28 September 2015

Article: How Hucast tricked us all

In may 2012, Hucast emerged on Kickstarter. It was the creators behind DUX, that asked for $25,000 to make a sequal - Redux: Dark Matters. It was going to be a totally new shoot ’em up that would be extra sweetened the more streatch goals was reached. In the end Hucast got over $50,000 and although they originally said one particular stretch goal was 60k, they contacted all backers and said that the two player mode (and yet another new level) would enter the game. Excited over the great result Hucast went to work and the fans began their patient waiting.

The first release date, february of 2013, came and went. The updates were few and far between, but the complaints were even fewer. Let them take the time they need, most of us said. The game was delayed multiple times. But then, a snowy january afternoon when I was sitting at home a package fell through my door and down on my floor. The game had arrived. I eagerly opened it up and was greated with a wonderfully designed case filled with extra goodies. You know, some cards, a sticker, stuff like that.


I immediately put the Redux disc in my Dreamcast and on the television screen appeared... a pixelated logo seemingly out of focus. ”Wow” I thought, ”what a curious choice for a logo!”. What followed next could almost be described as a small shock. Redux: Dark Matters was not a ”new shoot ’em up” at all. It was an exact copy of DUX, but with slightly higher resolution, some new textures and deeper backgrounds. That had been shoehorned onto a Dreamcast disc with no thought on how the end result would be.


The result was blurry. In fact, the result was so blurry I could not look at the game for longer than ten minutes before getting a headache. Those who wear glasses can imagine playing without them to understand how Redux: Dark Matters looked.


What happened? How could Hucast go from ”a totally new shoot ’em up with extra levels and a two player mode” to ”DUX again, with no extra levels and no two player mode” at the same time as keeping their backers money without losing sleep? I do not know. It happened none the less.


Redux: Dark Matters is only marginally different from its predecessor and with blurry visuals. Hucast made a mediocre shoot ’em up worse, announced it as a completely new title, collected over $50,000 and laughed all the way to the bank.

I would like to explain here that it is important to read my upcoming, full, review of Redux: Dark Matters because Hucast listened to their fans and tried to make things better. Read that one before judging Hucast.