This is an entry for the A to Z Challenge (see the sidebar for more information). These are just some of my initial impressions on the Steam, GOG, and other online games throughout the month. It is not as much of a review as it is a summary of my feelings on the game.
When I saw the title for Jamestown, I took it as a given that this would be some kind of civilization-type, build-em-up game.
The year is 1619, and I’ve just escaped execution at the hands of my own king. I might have died in peace but for the burning need to clear my name. Destiny has driven me here, to the edge of human exploration. Some call this place the new world.
OK, so it’s going to be more of an RPG, possibly a “Pirates” style of game. Just put me back in Colonian Williamsburg and…
The Romans called it Mars.
…wait…WHAT?!
If I were to rank the game types that I expected, Shoot-em-up, “1942” style game play was probably at the bottom of my list, right next to Japanese dating sim. Nonetheless, that’s exactly what it is. NO, not a Japanese dating sim. It’s a shmup.
Jamestown places you on Mars, and requires you to progress through a series of missions to complete the story. The game play is pure twitchy shmup with a variety of ships and strategies that you can adopt. When I researched this game a bit, I chuckled to see TV Tropes characterize it as “schizo tech.” The combination of the old style wooden ships, lasers, and martial tentacle monsters was absolutely absurd.
That said, the game play is fun, the levels are short, and the progression is consistent. On the whole, I found Jamestown to be a really fun game with a thin, anachronistic storyline attached to a space-aged shmup. Jamestown was one of the PAX 10 in 2011, and rightly so; I give it a thumbs up, and highly recommend it.