[h1][i]“...nothing lasts forever. At least, nothing good.”[/i]
~Shadow Thief, Justice League Unlimited[/h1]
Go click on the publisher's name. That blue thing under the thumbnail that says “[b]Outright Games Ltd.[/b]”, click on it. Yeah, they're [i]that[/i] kind of guys. The ones who publish licensed games based on popular kids-oriented shows. [b]Ben 10[/b], [b]Paw Patrol[/b], [b]Peppa Pig[/b]... you know the stuff. Even if you're too old to actually watch those toons (pretty sure the original [b]Ben 10[/b] fans are adults now, and I don't believe anyone can really be too old for toons, but you know what I mean), you've sure seen the merch. It's bloody everywhere. It's almost impossible to find a store without items with those names on 'em.
Buy a license, produce some cheap stuff, collect the profit. An age-old formula that works perfectly for video games too. Has been around almost as long as video games themselves, too. The first official video game based on a movie was, I believe, [b]Raiders of the Lost Ark[/b] for the [b]Atari 2600[/b] (which was far from being the first video game console in the history of humankind), but whatever, you get the idea.
Now, click on the developer's name. [b]PHL Collective[/b]. Their story is a bit sad, but not that uncommon. They really tried with their indie projects (a hybrid of air hockey and pinball called [b]ClusterPuck 99[/b] even managed to get some attention), but eventually didn't make it into the big leagues and ended up working for [b]Outright Games[/b]. Producing... You know. Cheap licensed stuff. And if you smell an [b]LJN[/b] situation, you're entirely right. It [i]is[/i] an [b]LJN[/b] situation. Like with [b]LJN[/b], though, it's not really that simple. Believe it or not, despite some “angry” reviewers saying otherwise, there [i]were[/i] good games published by [b]LJN[/b] ([b]Jaws[/b], for example, is even in the [b]Steam[/b] catalog now, believe it or not). Because at the end of the day? It was all about how much the devs cared. And [b]PHL Collective[/b]? It looks like they care quite a lot.
What we have here, in [b]Cosmic Chaos[/b], can be described as a lite version of one of those big open-world games. Imagine an open-world game in which you control three superheroes from [b]DC Comics[/b] at the same time. No, not [i]that[/i] one, what's wrong with you?! We don't talk 'bout [b]Suicide Squad[/b] here! Like, [i]ever![/i] A [i]good[/i] one! Was there ever a good game like that, though? Whatever, just imagine one, OK?
[i]Anyway[/i], [b]Cosmic Chaos[/b] is an open world game, we control three heroes at the same time and each hero comes with their own unique set of powers. There are some dungeons to clear, abilities to unlock, and blah-blah-blah. And it's, like, bright, fun and, of course, [i]heroic[/i]. Now, imagine all that in a super-deformed format. Like, you know, big heads and stuff. Like [b]SD Gundam[/b]. And imagine all that in a way that'll fit perfectly on one of [b]Nintendo[/b]'s older portable systems. Like the [b]3DS[/b], for example (Because... You know. Graphics are pretty basic).
That'll be it. That's [b]Cosmic Chaos[/b] for you. And no, I didn't mention [b]Nintendo[/b] specifically for nothing. Despite being an open-world superhero game and having beat 'em up kind of gameplay as the main dish (you'll need to solve some simple lock-and-key puzzles now and then, but honestly, the main dish is just that—[b]Superman[/b], [b]Batman[/b], and [b]Wonder Woman[/b] kicking some evil butt), [b]Cosmic Chaos[/b] is surprisingly cozy. While playing it, I kept thinking of things like [b]Opoona[/b] (criminally underrated game, BTW). Because that's what [b]Cosmic Chaos[/b] is: a cute and cozy experience.
A bit too kids-oriented, though. Which means it's a little bit too basic, while the difficulty isn't even there. Heck, the lowest difficulty here is literally a god mode. A bloody [b]IDDQD[/b]. No, seriously, you can't die on the lowest difficulty. Which... makes me wonder why they insisted on calling it “difficulty” anyway, but [i]whatever[/i]. What does that mean? It means that while playing alone, adults can get a bit bored pretty soon. Right after the initial “[i]Aw-w-w![/i]” effect wears out (which won't take long, unfortunately). Don't get me wrong, though, you won't start feeling bad (especially if you start playing on the highest difficulty), but... let's just say you'll start yawning.
Where [b]Cosmic Chaos[/b] starts shining for real, though, is in “parent and child” moments. Got a little one who's about to start playing video games? [b]Cosmic Chaos[/b] is [i]perfect[/i] for you. No, seriously. [i]PERFECT[/i]. Can't even think of anything better. The difficulty is just right for that (again, you can go to the options and switch to the “god mode” difficulty at any time if your kid starts feeling bad about dying while learning how to handle a gamepad), and the simple mechanics are easy to learn, all while serving as a perfect bridge to other, more complicated experiences (just make sure not to let your kids play [b]Suicide Squad[/b]—they don't need that kind of trauma).
It's almost like the game was made with that exact purpose in mind specifically. So yeah. Like I said, you have a kid? And need something slightly simpler than those [b]LEGO[/b] games (those are, like, the perfect next step after what we've got here)? [b]Cosmic Chaos[/b] is exactly that. It's bright, it comes with those popular heroes ([b]Cyborg[/b], [b]Green Lantern[/b], [b]Aquaman[/b], and [b]The Flash[/b] will join the party too, even though those will only be, like, non-playable helpers), and it's easy to learn and play, while as an adult-oriented bonus, there are references to some comic books (long story short, you collect real comic issues in order to unlock new suits, none of which are sold separately, which deserves a heck of a lot of praise if ya ask me).
No matter how you look at it, this here is a good game. A bit niche, but still. So... yeah. A cheap licensed product [i]can[/i] be good. As long as the devs care. And to be completely honest, it's not like [b]Outright Games[/b] is a terrible publisher. So me comparing them to [b]LJN[/b] may sound unjustified. [i]But[/i]. Here's the thing. The problem with [b]Outright[/b] is that... their licenses expire [i]ridiculously[/i] fast. And after they do? [b]Outright[/b] is, like, “Oh, well. The license expired. Let's just pull the product from stores.” Like... [i]what the heck, dudes?[/i]
OK, OK, I know. Licensing can be a b*tch. But seriously, our guys just play it way, [i]way[/i] too safe. They release the game, they capture the immediate launch excitement, they let the game sit on digital shelves for a few years, and after that? After that, they just don't care. And while two years may sound like a lot of time, with [b]Steam[/b]'s huge library in mind? It actually isn't. Lots and lots of us didn't even learn about this game before it was too late to buy it (happened to me with another superhero game from [b]PHL Collective[/b], [b]The Adventures of Krypto and Ace[/b]). Even as it is, it's totally unfair. But the fact that this here is actually a good game? It only makes things worse.
Therefore, at the end of the day, despite [b]PHL Collective[/b]'s best intentions, [b]Outright Games[/b] still managed to leave us all feeling sad. Was [b]Cosmic Chaos[/b] perfect? Not really, no. It was a bit too cheap here and there (the platforming parts, for example, were taken directly from that very arguable [b]PHL[/b]'s [b]Addams Family[/b] game, which, surprise-surprise, is long gone too at this moment too) and, like I said, a bit too basic for adults, but it [i]is[/i] a game people may want in their libraries. So, let's finish this review with some praise for [b]PHL[/b] and a big fat “[i]Shame on you![/i]” to [b]Outright Games[/b]. Because honestly, such an approach? It's not OK. Dixi.
