e7

- Published by: JGames
- Developed by: Jonas Richner
- Year Released: 2010
- Genre: Platformer (Scifi)

*Note: when reading dialogue in screen shots, read from the bottom line, up.*

Gameplay

The game makes use of interesting mechanics based on physics. While the mechanics probably have a similar feeling to some other games, they also have a charm unique to this game. The game is very simplistic, short, artistic and forgiving of player mistakes. The elastic ground is the main feature of the game, and each level makes use of player interaction with the ground to platform your way through each level.

Mechanics

- Physics: The main mechanic is the elastic ground that reacts to pressure you cause with the down/"S" key. The harder you push, the further it will throw you when you release the pressure. Constant movement if you sit still (as you progress through the levels). The ground will move and you will slide depending upon your angle and speed, and the level (sometimes the ground sinks, sometimes it bubbles under you).
- Jumping is your only attack. You damage/kill with the top of your body, and aim with left and right before firing off from the ground.
- Recovery: killing fireflies and sometimes enemies drops balls of light that restore health.

Levels

- Each level is called Sector #G.
- Each level provides training and or pushes the story along.
- Each level is different and provides the chance to get used to and adapt to the mechanics and their possibilities.
- They get increasingly difficult with some breather levels.
- The change color (environmentally) as you progress.
- Teleport at the beginning to show how you got there, teleport at the end to leave the level. Cannot leave the level until you have performed the required task.

Blue Levels

- - The first 12 levels are blue in color. They are all horizontal, and the easiest in difficulty.
  - Blue levels introduce enemies 1, 2, and 3.
    - Displayed in order above,
      - Enemy 1: Shoots at diagonals, moving its lasers to the middle of its body and eventually crossing them fired directly at the ground.
      - Enemy 2: Shoots downwards and pans back and forth with its laser constantly firing.
      - Enemy 3: Shoots in a pattern, diagonal out, stop, more acute diagonal, stop, down, stop, and then repeats in reverse continually.

Green levels

- - Green levels start out fairly hard, then introduce wall-jumping. The game then expands from being just horizontal, to know having vertical capabilities too.
    - Green levels contain enemy number 4, a cannon enemy that focuses you and shoots a direct beam at you for a few seconds. The only way to survive against this enemy is to hide behind a hill or in a deep whole out of its range.

Orange ("Red") levels

- - Orange levels begin at level 16.
  - The music changes and gets happier (slightly), faster, and more hopeful(?).
  - The environment gets much brighter.
  - The environment becomes more challenging.

- Black levelLast level, containing the bomb.
  - Above is the level, to the right is very light writing on the bomb.
  - Contains no enemies.

Death

- If you die via spikes or enemies, you will just start the level over with nothing gained, nothing lost.

Controls

Move LEFT + RIGHT.

Left and Right arrow keys or "A" and "D."

Push the ground down/release/jump.

Down or "S" key.
Release to release and fire yourself.

Plot

You play the character show to the right.

Your ship has landed on this strange planet.

The world is dark, and desolate. A few glowing flowers remain, but there appears to only be one life force here, fireflies.

There are other robots too, they are incredibly hostile.

You are alone except the command from your ship and a few fireflies.

The ground is elastic-y and reacts to pressure you cause.

You must fight to save earth from a bomb located in the east of this planet.

Characters

- Player character (E7?)Small, round, black robot that glows neon (color depends on the level).
- Looks a lot like a roomba.
- Cannot talk.
- Can interact with the elastic ground.
- Has a health bar at the top of the screen.
- Always flips right side up when landing.

Your ship (S)

- (S and C) Communicates through the player ui's upper left corner with a chat-line style IM box.
- (S) Is your method of communication and dialogue.
- (S) Performs technical operations in the game, like opening teleports.
- (S) Tells you what level you are on.

Commander(C)

- (C) Gives you instructions on how to move, where to go, what to do.
- (C) Gives you praise when you do things right.
- (C) Tells you what things are (like your health bar).
- (C) Doesn't always "talk" to you.
- FirefliesFollow you around.
- Appear at certain times or seeming-ly at random occasionally.
- Can be killed for hit points.
- Appear to be friendly/neutral.

The Enemies

- Referred to as enemies.
- Glow like you and your ship.
- Attack very quickly after encounter.
- Vary in design, strength, health, and damage done.
- Display their health bar above their heads.
- Spikes, while not characters, also serve as an enemy/challenge.

Art

Visual

A 2D vector style that is very simple.

- Uses neon glows to focus on important things (the player character, enemies, flowers, fireflies).
- The ground is dark.
- No shading.
- Atmospheric perspective.
- Shining stars and glowing moon, with animated comets in the backdrop.

Color usage helps change the atmosphere of the game.

When you start out the background is blue, it gives a lonely feeling.
The game is set at night with a bright shining moon, stars, and comets in the background.

Sound

The sound is isolating and lonely.

- Music is a soft melodramatic, slow piano track. Few notes.
- Background noise is wind.
- The "happier" music track is much more interesting, and is very pretty.
- There are three tracks in the game, they loop continuously through their respective colored levels.
  - Blue (1:26)
  - Green (0:38)
  - Red (1:00)

Creator

Jonas Richner is the creator of e7, he drew, animated, programed, and made the music for e7 on his own, his only help being the beta testers in the screen shot to the bottom right of this section.

According to his website, Jonas Richner is in high school (or possibly a freshman in college at this point) and has been making games since 2008. E7 appears to be his 9th flash title.

OVERALL SYNOPSES:

I really liked the game. It's short, beatable in about an hour or two. The story is emotional and raw (if not a little predictable). The art is simple and beautiful because of it. The whole thing has a lonely feel and the music really helps the game as a whole. The mechanics are interesting, fun, and challenging. The controls work pretty well. The "puzzles" aren't impossible, but offer a challenge. Some people may find the game too easy, but I found it just difficult enough for the type of game it is.

What I feel is lacking from the game is more use of some of the changes to the main mechanic. I feel some levels are just filler or tutorial levels in the middle/end of the game, and really there could be more use of the vertical mechanic there or even a new variation of the elastic ground. Art wise, I wish there were a few more styles of background.

I also wish the ending hadn't come so soon, the transition from the orange to black was dramatic and the bomb screen felt weak compared to the overall mechanic of the game. *SPOILER HERE AND TO THE RIGHT* There are no bosses in the game, which I'm fine with since the 4th enemy is so difficult, but I still feel destroying the bomb should of been harder and that there should be at least a chance for the character to survive (which I'm not sure yet if it can, but it may be able to).

e7