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Metal Black Interplay
Written by
Golem
About the game
Metal Black
Posted on
Sep 16, 2015
Interplay describes how elements in the game react to your mechanics. For instance, if you shoot something, how does it react?
Below, I've excluded interplay based strictly on your movement. Some enemies will aim their shots at you, for instance, which is interplay to your movement. (Granted, I have included interplay based on touching an enemy.)
There are also moments of "enemy interplay" (for lack of better term) where enemies react to their environment. For instance, in round 3, the ray midboss will latch onto the ground (whether it's the floor or ceiling is based on your movement!), and barriers will extend only after hitting the ground. And then, there's even a backwards case where the environment reacts to an enemy: the caterpillar in round 3 can close that barrier about 3/5 into the stage.
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Below, I've excluded interplay based strictly on your movement. Some enemies will aim their shots at you, for instance, which is interplay to your movement. (Granted, I have included interplay based on touching an enemy.)
- Shot-on-enemy interplay
- The enemy takes damage. Often, this means exploding. Enemies will cancel out the shot that kills them.
- Reflectors - these enemies start appearing in round 3
This guy bounces your shots diagonally.
- Shot-on-shot interplay
- The two pass by each other.
- Missiles - round 1 midboss, round 2 and 4 snakes, all bosses except rounds 3 and 6
Missiles die on impact with your shot.
- Big shots - every boss (except round 6), round 2 and 4 fish midboss
Your shots and big shots cancel each other out on impact.
- Disco ball shots - there's one particular enemy that shoots these, and it starts appearing in round 2
Enemies lob this towards you, and it can bounce off of walls. Every time you shoot it, it gets pushed to the right. There's a sense of momentum to it.
- Boss beam - every boss
- If you shoot a boss beam with your regular shot, you can push it back a little.
- If you counter it with your own beam, you'll enter into a beam duel. Whoever has the strongest beam eventually forces a giant sphere of death onto the opposing side.
- If you shoot a boss beam with your regular shot, you can push it back a little.
- Enemy-on-ship interplay
- You blow up.
- Bubbles - round 4
If this enemy touches you, it traps your shots until you kill it. (affects your shooting)
- Bugs - round 5
These enemies latch onto your ship and slow it down. (affects your movement)
There are also moments of "enemy interplay" (for lack of better term) where enemies react to their environment. For instance, in round 3, the ray midboss will latch onto the ground (whether it's the floor or ceiling is based on your movement!), and barriers will extend only after hitting the ground. And then, there's even a backwards case where the environment reacts to an enemy: the caterpillar in round 3 can close that barrier about 3/5 into the stage.