''Beep'' is a 2D
platform game
A platform game (often simplified as platformer and sometimes called a jump 'n' run game) is a sub-genre of action video games in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are charac ...
released on 3 March 2011 by Canadian studio Big Fat Alien for
Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
,
Mac OS X
macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac (computer), Mac computers. Within the market of ...
and
Linux
Linux ( or ) is a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged as a Linux distribution, which ...
. The Linux version arrived on Gameolith on 12 July 2011 and in the
Ubuntu Software Center
Ubuntu Software Center, or simply Software Center, is a discontinued high-level graphical front end for the APT/dpkg package management system. It is free software written in Python, PyGTK/PyGObject based on GTK.
The program was created for a ...
on 22 July 2011.
Gameplay
In ''Beep'', the player controls a robot sent from Earth who must find anti-matter in order to power his ship, and continue exploring. The player begins in a spaceship and is able to navigate to different planets within the
Solar System
The Solar SystemCapitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Solar S ...
. When arriving at a level on a planet, a robot is deployed and the player must control the robot through the level.
Collecting anti-matter, and anti-matter nuggets unlocks new levels and planets; there are 24 levels total. In each level, the player controls a four-wheeled robot, attacking enemy robots with your gun, and using an
anti-gravity beam to move objects and platforms in order to access different parts of the level. Some objects can even be used to destroy hostile robots. In some instances, players must stack dead enemies' bodies in order to advance.
Environments include swamp, ice, desert, and caves.
The game is heavily physics-based and allows the robot to jump, glide, swim, and cling to surfaces.
Reception
''Beep'' has received mixed praise and criticism from a couple of reviewers.
Eurogamer
''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 and owned by alongside formed company Gamer Network. Its editor-in-chief is Martin Robinson.
Since 2008, it is known for the formerly eponymous games trade fair EGX ...
's Matteo Lorenzetti praised the game's physics, comparing the robot's anti-gravity beam to ''
Half-Life 2
''Half-Life 2'' is a 2004 first-person shooter game developed by Valve. It was published by Valve through its distribution service Steam. Like the original ''Half-Life'' (1998), ''Half-Life 2'' combines shooting, puzzles, and storytelling, and ...
''s gravity gun. While he also lauded the game's overall enjoyment factor, he criticized its lack of customization, saying that players are forced to use a mouse and
WASD keys
Arrow keys or cursor movement keys are buttons on a computer keyboard that are either programmed or designated to move the cursor (computers), cursor in a specified direction.
The term "cursor movement key" is distinct from "arrow key" in that ...
.
''
PC Gamer
''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games ma ...
''s Rachel Weber noted that the controls were very sensitive. She also bemoaned the game's bland graphics, noting the "distinct lack of eye candy" and "that final slick of lipstick and blusher".
Gamezebo's Alicia Ashby criticized the game's physics as "mushy and imprecise", adding that players would be fighting against the controls instead of enjoying the game.
References
{{Reflist, 30em
2011 video games
Indie games
Linux games
MacOS games
Platformers
Video games about robots
Video games developed in Canada
Windows games