Blown Away- Tornado Outbreak Review


At this year’s E3, a kiosk displaying Zephyr: Rise of the Elementals sat relatively unnoticed by a majority of attendees. Hoping to experience a hidden gem, I grabbed a controller, and immediately identified the game’s thinly-veiled inspiration. Players controlled a burgeoning cyclone that absorbed nearby environmental objects, gradually growing in size. As more matter was collected, the whirlwind grew, and engulfed a variety of increasingly large items. While this Katamari-clone wasn’t bad, it seemed woefully uninspired.

Fortunately, the developers at Loose Cannon have worked diligently over the last few months to enrich the title’s look and feel. The game has been rechristened Tornado Outbreak, and a recent playthrough indicated a wealth of changes. Most apparent was the title’s shift in perspective- where Zephyr presented a sky high camera angle that evoked Namco’s rolling diversion, Tornado Outbreak’s viewpoint is directly behind the expanding tempest, bringing the player closer to the game’s inspired sense of destruction. 


The game’s narrative centers on the protagonist's collection of interstellar orbs to save mankind. To locate each of the spheres, our hero has to dismantle a variety of environments. While some might find it necessary to have an impetus for all the devastation, most will likely find it all superfluous- especially since Tornado’s gameplay has been reshaped into a delightfully pleasing diversion.

Beyond the game’s tutorial stage, each level is broken into three main segments. Players start each round as a diminutive twister, able to uproot small plants and bushes. As gamers pick up more objects, their cyclone grows, and the title’s environments shrink proportionally in size. By the third act, players will be sucking up tall buildings and other large monuments with vigorous force.  Once the player has satisfied the level requirements, the game transitions into a race around the playfield, as if the cyclone was inside a particle accelerator. Once a few laps are completed players are forced to confront the stage boss.


Each stage-punctuating clash is similar is nature- players must maneuver their twister through shaded areas to reach a guardian totem.  Touching a sunny area will remove one of cyclone’s accomplices that are used to whittle away at the bosses health. Each level offers a subtle variation to the environment crossing excursion, from blossoming patches of sunshine to switches that briefly reveal cloud-protected pathways.

Periodically, the game’s protagonist will be given supplementary powers. By pressing the ‘B’ button on the Wiimote (or the ‘R” trigger on the 360) our hurricane-inciting hero can collect Fire Fliers hidden beneath objects in the environment. If players can collect enough of these flaming foes in a combo, that are rewarded with additional seconds against the game’s countdown timer. Later, players will learn a helpful stomp move that assists in their devastating endeavors. 


One of Tornado Outbreak’s greatest charms is the game’s whimsical art style and impressive wind effects. As gamers approach objects that can be uprooted, each twitches realistically before being displaced. Smaller objects like chickens burst into a comical funnel cloud of feathers, while larger buildings crumble to reveal their inner structures. Visual differences between the Wii and 360 versions of the game are surprisingly few. While windstorms on Nintendo’s console will display the sporadic drop in framerate and is rendered at a slightly lower framerate, Tornado Outbreak is still incredibly enjoyable on the Wii. Score one for the Loose Cannon crew.

While many gamers might be focusing on this season’s heavy hitters, players seeking a thoroughly engaging and charming title should not overlook Tornado Outbreak. The title’s captivating gameplay, relatively non-violent nature, and reduced price makes the disk a near-perfect addition to any family’s game library.


                                                All screenshots are from the Xbox 360 version of Tornado Outbreak

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Posted by DesertEagle at 10/10/2009 12:00 PM
Categories: 360,PS3,Wii,Reviews
 

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