So Patchwork Heroes was released recently. I remember hearing a small tid bit about it a while ago then it fell of my radar. So today, in my search for games I came across the PSN demo for this quirky little game. I ended up buying it. Here are some things about the gameplay, and my first impressions:

GAMEPLAY

The simplest way I can describe this game is that its a quirky mashup of elements similar to the arcade games Dig Dug 2, and Qix.
You control a small group as you take down massive flying battle ships. To do this you will have to separate sections of the ship by sawing them. If you've played Dig Dug 2 you'll have a sense of familiarity with this. In Dig Dug 2 you connect pegs to sink landmasses, enemies and all.

In Patchwork Heroes the emphasis is on sawing off the largest pieces possible. This is especially crucial because of the time limit. If you do not make the time, the ship will reach your home and bomb it, ending your run. By sawing off large pieces you slow down the ship and receive a time bonus. Sawing off pieces with enemies on them also earns you Mojo, which when used turns you invincible and lets you saw faster and destroy reinforced pieces of the ship.



Along the way you will also encounter enemies and hostages. Hostages play a crucial part, since sawing off a piece of the ship with a prisoner will drop them to their doom. Saving hostages unlocks their Resident Card, with a little blurb about them.

Getting hit by enemies will knock down one of your team members. When you run out the level ends. These are the equivalent of lives. However, the game handles these in a unique way. You have bombs, which are very useful because not only do they take out large chunks of the ship, but also destroy reinforced pieces that otherwise can only be destroyed by using Mojo attacks. To use bombs you'll need to leave behind a team mate to hold the bomb in place. When the bomb blows they will parachute to safety. On the other hand, getting attacked by enemies will caused a little portrait and name to pop up, stating that they are dead. This give a bit of uniqueness to them, something I have not seen since Cannon Fodder (where each soldier would have a name and rank, and the dead count were listed at the menu). Apparently there is also a graveyard where you can visit them, although I haven't unlocked it yet, it seems.

SUMMARY
So far I've been having a great time with Patchwork Heroes. The colorful graphics and wonderful art style and music call a kind of olde Eastern European flavor, especially with everything looking like paper dolls or fabric. Its also got this heavy mechanical feeling going on, especially in the menus and environment design. Apparently the game was done by the same people as Holy Invasion of Privacy Badman!, and it definitely shows.

The game costs $9.99 and contains two modes from the get go: Story, and Challenge. Definitely a good price for something with a lot flavor. I recommend checking out the demo at the least.