Hello, and welcome to Games You Should Be Playing. This series aims to highlight those games, from indie to AAA, that should be at the top of every gamer’s list. Although titles will inevitably slip through the cracks, there are some out there that you just can’t ignore. The first game we’ll be highlighting a title known as Silver Grapple.
Silver Grapple made its way onto the scene this past August, and I’ve only seen one video made on it. You can find Nitro Rad‘s video on it here, I highly recommend it. I’ll do my best not to piggyback off of what Mr. Rad says. Anyways, back to the subject. While it not might be the most gorgeous title on the Steam marketplace, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t get some love. So let’s take a look at what makes this one so great, and just why you should be playing it.
Games You Should Be Playing: Silver Grapple
A Simple Concept
Silver Grapple is one of those games that proves that there is beauty in simplicity. In terms of narrative that comes outright to the player, there is basically nothing. However, this game is so much deeper than it originally lets on.
At the outset, this title is remarkably simple. As a 2D platformer, the main goal is to figure out how to go from left to right. But truly, there’s much more to this one than your normal everyday platformer. As the name might suggest, there’s a grappling hook in this game, and it serves as the main mechanic. Throughout the course of the title, you’ll be swinging your way around this ruined facility like some kind of post-apocalyptic Tarzan. Oh, and trust me, the feeling of a successful grapple is just as satisfying as it sounds.
That just about wraps up the controls. You go left to right, swinging around. And while it doesn’t get much more simple than that, the levels get surprisingly complex. This leads me to my next point.
If You Liked ____, You’ll Love This
If you liked Super Meat Boy, you will absolutely love Silver Grapple. Really, it seems like this game was born of Super Meat Boy and the Swingshot from Ratchet and Clank. With everything from level design to a hilariously quick respawn time, both games nearly perfectly mirror each other. Additionally, both titles become extremely difficult, but never punishing, which is an amazing feat for games like these.
Another game, or rather mechanic that is akin to Silver Grapple, is the Double Clawshot from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. If you enjoyed the Double Clawshot, (and let’s be honest, who didn’t?), you’ll absolutely adore this game. If you found yourself saying, “Man, that Clawshot thing was great, I just wish there was more of it.” well, here you go.
Outside of those two main things, this game almost reminds me of I Wanna Be The Guy. Well, it reminds me of I Wanna Be The Guy if that game was actually fair, and not just punishing.
Aesthetic, Not Graphics
Possibly the biggest reason that Silver Grapple and Super Meat Boy are so much like is shared aesthetic. From an objective standpoint, both of these games have terrible graphics. Graphics aren’t everything, of course, but they certainly are something. But there comes a point with games like Silver Grapple and Super Meat Boy where they transcend the realm of even needing graphics.
What do I mean by that? Well, they have gone beyond graphics and into the realm of aesthetics. The graphics are backed up so well by the gameplay and game feel, that it doesn’t matter that the graphics look bad. It’s less about the physical look, and more about the feel and aesthetics.
A Speedrunner’s Dream
It might be a pretty niche hobby, but if you’re into speedrunning, or watching speedrunning, this game is absolutely for you. Truthfully, Silver Grapple lends itself better to the art of the speedrun than any other game I’ve ever seen. And yes, that includes Metroid 2. Without a doubt, you can expect to see this one at Awesome Games Done Quick next year. And if not, well, that’s a travesty that I will not stand for.
