The issue with the indie gaming scene in general is the number of clone and shovelware titles that exist solely to cash in on someone else’s great idea. The honest indie developers can sometimes find it hard to get publicity for the innovation and originality they often bring to the table. Enter ITTA, the first digital lovechild of Jacob Williams and developer Glass Revolver.
Whilst ITTA isn’t necessarily innovative, it does however set an industry standard for its fellow indie titles. On paper, it’s a bullet-hell, twin-stick tribute to pixel-art and chiptune – which unfortunately has become a breeding ground of mediocre devs. ITTA bucks this trend and delivers a compelling and mysterious story via the majesty of beautifully-crafted and meticulously-designed pixel art open-ground, caves and passages.
The amount of animation that has gone into ITTA is astounding, from the various bullet patterns of boss fights to waterfall animations, it’s simply a labour of love.
Challenging Controls
Firstly, a game pad and a TV is highly recommended. Twin Stick + Bullet Hell = Joy Con hand cramp. Do you already have an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 controller? Save some money and buy a wireless adaptor to plug into the switch dock, mine supports everything but Amiibo. I digress, the L-Stick is used to direct lil’ Itta around the gameworld whilst the R-Stick is used to guide whichever weapon the pepperpot child deems worthy. RT is reserved for weapon fire and LT is home to the most generous dodge mechanic I’ve found in a title.
Players will find themselves relying heavily on dodging / rolling to avoid the 1000’s of bullets/missiles/ethereal artifacts that are being thrown at them during boss fights. Shoulder buttons are used to navigate a weapons wheel which comes in super handy as Itta progresses.
Standard Fare but Tastily Arranged
The game loop is exploration, finding hidden areas/items and talking to NPCs. Followed swiftly by headbutting every wall in your home trying to defeat bosses. Much like the original Legend of Zelda, players have some leeway in choosing which boss to fight first, this turns out to be a great way to fight boss fatigue whilst making time to plug in that bath-time toaster due to the frustration these bosses cause.
Each boss is different in terms of attacks, movement patterns and strategy which was really refreshing. Even when players may feel that they’ve worked out a pattern and a neutral space in the game space to ham the fire trigger at a Boss, out comes the developer to pull the rug from underneath your feet and ruin the plan. In all fairness, Glass Revolver has also given players a barrel roll that could dodge a sideways moving bullet train.
Players will later acquire mechanics and weapons that will give them the edge they need in later battles, such as a meter-based temporary power up and the like.
Striking an Indie Chord
The soundtrack is as previously mentioned a bit-chip love letter to the 8-bit area, complete with speaker cracks on the low end and high end distortion. Whilst faithful and a wonderful addition, this translates horribly on a modern TV and is far more enjoyable in a handheld environment. Whilst the soundtrack conveys the emotions needed in and out of boss battles, it can carry over. For example, going near a boss area will trigger a foreboding and hard-hitting synthfest which can still carry on when moving away from said area. Small points to make for sure, but noticeable at that.
ITTA is an indie gem that is well worth it’s under €15 price tag, there’s little to complain about at the price point. It’s hard to find a title in this price range that offers a compelling story, a surreal atmosphere and some brilliant gameplay. Maybe put on your favourite album whilst playing on the big screen though. Oh, and buy a second set of hands if you’re planning on playing on a Switch Lite or in handheld mode.
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch (PEGI 12)
