xbox live indie game reviews

In Cave In: Miner Rescue, you play as a Bob the Builder-looking miner on a quest to rescue other trapped miners. The gameplay revolves around a mixture of several classic 2D game mechanics (match-3, sokoban, snood, mazes) all projected into 3D. For the most part, you wander around and push boulders into place. Walking into them will slide them one grid-space and pressing 'A' will "kick" the boulder all the way until it hits something else. Each level has a time limit before the ceiling gives out, and you've often got several tasks to perform in a single room. Tasks include unblocking the exits, clearing a path to a trapped miner, blasting an obstacle with dynamite (which you have to find first), and unlocking save points. A variety of hazards impede your path: holes, breakaway floors, steam vents, falling boulders, and rolling boulders. The puzzles themselves remain strictly 2D, but playing them them through the lens of a character exploring the level seems to freshen them up a bit. The UI, graphics and sound effects are all adorable (though the miners pleading for rescue can get a bit annoying), and the music never got on my nerves. The main character's helmet lamp is often used as a light source, which gives the 3D elements a more dynamic feel than some of the other, flatly-lit 3D games I've played.

Run into any of the obstacles or run out of time and you'll have to start the level over again from scratch. The levels with boulders rolling down are disproportionately harder than the other levels, as the movement can be a little sticky. It's very easy to get hung on a corner while trying to sneak into the shelter of an alcove--and then you've got to start the whole level over. I also found myself watching the 2D minimap in the top right instead of actually watching what was happening on the screen on several levels, as this makes it easier to filter out the 3D distractions and focus more tightly on the actual puzzle elements. Because of the hazards, though, and how easy it is to wander off course, "figuring out" the puzzle and completing the level are often very different things.

I actually bought Cave In: Miner Rescue Team several months ago, but I've been holding off on writing the review. Every time I get ready to review the game, I get the urge to beat the game first (not an urge I get very often with the Community Games so far) and go play it for another half hour or so. A couple of months later, I'm three and a half hours into the game and still not even close to finishing the 80 levels in the story mode--an impressive feat for a community game. The levels are well-designed and the different mechanics are spread out nicely enough that the game doesn't ever feel repetitive. Toss in a survival mode for endless replay and there's a lot here for only 400 points. Worth the Points!