Javel-ein

Unless it’s a realistic shooter featuring real weapons and the like, video games do not really concern themselves with how the players destroy their enemies. Hence, bullets are of little to no consequence in platformers, since most of the time your character has infinite ammunition. On the other hand, there are clever ways to approach the situation.

Javel-ein is a 2D platformer in which you have to make it to the end of each level and kill everything that moves on your way there. However, the real challenge rests with the fact that you have to use a mere javelin to achieve all this. Not just that, but it’s really just one javelin, which means that you are completely defenseless once you throw it.

Naturally, you can pick it back up after that, but you need to pay attention to the environment before you throw it around. First of all, you might leave yourself open to other enemy attacks if you are not careful. Second of all, the javelin can get stuck somewhere too high for you to retrieve it, which means that you have to reset the level and try again from the beginning.

The enemies can be pretty unpredictable and tough to beat as well, depending on how experienced you are with platformers. Some sit in one place and wait for you to get close in order to strike, while others are small and very mobile, such as the bats. They all pose a threat, on the other hand, which is why it’s important to always aim as well as you can and remember that you have to quickly pick up the javelin after that.

Visually, the game features simple graphics and basic level design, but it’s still a unique style that actually looks pretty nice. It’s tough to imagine the game world as a whole, but at least each stage is different and more elements are added along the way. The music is engaging too, even if it can become a tad repetitive after a certain point.

Depending on your past experience with platformers, Javel-ein is more than capable to keep you busy for some time, especially if you like a challenge. The gameplay is very original and engaging, which is always nice to see in an indie production.