monster truck level reminiscent of Trials HD, a hot air balloon level akin to the classic “Chopper” game, and a boat level where you control the wind to help Axel avoid rocks and whirlpools (no idea what game this mimics).  There are also some puzzle levels, requiring you to reconstruct a picture that has been blown into Tetris shapes, or to place pipes in a maze, so you can pump water out of your path.

I enjoyed the game, though I felt it was quite short, and I was disappointed with how simple and quick the final boss “battle” was.  While this simplicity may be a turn off for truly hardcore adventure gamers, Axel & Pixel definitely would make a great game for younger gamers, or to play with your kids.  I do have to say that there was some cartoon semi-violence to some of the puzzles though.  Coming in under four hours of gameplay, I managed to 100% the achievements. 

Great news for all you Gamerscore whores

Overall I think Axel & Pixel is a decent value at 800 points, especially if you have more than one gamer in the house.  It would be nice if there were about eight more levels or so to stretch the experience.  If I had to put a number to it I would rate A&P 7/10…

Written by Playing Mantis

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