Scrap Garden – Review

Introduction

Scrap Garden is one of those games that can catch players by surprise due to its simplistic presentation and intuitive control scheme. The choice to make the game as accessible as possible was one that really paid off for the developers due to the interaction and navigation being interesting and fun. Whether it is the platforming, music, or the occasional boss fight, Scrap Garden shines through a vast sea of platformers. The game’s charm is not just in the graphics department but its overall simplicity. The developers at Flazm Interactive Entertainment clearly wanted Scrap Garden that players can enjoy without taking the game to the extreme, and that really shows with each passing level.

When I first booted up Scrap Garden, I was taken back by the graphics and how dull they came across. As I continued to play the game, this issue was rectified and I began to take my time in order to appreciate the look of each stage. Not many games can bring me back to a time in which I did not care about things such as graphics as long as I was enjoying myself. Scrap Garden not only accomplishes this level of enjoyment but it makes me wonder about the future of the platforming genre. Do the games in this genre need to incorporate innovative features or can they remain simple and fun?

Players who are interested in this charming title can take a trip to the Steam Store and purchase the game for $14.99.

Narrative

The story of Scrap Garden follows a robot named Canny – who wakes up after a having his battery changed only to come to the realization that all of his friends of been mysteriously shut down. Signs of decay are riddling the streets of this once beautiful city, but how could this have happened? It is up to the players to help Canny find out why all of his friends were shut down and who is responsible for this.

While the story itself is as simple as the game, the developers do a fine job at bringing players along a journey that will change from beautiful outdoor environments to more atmospheric levels that will get the blood pumping a bit. Having that change every so often made me feel good because there aren’t many games that do this often – if at all. If there is ever a sequel, having a more elaborate story would be amazing considering how good Scrap Garden already is in this department.

Gameplay

When I first laid eyes of Scrap Garden, it was almost an instant feeling of needing to play the game. Once I got my hands on the game, I could not believe how simple the controls felt and how familiar everything seemed as I progressed through each section of the game. The initial stage really did a nice job of introducing me to the game and how to interact with the character I was controlling. As I navigated through the stages, I noticed that there weren’t many enemy encounters. The lack of encounters did not hurt my experience as the game is more focused on exploration and puzzle platforming.

The game started to take shape once I made it to stage 3. Puzzles started to make their appearance, the platforming was more prevalent, and a boss decided to show his face. It was during the boss fight that Scrap Garden really showed its charm and simplicity. This introductory encounter consisted of a worm-like creature emerging from the ground, creating debris, and taking that debris to use as a projectile attack. After a few turns, I was able to claim victory and that was a good feeling because while the encounter was simple – it was a lot of fun.

If you would like to see Scrap Garden’s gameplay in action, take a look at my Let’s Play video below: 

It is important to mention that if you are looking for something complex both in graphics and gameplay, you will not find that here. Flazm Interactive Entertainment’s intention with this game was for players to have a good time without the need for taking their sessions too seriously, and you know what? This was the best thing about Scrap Garden when thinking about how more popular titles in the genre tend to be in terms of how unnecessary and frustrating certain elements are. If I had to suggest making the game more difficult, I think that would be best served by implementing some form of cooperative gameplay to the mix.

Environments

Scrap Garden’s environments really stood out and became progressively interesting as I continued to play. During the initial stage, there seem to be differentiating set pieces that really kept me invested in the outcome of the story. These set pieces also seem to tell a little bit of story, and that was a real pleasure to see. However, each stage also had tonal differences that created a sense of urgency in some cases. For example, exploring the levels above ground can seem like a bright and sunny day, but making your way underground can lead to dark, cavernous areas that contain enemies that will try to catch players off guard. The developers must be given credit because the contrast and balance for each section of each level are done really well. My only complaint about Scrap Garden’s stages was that could have been more.

Sound of Music

Music can make a game one of two things – interesting or boring. The musical choice that the developers made for Scrap Garden is actually quite pleasant. Each level or section was accompanied by a classical sound that turned into a creepy adventure. There are many games that can manage the contrast is musical choices, but very few are able to do so with such finesse like Scrap Garden. What I personally enjoy about the music in this game is that it kept me entertained as I was navigating through each stage and in some cases had me humming along which was something that has not happen since my PlayStation 2 days. If there was one element to the music that I would want to change, it would have to be during a boss encounter. The music does not seem to pick up the pace all that much and of added the icing on the cake.

My Verdict

Flazm Interactive Entertainment’s Scrap Garden is a simple game that shows us video games do not have to be taken seriously all the time. Having a simple control scheme, an interesting story, and the main character that players can show empathy towards is a recipe for success. While the game felt too easy at times, the music and interesting set pieces really made Scrap Garden feel like a privilege to play. Hopefully, the developers can take the positive response they are receiving and use that as inspiration to create a sequel that will add more content and address the difficulty level in the next game. Needless to say, if you enjoy simple puzzle platforming action, then pick this one up… it is definitely worth the trip.