Swarm (2011 video game)
| Swarm | |
|---|---|
Cover art
|
|
| Developer(s) | Hothead Games |
| Publisher(s) | Ignition Entertainment |
| Composer(s) | Marc Baril |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 3 (PSN), Xbox 360 (XBLA) |
| Release date(s) | March 22, 2011 (PSN) March 23, 2011 (XBLA) |
| Genre(s) | Platform |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Aggregator | Score |
| GameRankings | 71.6% (PS3) 70.41% (X360) |
| Metacritic | 70/100 (PS3) 70/100 (X360) |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| Edge | 6/10 |
| Game Informer | 7.25/10 |
| GameZone | 7.5/10 |
| IGN | 8.5/10 |
| OPM (US) | 7/10 |
| OXM (US) | 7.5/10 |
Swarm is an action-platform video game developed by Hothead Games and published by Ignition Entertainment. It was released March 22, 2011 for the PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network and March 23, 2011 for the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade. The setting revolves around a flock of 50 blue bipedal creatures, dubbed swarmites, and their quest to collect DNA in order to save their race. The player controls the swarmites as a collective, but each swarmite has individual intelligence meaning interaction between the player and the swarm is always dynamic.
The game was received moderately well by critics with aggregate scores in the 70% range for both platforms at GameRankings, a video game aggregate website. Critics generally felt the game was unique and that it featured impressive artificial intelligence. They also praised the game's dark humor, most notably for the different ways the swarmites can die. Some critics expressed frustration at the game's difficulty level. As of June 2011 the Xbox 360 version had reached 13,000 in sales, while the PlayStation 3 version showed numbers nearing 2,000 during the game's first month.
The game begins by showing a pulsing blue blob arriving on a mysteriously war-torn and devastated planet. It plants itself into the ground and extends a wriggling tentacle. Out of the tentacle emerge 50 swarmites — small, blue, bipedal creatures who always move together in a pack, or swarm. The swarmites go in search of DNA, which the swarmites feed back into the blob to help it grow. The blob eventually transforms into a humongous swarmite referred to by the other swarmites as "momma".
Swarm is an action-platform game in which the player controls up to 50 characters known as swarmites who operate as a collective to achieve their goals. The objective is to reach the end of the level with at least one swarmite remaining. Throughout the levels are health packs which will restore the swarmites' numbers to 50. The levels also contain checkpoints which serve as the point where players will resume play if they lose all 50 swarmites.
...
Wikipedia