Freeware Game Pick: Freefall (David Slagle, Warren Post)
Note: Video and screenshots contain spoilers.
Freefall is a short game which puts you in control of a man who has made the decision to end his life by jumping off a bridge. Similar to basic parachuting methods, you use your left and right arm to control the path of your flight downwards. Move the left or right analog stick to steer or orient yourself in the sky, and extend both arms towards your back to dive forward through the air.
An Xbox360 controller is required to play, as keyboard and mouse controls are not supported. (IGF information page)
Name: Freefall
Developer: David Slagle, Warren Post and Kyle Cabral
Category: Adventure
Type: Freeware
Size: 20MB
Direct download link: Click here
Comments
It also works with a wireless Xbox 360 Controller. The controls feel rather unresponsive, though, I wonder if that's got anything to do with it.
Anyway, I like the concept and even though it is so minimalistic it is still quite expressive.
Posted by: MisterX | November 28, 2008 4:48 AM
@MisterX: thanks for the info!
Posted by: Tim | November 28, 2008 11:25 AM
So, not only keyboard and mouse controls aren't supported, but regular gamepads aren't supported as well? Well, I guess I'll have to borrow that abortion of a gamepad to play this...
Posted by: x_x | November 28, 2008 9:24 PM
I can't really say whether it is worth the trouble trying to acquire the right controller for such a short game, but I liked it enough to write something about the project. :)
I'd say get an Xbox360 controller at a later date. You will need to own one sooner or later anyway, since most Windows games these days tend to utilize the gamepad's analog controls (and/or rumble) in some capacity.
Posted by: Tim | November 28, 2008 9:35 PM
Well, I have Speedlink Bullfrog (the best pad I ever used, except for kinda flimsy D-pad), Saitek P990 and Dualshock 2 through PS2-to-USB converter. Yeah, and an PS2 arcade stick which my friend never gets around to take back. More than enough for anything you can throw at me, except this one game. Xbox360 controller is simply useless to me compared to any of those. Inability to switch to good old digital mode, and two shifts replaced with another analog axis? Seriously, what's up with that?
Posted by: x_x | November 28, 2008 10:09 PM
Why do people do that anyhow? What possesses them to make a game that ~90% of the audience (internet) won't be able to play when they're already in a venue where only VERY few people will see it anyhow?
The only thing i can think of right now is that people who do that are just plain too ignorant and/or lazy to figure out how to handle other input and get some idiot-proof API handed for the Xbox360 controller.
Or they're dumb and don't give a shit. Am i missing something here?
Posted by: blargh | November 29, 2008 5:01 PM
Please post the idiot-proof universal open source gamepad API you use for your games. I think the community could really use that.
Posted by: PeterB | December 1, 2008 6:01 PM
Well, I don't know if we talk about the same community here, but I kinda sorta thought that the community uses stuff like OpenInput, OIS and a truckload of others. Almost every game engine and authoring tool has gamepad support, even really basic stuff like Game Maker. No, seriously, what happened to DirectInput? It was here for well over 10 years, but you seem to claim that suddenly it's gone and the community needs a gamepad API!
I don't want to bash on the developers, besides adding keyboard support is (hopefully) a matter of five minutes to them, but this "idiot-proof universal open source gamepad API" thing is ridiculous!
Posted by: x_x | December 1, 2008 9:45 PM