ProtoGalaxy
Encyclopedia
ProtoGalaxy is an action
/adventure
video game for Microsoft Windows
. It was developed in Newfoundland and released on October 6, 2010.
with side-scrolling
gameplay. In ProtoGalaxys back-story
, a species of powerful, unknown extraterrestrials enters the Milky Way
with the intention of enslaving its inhabitants. The player character
s, of which there may be up to four at a time, must defend Earth from this alien threat and restore human civilization. Players earn money by destroying enemies and can exchange money for new ship parts. Ship upgrades include engines, force fields, a gravitational beam, hull upgrades, missile launchers, turrets, and even minibots that repair the ship throughout missions. One of the key features of the game is that it allows players to create their own levels, put them online, and download new levels other players have created. ProtoGalaxy can be played on single-player or multiplayer mode and players can team up either online or on a single system. This is a 2.5D
game; while the 2D playing field simplifies the gameplay, the visuals are enhanced by 3D graphics. Allgame
has labelled ProtoGalaxy an “overhead free-roaming shooter”. Both the puzzles and the confrontations with hostile aliens require the use of physics to successfully complete. Players may attack enemy ships either by shooting them or ramming asteroids into them with the gravitational beam. Unlike traditional space arcade shooters in which there is a preset number of hit points, ProtoGalaxy employs a health bar that tracks the damage incurred by a player's ship. Both the player characters and enemy ships replenish their health over time. Similarly, there is a continuous replenishment of firepower potential as signalled on a battery bar. Players' ability to use weapons diminishes with use.
PC game
is the debut production by Newfoundland-based company Source Studio. The idea for the game was originally conceived in 2007 when Alex Brown, Rob Rees, and Albert Chaulk, the three co-founders of Source Studio, were engineering students together at Memorial University
. While the game is primarily an adventure game, it incorporates elements of other gaming genres, such as the arcade, the shooter
, and the puzzle. There have been two patches distributed since the game's initial release. The first patch for the game was released on October 21, 2010, while the second came out on October 28, 2010, bringing the game to version 1.0.4. These updates improve such elements as gameplay, graphics, and the campaign map. A party celebrating the game’s launch was held on October 15, 2010 at Memorial University. CEO Alex Brown has stated that Source Studio intends to expand ProtoGalaxy with new levels and features.
and tasteful integration of multiple gaming genres. It also highlighted such features as the extensive campaign, the customizability of levels and visuals, and the wide range of possible configurations for players' ship parts. The game's soundtrack was received very favourably. Game Interface praised its upbeat retro feel, while PC MMGN called it "superb" despite being somewhat generic. Reviews of the graphics
were similarly positive; the smoothness and lack of pixelation
garnered much approbation, but the colours received mixed reviews. Criticism focused on the rough transitions between views, the mouse speed on the control menu, and the cumbersome controls for switching between weapons. There are also no checkpoints, a fact that necessitates starting over at the beginning of a level should the player's ship explode.
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
/adventure
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
video game for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
. It was developed in Newfoundland and released on October 6, 2010.
Gameplay
ProtoGalaxy has been described as a 3D GalagaGalaga
is a fixed shooter arcade game developed and published by Namco in Japan and published by Midway in North America in 1981. It is the sequel to Galaxian, released in 1979. The gameplay of Galaga puts the player in control of a space ship which is situated on the bottom of the screen...
with side-scrolling
Side-scrolling video game
A side-scrolling game or side-scroller is a video game in which the gameplay action is viewed from a side-view camera angle, and the onscreen characters generally move from the left side of the screen to the right. These games make use of scrolling computer display technology...
gameplay. In ProtoGalaxys back-story
Back-story
A back-story, background story, or backstory is the literary device of a narrative chronologically earlier than, and related to, a narrative of primary interest. Generally, it is the history of characters or other elements that underlie the situation existing at the main narrative's start...
, a species of powerful, unknown extraterrestrials enters the Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
with the intention of enslaving its inhabitants. The player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
s, of which there may be up to four at a time, must defend Earth from this alien threat and restore human civilization. Players earn money by destroying enemies and can exchange money for new ship parts. Ship upgrades include engines, force fields, a gravitational beam, hull upgrades, missile launchers, turrets, and even minibots that repair the ship throughout missions. One of the key features of the game is that it allows players to create their own levels, put them online, and download new levels other players have created. ProtoGalaxy can be played on single-player or multiplayer mode and players can team up either online or on a single system. This is a 2.5D
2.5D
2.5D , 3/4 perspective and pseudo-3D are terms used to describe either:* 2D graphical projections and techniques which cause a series of images or scenes to fake or appear to be three-dimensional when in fact they are not, or* gameplay in an otherwise three-dimensional video game that is...
game; while the 2D playing field simplifies the gameplay, the visuals are enhanced by 3D graphics. Allgame
Allgame
Allgame is a commercial database of information about arcade games, video games and console manufacturers.Allgame is owned by All Media Guide, along with Allmusic and Allmovie....
has labelled ProtoGalaxy an “overhead free-roaming shooter”. Both the puzzles and the confrontations with hostile aliens require the use of physics to successfully complete. Players may attack enemy ships either by shooting them or ramming asteroids into them with the gravitational beam. Unlike traditional space arcade shooters in which there is a preset number of hit points, ProtoGalaxy employs a health bar that tracks the damage incurred by a player's ship. Both the player characters and enemy ships replenish their health over time. Similarly, there is a continuous replenishment of firepower potential as signalled on a battery bar. Players' ability to use weapons diminishes with use.
Development
ProtoGalaxy was released on October 6, 2010 through Steam, a digital distribution platform. This indieIndependent video game development
Independent video game development is the process of creating video games without the financial support of a video game publisher. While large firms can create independent games, they are usually designed by an individual or a small team of as many as ten people, depending on the complexity of the...
PC game
Personal computer game
A PC game, also known as a computer game, is a video game played on a personal computer, rather than on a video game console or arcade machine...
is the debut production by Newfoundland-based company Source Studio. The idea for the game was originally conceived in 2007 when Alex Brown, Rob Rees, and Albert Chaulk, the three co-founders of Source Studio, were engineering students together at Memorial University
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland, is a comprehensive university located primarily in St...
. While the game is primarily an adventure game, it incorporates elements of other gaming genres, such as the arcade, the shooter
Shooter game
Shooter games are a sub-genre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. It includes many subgenres that have the commonality of focusing "on the actions of the avatar using some sort of weapon. Usually this weapon is a gun, or some other long-range weapon". A common...
, and the puzzle. There have been two patches distributed since the game's initial release. The first patch for the game was released on October 21, 2010, while the second came out on October 28, 2010, bringing the game to version 1.0.4. These updates improve such elements as gameplay, graphics, and the campaign map. A party celebrating the game’s launch was held on October 15, 2010 at Memorial University. CEO Alex Brown has stated that Source Studio intends to expand ProtoGalaxy with new levels and features.
Reception
ProtoGalaxy has been received positively by critics. PC MMGN called the game "one of this year's most polished indie titles", praising its immersivenessImmersion (virtual reality)
Immersion is the state of consciousness where an immersant's awareness of physical self is diminished or lost by being surrounded in an engrossing total environment; often artificial. This mental state is frequently accompanied with spatial excess, intense focus, a distorted sense of time, and...
and tasteful integration of multiple gaming genres. It also highlighted such features as the extensive campaign, the customizability of levels and visuals, and the wide range of possible configurations for players' ship parts. The game's soundtrack was received very favourably. Game Interface praised its upbeat retro feel, while PC MMGN called it "superb" despite being somewhat generic. Reviews of the graphics
Video game graphics
A variety of computer graphic techniques have been used to display video game content throughout the history of video games. The predominance of individual techniques have evolved over time, primarily due to hardware advances and restrictions such as the processing power of central or graphics...
were similarly positive; the smoothness and lack of pixelation
Pixelation
In computer graphics, pixelation is an effect caused by displaying a bitmap or a section of a bitmap at such a large size that individual pixels, small single-colored square display elements that comprise the bitmap, are visible to the eye...
garnered much approbation, but the colours received mixed reviews. Criticism focused on the rough transitions between views, the mouse speed on the control menu, and the cumbersome controls for switching between weapons. There are also no checkpoints, a fact that necessitates starting over at the beginning of a level should the player's ship explode.