'Zogan's Log' Mixes Space-y Graphics and Unique Gameplay

Forget last year's obsession with spasmodic flailings as a way to control video games. It's far more interesting for developers to subvert the classic D-pad and buttons that we've been tapping away at for years. The one-button game perfectly realizes this by forcing both developers and players to think laterally without resorting to fancy new technology. Play 'Canabalt,' and then check out our week-long one-button showcase.

The first thing you'll notice about sci-fi action game 'Zogan's Log' (besides a title that sounds like a schlocky sci-fi flick) is the expansive, otherworldly graphics. You'll crest rocky outcroppings and traverse bubbling seas of lava, travel through amorphous alien foliage and ancient technological ruins, all rendered in three dimensions and lit by neon hues. It's easy to get lost playing this one, so try to remember that you have actual goals aside from wandering aimlessly and taking in the sights.

You pilot a "spinner," a spacecraft which, in a regrettable design decision, has no steering mechanism. Instead, your ship continuously rotates until you hold the space bar, which propels you in whatever direction you're facing. This can be frustrating to those used to more familiar multi-button control schemes -- though adjusting the spinner's rotation speed in the game's menu can ease the one-button transition. You're tasked with collecting survivors from ruined spinners scattered throughout the game, as well as activating five ore harvesters. While searching the landscape, you'll contend with a variety of hostile creatures, which can be dispensed by tapping the space bar to fire your lasers. Defeated enemies leave behind scrap that can be converted into ammunition and shields. While the game's controls are admittedly wonky, it's a worthwhile exercise in alternative mechanics. More importantly, the game is a wonder to behold, and worth playing just to see how good an in-browser game can look. 'Zogan's Log' requires the free Unity Web Player, so make sure you install it before playing.

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'Zogan's Log' Mixes Space-y Graphics and Unique Gameplay originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 17 Jan 2011 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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