iji

Genre(s): Action/Platform
Casual/Arcade

3rd Party Rating: None found.

Price: Free

Link(s): http://www.remar.se/daniel/iji.php

Description:
Iji is a FREE action-packed strategic platform shooter with a detailed story, large levels with multiple paths, powerful bosses and lots of secrets. There are alternate gameplay events, dialogues and scenes depending on what you do, a wealth of extras and bonus features, and seven stats to upgrade through a leveling system.

Iji herself has superhuman strength and abilities, and can crack Nanotechnology, use her enemies’ most devastating weapons against them, and be a pacifist or a killer – the story adapts to how you play.

Iji is set in a military complex in modern day Earth and sid described by Daniel Remar, the developer, as System Shock 2 in 2D. The game follows Iji Kataiser, a young woman caught up in the invasion of the planet by the Tasen, an alien species. Awakening after an aerial bombardment, Iji finds herself enhanced with nanotechnology and, learning of the Tasen and their invasion, resolves to convince the aliens’ leader to retreat from the planet, guided by her brother Dan via the complex’s loudspeaker system.

The game was generally well-received upon release, with reviews praising the replay value, the player’s ability to guide Iji on different moral paths and that it was created by a single developer. It gained much popularity once released.

Players control the titular character, Iji, an ordinary human woman who has been enhanced with nanotechnology following the invasion of Earth by an alien species known as the Tasen.

Iji must navigate a research station while being guided by her brother Dan, who communicates via the station’s loudspeaker system, in order to convince the aliens’ leader to retreat from the planet. Though the game’s plot is linear, interactions with non-player characters change according to the player’s actions, leading to one of multiple endings. The player’s primary choice is between pursuing Iji’s goal either as a pacifist or by engaging in violence against the alien threat.

Iji’s nanotech energy field functions as a shield, and players begin the game armed with a shotgun. Seven further weapons can be collected throughout the game; including a machine gun, rocket launcher and alien technology like the Shocksplinter weapon. Eight additional weapons can be unlocked by combining the standard firearms using a combining station, depending on her Crack ability. Blue nanofields that function as experience can be collected during play, when enough are collected Iji gains a level. Each level she gains allows the player to use an upgrade station to increase one of Iji’s seven skills by one level.

These skills include physical traits such as strength and health, as well as abilities such as close-quarters combat and computer cracking. Iji’s jumping ability and armor can both be improved twice each during play if players can find their power-ups.

This 2D platform shooter seems like it was inspired by Amiga era games and action titles like Flashback and Out of this World. With its great music and long story mode, this could easily have been a commercial title in the late 80s.

Publisher: Daniel Remar

Developer: Daniel Remar

Release Date: September 1, 2008

Players: Single Player

ERSB: N/A

Sample Gameplay Video(s):