Spilled! Review (PC) – No Toil For This Spill
Spilled! is a perfect example of why the indie space of video games is so fantastic. It’s less than an hour long, uses a tiny handful of easy-to-grasp mechanics and is a light, bright and easygoing time. None of which would work as a concept, never mind a fully fledged project, in the AAA space. Taking on what is a fairly significant global talking point right now, it sets sail with the player to demonstrate the power of cleaning up our oceans, one small oil slick at a time.
Can a game that boasts it can be completed in an hour prove itself still worth your time and money? Pop on your captain’s hat, take up the wheel and let’s turn those dirty and disturbed waters into bountiful bodies of blue.
This Spillage Is Definitely Not Lickage
Spilled! is wonderfully straightforward and to the point. A rapid oil toting boat is running rampant through eight areas of gorgeous seas, and it’s our job to put a stop to the environmental damage they’re causing. Little Nemo and Dory aren’t going to last long if we don’t do something, so off you head to clean up the muck. No frills here, just a couple of very brief cutscenes and no dialogue whatsoever, before you’re sailing and mopping up.
Your cabin sized boat doesn’t have too much going for it at the start, only the enthusiasm of someone doing the right thing and some gusto. You hit the right trigger or bumper to move, left ones to brake or reverse, square and triangle to pick up debris and fire water cannons when needed. That’s all you need and Spilled! is immediately accessible and easy to pick up and play as a result. No difficulty curves to worry about or arduous tutorialisations needed.
It’s refreshing to be able to jump straight into a game like this, where you can sit back and take it in, like a leisurely Sunday stroll through the park. Your ship handles relatively smoothly and everything is intuitive to grasp. Where there’s a rogue oil slick, there’s a ship with a big ol’ plunger at the front to absorb it. Much of your time is therefore spent guiding your mini eco disaster averting vessel around to where the oil is, before depositing it in the area’s designated recycling bin.
(Relaxingly) Treading Water
There’s something to be said for simplicity, stripping back all the added guff in favour of a straightforward concept executed well. That’s exactly how Spilled! is to play. Each of the eight areas you’ll clean up become bigger, with larger oil spills to address and a couple of new obstacles to deal with. Digging up abandoned oil barrels or putting out fires doesn’t add a whole lot of depth, but seeing a helicopter swoop in to deliver you coins for doing so is a rewarding touch.
All of your environmentally friendly actions net you said coins, which you then spend on three upgrades – the size of your oil mop, the capacity of your container for the oil and the speed of your engine to zip you around. Again, nothing fancy, all very straightforward and easy to do. Additionally, you’ll find 16 animals stranded about in the corners of the areas, saving each of which gives you a sticker and an amusing name for them.
I found Spilled! to be a pleasant breeze as a result. I drifted around collecting waste, enjoying the shift in the colour of the water as the fruits of my labour brought back all manner of fish, whales and other marine life. The flora and fauna get restored on the shoreline, while you get the satisfying of a world being renewed and vibrant again. It’s a simple pleasure, but some of those are the best that life has to offer. Spilled! does the basics well, and that’s really all it needs.
No Need For Spilt Milk
Spilled! isn’t perfect by any means. Collecting up and herding the floating debris can be more difficult than giving a cat a bath, while the turning in tight spaces is worse than my efforts to parallel park. Equally, though the shorter run-time for the game was a blissful change of pace for me, I do feel a bit sad there’s not more of Spilled! to get whisked away into. I actually quite appreciated its more laid back approach, and would have liked to see more.
Even so, the art style and vibrant visuals pack a punch despite the small time investment it takes to see it all. Gradually reducing the suffocating sludge of the slicks, neutralising the brown stained water and witnessing it return to life is a genuine delight. I sailed all the way from the end back to the beginning just so I could breathe in the bright colours, lovely atmosphere and blissful scenery. Despite being a video game, Spilled! celebrates the beauty of nature in a glorious way.
Would I play Spilled! again? Yeah, surprisingly (for me). I walked away feeling positive, chilled out and more bright than when I started, so there’s something to be said for the mood it permeates. Moreover, it has a great message regarding taking care of the environment around us and appreciating the quieter moments. Even though it felt a little too short and had the odd niggle, I think Spilled! is emblematic of the creative and wonderful indie space.
Spilled! is available now on PC via Steam (review platform).
Developer: Lente
Publisher: Lente
Disclaimer: In order to complete this review, we were provided with a promotional copy of the game. For our full review policy, please go here.
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