Indie Analysis — CarneyVale Showtime
Swinging — the application of centripetal force on a moving object to create a circular motion. It is used in playgrounds to entertain children, in amusement parks to thrill visitors, and has recently become a trend in gaming to captivate players. Games like Tomb Raider and Little Big Planet use it as a key to solving puzzles, while games like Spider-Man and Bionic Commando use it as a focal point of their combat and exploration. However, no game has solely explored the entertainment value to be found in swinging quite as deeply as CarneyVale Showtime, now available on Xbox Live Community Games.
The idea here is simple. Players take control of an up-and-coming carnival performer in it to make fans and put on a show. This is done through 19 different stages, each beginning with the player being expelled from a cannon, and ending when said player manages to launch themselves through a large ring of flame. This is done using a series of grapple points on each stage, each activated by holding the A button whilst in range. This causes an arm to swing the player and constantly spin until released, sending our carney friend soaring in whatever direction their momentum dictates. Once airborne, players can influence their direction with the left thumbstick, but ultimately gravity and the timing of release mostly determine their fate.
After successfully navigating a stage, players are then graded on their performance on a five-star scale. Unlike most games that use this approach, CarneyVale assigns these stars based on accomplishments done during their journey into the sky. Collecting balloons, finding a hidden token, not taking damage, and finishing quickly all add points to a collective total, gradually increasing your rank and circus appeal. While these may be rather minor goals at first, the latter half of the game takes a turn for the brutal, requiring certain mastery of both the quickly-unlocked dash move and the game’s use of rotational physics in order to circumvent a variety of electrical and fire hazards. These hazards, like the game itself, seem almost harmless initially, but soon conspire to offer a challenge that is both very strong, but also very rewarding. The downside to all of this comes from the game’s length, taking only an hour or two to finish, though there’s plenty to keep perfectionists busy.
Xbox Live Community Games are mostly created by hobbyist developers, and as such, are often lacking in audiovisual flair and polish. Playing CarneyVale, it would be difficult to see why. The carnival theme is out in full force, with environments looking, sounding, and feeling all very cheery and fun like one would expect. The animation is surprisingly fluid and well-done. The visual effects beautifully jump off the screen when collecting balloons or flying through a ring of fire. Even the game’s music and sound effects do a great job of providing a cheerful atmosphere to the experience. The only real negative that could be found in this regard is the quality of the introductory voice overs – a problem affecting nearly every community game that uses them.
To anyone looking for a good entry-point into the community games area on XBL, look no farther than CarneyVale Showtime. The game offers a very fast-paced swinging experience in a platformer that is like no other. Charming style, simple yet challenging gameplay, and numerous extras (including a level editor) all compose a package that provides more content and enjoyment than several Live Arcade games at only half the cost.
Why you should play: Swinging mechanic is a blast, challenging in a fun way, great style/atmosphere, a freaking level editor!
Why you shouldn’t play: Only 19 stages, VERY short (near an hour to beat), may not heal painful childhood carnie memories.
CarneyVale Showtime — 400 ms points.