There’s no denying that videogames owe a lot to the arcades. The games were meant to be simple, fun, challenging and addictive in order to keep players pumping quarters. The shoot-’em genre is one of the best examples of the arcades. One of the common criticisms of the genre is the shallow and repetitive gameplay as it is more about rote memorization. One of the most hidden and interestingly rough gems hiding in plain sight on PlayStation Network is Qlione Evolve.

Qlione Evolve has no plot. Instead, it is a strategic arcade game in which you control an odd-shaped “fish.” This game contains the first and second game in the series (Qlione 1 and 2). Anyway, this mysterious fish/creature/ship (whatever you want to call it) drops two types of bombs. The first blows things away while the other sucks things. You have to figure out the best combination of both bombs in order to completely annihilate the enemy. Then you can collect orbs for points and an attempt for an extra life. There’s a problem: I never really figured it out. I don’t think it’s because the game is “too smart” for me. I think it’s because I like to feel things out and react, not painstakingly plan for each and every possible scenario.

Then the second game shakes things up a bit by adding different evolutionary paths. By absorbing different colored orbs (green or red), you can evolve your “ship” into different creatures. Each form has its own strengths and weaknesses. For example one path can have your ship/creature shoot out shockwaves, damaging everything in its path. Subsequently, every creature on that path follows that attack pattern in some shape. A different form in a shape of a butterfly drops a large amount of bombs, potentially wrecking everything surrounding the bombs. The evolutionary element adds a lot more strategy to the game, plus it could be argued to be more forgiving as long as there are orbs on the screen you can keep evolving back and forth if you play your cards correctly. Certainly beats 20 lives, right?

As such, the game controls rather nicely. The analog stick has somehow become my favorite method of movement. I think it’s because it fits nicely with the game’s arcade-like feel. The two-button system works in its favor as you can easily figure out what each button does (especially in the second game). Plus, the in-game manual helps fair amount, too. It doesn’t tell you everything — just enough to jump in and play.

Graphically, Qlione reminds me of the old arcades. While it isn’t as flashy as those “golden games,” it does have its own flair. Enemies are mostly geometry-shaped and are easy on the eyes. Heck, the game takes place on a black space. Your avatar is nothing more than spheres connected together. Most importantly, you can see everything that you need to avoid very clearly. Where the game really shines are the bosses. Each one is imposing in its right, whether it’s a starfish-type monster with four long arms rotating around the screen or a blob. Then when sweet, oh so sweet victory, is obtained, you watch it explode. And did I mention that there are sparks that flash when you’re moving against the boarder of the screen?

Sound design is rather solid. There are the usual sci-fi sounds with lasers, the “rush of space” and explosions. The music is pleasant to listen to with its electronica soundtrack. It’s nothing to write home about, but it feels “just right” for the space it takes up. If it is truly grating to your ears, just load up an album that’s on your hard drive and enjoy that.

In conclusion, Qlione Evolve is a solid indie addition to any PlayStation 3 owner’s library. Unfortunately, not everyone is going to appreciate or understand this game. I don’t blame them as the in-game manuals don’t do a good job providing strategies or how to competently set up attacks. Furthermore, the game costs $7. Yes, it’s a great price for two games. However, there’s no demo to entice new players into the game.