Ray Hound

Posted by oddbob on August 16, 2006 · Lovingly Filed Under Other peoples games 
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Mouse control in shooters is an incredibly tricky thing to get right, so many casual games attempt it and fall at the first post - usually by making the mouse control a secondary consideration to mechanics that are normally applied to stick/pad or key control. In other words, thinking of the market before thinking of the end user. Even for the more hardcore games, mouse control can come off as a cumbersome addition to the gameplay often disconnecting the player too far from the action.

Very few shooter based games cope well with mouse control, GR++ is one of the shining examples of applying the mouse to the genre and Ray Hound takes its place amongst the hallowed halls of the elite few with ease.

What both GR++ and Ray Hound have in common aside from the mouse is very little from a gameplay point of view, but they do share an emphasis on the players dexterity and handling over the actual action of shooting - placing you 100% in control of the action.

More importantly - giving you the feeling that you are responsible for whatever happens on screen.

As a gaming concept, Ray Hound couldn’t be more simple - you are faced with a number of turrets who’s sole aim in life is to wipe you off the screen - they fire lasers at you, y’know - being turrets thats the kind of thing that they do. In order to survive you have to capture the lasers using a surrounding force field and then return the beams of death at the aggressors. All the action takes place in an arena, meaning you have to be careful not to lose your captured beams by crashing them against the edges, its all against the clock meaning that in order to survive long enough to get a meaningful score - you’re going to have to hammer the turrets out of existence as quickly as possible to achieve the time bonuses.

Its all handled so perfectly, plays so beautifully and looks gorgeous that you’ll find yourself gagging for just one more go to beat your last high score.

Thanks to Bill at The2bears for the heads up.

Ray Hound

Ray-Hound

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One Response to “Ray Hound”

  1. Richard on August 18th, 2006 4:29 pm

    Well, I tried it and I’m afraid I disagree. I found the mouse control awkward and imprecise both with moving the ship and trying to control the lasers.

    While it might be something you get used to, it didn’t grab me after 3 levels, so it didn’t do it for me..

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