The Power

Story/background[]

In the internet flash game The Power, the player’s character is a treasure hunter that flies around the universe picking up valuables. One day they ran across a planet they had not encountered before, which some unseen force pulled their ship in. They were then forced to make their way around the planet in order to pick up all of their “stuff”, although they also became interested in a mysterious “power” that several entities mentioned as well.

The game was created by Amidos & Alexitron and was published through Gamepirate.com in 2012.

Gameplay[]

The player must make their way across many planetary landscapes while avoiding or destroying various hazards that threaten them. The game combines elements of a platformer, puzzle and shooter, as the player is armed with a gun that shoots a destructive beam at hazards/enemies. Making contact with a hazard, enemy and/or enemy missile will take away some of the player’s health (as noted at the top left corner of the game screen) and the game will end when the player has lost all of their health. The player can save their game progress at multiple save blocks, along with getting their energy and special items restored in full, however. Collecting various items will also increase their energy level, along with adding to and/or improving their arsenal.

The player also faces several bosses throughout the game, who will either give the player a power-up or the player will pick it up after defeating the boss, which will help open up additional areas of the game. The goal is to unlock all areas of the game in order to beat it.

Power-ups/special items[]

Mines–destroy cracked stones
Missiles–powerful weapon that can destroy objects player’s basic beam can’t
Suit Upgrade 1–enables player to travel through icy areas
Suit Upgrade 2–enables player easier travel through water areas
Hook–allows player to ascend to higher areas. Also can be used as a weapon
Beam upgrade–increases beam power and speed
Missiles upgrade–makes missiles stronger/can destroy items original missiles couldn’t

Endings[]

Usually after (and sometimes before) the player defeats a boss, they will chide the player, stating that they will never get their hands on The Power. One boss in particular mentions the King of the planet, which is the following boss (if the player is able to get past several of the King’s guards). The King is then met, stating that he found The Power a while back on another planet, but it took him years before he could understand it. The Power was very heavily guarded so it wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands and the King would not let the player have it, although he did give the player a hook to continue throughout the game.

If the player is able to make it further, they will encounter a previous boss a second time, who, if defeated in a battle, encourages the player to seek out the King again, that he was possibly just testing him. If the player is able to defeat all of the King’s guards, he will meet with the King once more, but if the player hasn’t obtained all of his stuff beforehand, the King says that he thought the player would get everything back first and that he was not worthy of The Power. The player then finds themself back in their ship, wondering if it were all a dream and finding that the planet has disappeared.

However, if the player gathers all of his “stuff” before making it to the King, he will be given The Power, explaining that its power is of “bringing imagination to life”. Only few are truly worthy of it. The King also states that the player was no longer known as “Treasure Hunter”, would then be known as a King and that the power must be shared with someone who was worthy. The planet then fades away, which the player creates a new planet and begins waiting on the next person to come along who they felt would be worthy to pass The Power along to next.

Controls[]

Beam–x key
Special weapon–z key
Move player–arrow keys
Jump–up arrow key
Pause game/inventory–spacebar
Options–escape key
Cycle through special weapons (when applicable)–down arrow key
Save game–down arrow key while standing on save block