Spelunky Review (Xbox 360)

Spelunky is an Xbox Live Arcade title for $15 that was originally released on PC in 2009 as a freeware title. The XBLA version has been revamped with new graphics, enemies, locations, traps and other goodies to make the $15 asking price a bit more palpable. Spelunky can be described as a rogue-like game, where levels are randomly generated and you are asked to traverse them. The premise of Spelunky is simple: Traverse a series of caves to reach Olmec's treasure and escape victorious. But more often than not, the player, and the title, are not successful in creating an enjoyable experience.

Spelunky can best be described as tortuous. The game will do everything in its' grasp to end your ruin, which will on average, be less than a minute. While the game isn't terribly long if you beat it, roughly 25-40 minutes depending on your luck, it will take you longer to do so than beating Battletoads for the first time. It's an apt comparison since the game is punishing at almost every turn. While you'll be able to escape the first area of the game after a couple of hours or so consistently, it becomes a strict test of trial and error that will test the time and patience of many players. Only for a few will the pain and frustration of randomized dungeons offer the tiniest sliver of glee.

Spelunky does offer some good, however. The art style is attractive, the music is catchy and upbeat. The controls are tight, and easy to understand once you get accustomed to them after a few minutes. There's a lot to do and see in Spelunky, if you survive long enough to see most of it. But overall, it's not something that I can highly recommend. The difficulty of the game is too punishing and really outweighs the enjoyment you'll have for this title over the long run. If you thought Super Meat Boy, another 2D platformer was too easy for you, then Spelunky is right up your alley. But for most people, this won't be the case.

Score: 6 out of 10

+ Great Graphics
+ Catchy Music
+ Good Controls

- Extremely Punishing Difficulty
- Too reliant on trial and error difficulty
- Randomized layout leads to unwinnable situations sometimes