Review: PaperCraft (Xbox Live Indie)
I’ve never been a big fan of shmups. I have poor reflexes and get panicky when I see too many bullets flying around the screen. That being said, PaperCraft isn’t your average shmup and I kind of dig it. The goal is to fly your paper aircraft (your “papercraft,” if you will) to various refineries to pick up cargo and tech, then bring it back to your base. Once at your base, your cargo is converted to cash, which you can spend on various power-ups. These power-ups will give you more fuel (so you can fly to more refineries before needing to return to base), more cargo space (so you can carry more cargo at once, before needing to return to base), and less time between refineries.
You also need to be able to save up enough cash to buy a Defense Tower, as enemies are closing in on your base and you will be obliterated without one. You’ve only got an hour before they get there. Of course, you can’t just save up your money and never buy power-ups, since you’ll never earn enough cash to buy the tower with just the level 1 refineries alone. It’s a game of resource management as much as it is a shmup.
The game accommodates up to four players in local co-op, and I’ve found it is definitely more fun with more people. At the very least, you’re not the sole focus of all the bullets. Each player also gets to decide where to spend their tech points, though only the session leader can dictate what cash is spent on. Tech points are used to upgrade individual ‘crafts. You’re also able to re-spec your ‘craft on the fly. It’s an interesting feature that allows the game to adjust to each person’s individual play style.
Overall, PaperCraft is a pretty neat game, though I think replay value is a little low. You end up going to a lot of the same areas over and over, and the scenery doesn’t change at all. The graphics also aren’t the greatest, but the music is pretty hip. For 80 MSP, it’s not a bad value, but it’s also not something I’d play a lot of.
