Platform: Xbox Indie Games (Xbox 360)
Price: 240 MSP / $3 USD


When I first played the trial for WhipCrack, I wasn't too impressed however, after playing the later levels found in the full version I actually enjoyed it as at that point I got the hang of the controls and understood the gameplay. This is one of those games where the trial negatively misleads you into thinking the game is not worthwhile when it actually is.

Gameplay:
The early missions basically serve as tutorials to get a hang of the controls along with the game's mechanics, they will probably be a bit slow paced and frustrating at first. However, it will all be worthwhile as the later missions will require you to know the basics in order to get through them and at that point the game will be much more enjoyable. In WhipCrack you take the role of a whip and can also manipulate the master's (the master is a dark PacMan looking guy) movement. There is a story behind it, but I'm not a story teller so get the trial and select "Introduction" *milk and cookies not included. The object of each mission is typically to collect X amount of charges (to recycle them AKA harvesting their energy), in order to collect these charges you usually have to whip some enemies and then have your master absorb their charge. While the enemies can't attack you or directly assault your master, they can take the charge away so you have to keep the coast clear for your master. In the harder missions the time limit is a lot shorter so you'll have to work quickly to successfully complete them. Also, it's worth noting that you can accidentally destroy charges so be careful what you whip!

As for enemy variety, there were only a few types of them but each was distinctive in terms of their abilities. The red block-shaped enemy can only take the charge when it becomes a particle whereas the red cross-shaped enemy took the charge when it was still raw. There were also a couple of other ones but they weren't found until the later levels and since the game did a pretty good job in explaining what their abilities were I'm not going to bore you with that any longer.

The game also did a good job in explaining how to actually play it, so aside from my brief whipping explanation, I won't get into more details but just to give you an overview, you can upgrade the master's recycling ability. I suggest you check out the trial or watch a gameplay video for that as it really has to be at least visually seen in order to fully understand it as it's not just about whipping enemies.

Now I'll get into the game modes, there were two modes. Single player had a total of 19 missions and an unlockable expert mode which was earned once the game was completed. This difficulty makes the game more challenging by requiring you to be a lot more careful when collecting charges as from what I saw, you only get enough enemies to barely complete each mission whereas in the regular difficulty you got a couple of extras so accidentally destroying or losing some charges could still allow you to complete the mission due to the surplus. Multiplayer had 5 missions which can be played with up to 4 players on the same screen (local multiplayer only). The rules of each mission were explained so I won't get into too many details but basically all 5 missions are played competitively not cooperatively. While I didn't get to play with a total of four players, it did seem like it could have gotten hectic but definitely fun.

Some other features worth mentioning:
*Whip color can be customized (after the game has been completed)
*Multiplayer mode can be played solo but without any AI so it's only good for learning how to play a particular mission
*The game supports saving so no need to worry about starting from the beginning if you can't play all 19 missions at once

Graphics & Audio:
The logo of the game was rather clever and for the most part, the 2D graphics were sharp. Also, the fonts chosen looked very good which was nice as navigating was not a pain, unfortunately I can't say the same for some other Indie Games I've played....

As for the audio, the music was nice but the real selling point was the spoken dialogue. It sounded VERY professional so kudos to the developer. I don't recall playing any other Indie Game with such professional sounding dialogue. The voice was a bit creepy at first though but after a while I found it pretty cool, however if it bothers you, WhipCrack has the option of shutting it off so this can be done as well.

Replay value:
The expert mode is definitely worth playing once the game has been completed under the default difficulty as it will be sure to challenge you. However, it is pretty hard and as such, not for everyone. The multiplayer on the other hand is probably the best portion of the game in terms of replay value as it's ideal for those brief yet competitive gaming sessions with friends. The only problem is that there is a small learning curve so your friends might not catch on right away. I'd suggest having a few practice rounds with some explanations to help them get the hang of it.

Overall:
For 240 MSP, the game is well worth it despite it's strange presentation. Even if you don't plan on playing any multiplayer, the single player experience alone will justify the price tag. The strange storyline will also keep you amused while the professional dialogue will make you feel as though you're playing a $60 game at less than a tenth of the cost. With that said, do give it a whip, your master will be very pleased.

Pros:
+Great spoken dialogue
+Sharp 2D graphics
+Multiplayer (local)
+Expert difficulty
+Good amount of replay value

Cons:
-There should have been a tutorial mode and all those early missions should have been stuck in there rather than as part of the main story
-Online multiplayer would have been an awesome addition (whipping n00bs online FTW but it's understandable that this was not included especially due to the price)
-No double sided whip in multiplayer
-Lack of AI whips in multiplayer AKA "bots" (this wasn't essential but would have definitely made the mode more enjoyable)

WhipCrack gets a 8.5/10 as there's a good amount of replay value in both single and multiplayer as well as the game bringing an interesting concept to life. I've played games before where you use a whip but never one where you were the whip. In closing, even though I said the trial was misleading, it will give you an idea of the core gameplay. If it looks like something that might interest you, give the full version a try even if the controls seem frustrating as you really have to play all of the early missions to get the hang of it. On the other hand, if you're not amused by the concept of playing as a whip then this game is probably not for you. Also, if you were looking for a naughty game involving a whip, wrong game buddy.

Checkout WhipCrack's official website HERE for more info. You'll find some interesting info about the developer there as well, you might have seen some of his previous work without even realizing it.

This game was obtained from the developer rather than purchased, for review purposes.

I played through the game it was pretty easy but I like that it was not like any other game I've played.