PlatformOVERALL
Wii U7.70
Overall 7.70
Affordable Space Adventures is an easy game to like.  It has good graphics, great atmosphere and the gameplay is compelling, relying on puzzles based around the concept of micromanaging your spaceship.  It has a great subdued sense of humour, is one of the few games to really take advantage of the Gamepad and is very stubborn in not breaking the fourth wall.

But other aspects of the game can't hold up to those lofty standards.  For one, the game borrows from the Metroidvania template in how you gradually get full access to your ship, but completely does away with any exploration as you're always traversing a set of tunnels.  
There is diversity in the settings you'll discover, keeping the levels from feeling samey, but peel away this thin veneer of graphical detail and texturing, and you'll notice that the diversity is only skin deep.  The game is also lacking in a reason to justify this change of landscape.  One moment you'll be traversing caves, a few levels later you will have entered a sci-fi setting or a snowy peak.  But the why of this is never explained.  There is no greater story that ties all of this together, that builds towards any form of closure or climax.  

Do these complaints carry enough weight to keep me from recommending this game to anyone?  I don't think so.  It might ring a bit hollow when you stop to ponder over it all, but why would you want to do that when the moment to moment gameplay is enjoyable, each puzzle so unique and the great use of the hardware so refreshing?

One last note goes to the Miiverse implementation.  Be sure to turn it on.  It's one of the few games where this is handled so elegantly that it truely enhances the experience, even if it's only called upon once at the end of the game.
Posted by SupremeAC Tue, 28 Apr 2015 22:49:57
 
Wed, 29 Apr 2015 14:28:05
Price drop buy?
 
Wed, 29 Apr 2015 15:22:42
Yeah...  I don't regret paying full price for it, but I can't really recommend it either.
 
Wed, 29 Apr 2015 17:43:04
It pisses me off that a game with the word "affordable" in its title is the most expensive downloadable game on the eShop (barring downloads of full disc games).

I will get it however if/when heavily discounted as I think I will enjoy it
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