Gunpoint, robos y buenas intenciones

Por Author Raúl García Luna el 14 de agosto de 2013.

Algunos de vosotros no reconoceréis el nombre de Tom Francis o Pentadact, como gusta llamarse en la red, otros incluso puede que no sepáis nada de Suspicious Developments, pero lo cierto es que el título firmado por este pequeño estudio ha logrado una cobertura increíble gracias a la prensa internacional. Aunque sospecho que el nombre Gunpoint si os sonará.

¿Se trata de un eco justificado? Es posible que el trabajo de Tom Francis durante casi un lustro como redactor en la publicación inglesa PC Gamer tuviese algo que ver con la repercusión del juego al inicio de su desarrollo, además Francis realizó un seguimiento extenso del proyecto desde sus inicios y se trataba de un proyecto independiente con un aspecto retro muy vistoso, fácil de vender en ciertos círculos. Pero el trabajo que, bajo el nombre de Suspicious Developments, han firmado Tom Francis como diseñador y programador junto a John Roberts y Fabian Van Dommelen a cargo del arte, y John Robert Matz, Ryan Ike y Francisco Cerda como músicos, ha resultado ser excepcional: una rica y valiente mezcla.

El título nos deja ante el desdichado Richard Conway, un investigador privado libre para aceptar los encargos que estime oportunos, en una situación harto delicada. Conway se ve implicado en un asesinato del que nada sabe y del que nada quiere saber, pero en el que poco a poco acaba sumergiéndose para limpiar su nombre. El mundo que retrata Gunpoint está repleto de espías corporativos, asesinos, crímenes y dobles intenciones. Así que, tras la efectiva y escueta introducción, Conway comienza a hacer lo que mejor sabe: adentrarse en escenarios peligrosos para recabar información. Aquellos que hayan reconocido los clichés del cine negro habrán calado gran parte de la ambientación y, de hecho, no tardan en aparecer la clásica femme fatale para enredar aún más la trama mostrada entre misiones, tampoco el arquetipo de hombre irremediablemente malvado, algunos de aquellos personajes que gozan de un alineamiento moral indefinido o basculante, y, por supuesto, la inocente víctima.

Gunpoint-corte-2

La trama nunca llega a cobrar un peso especialmente grueso, apenas se deja ver entre misiones a través de las ramificadas conversaciones con nuestros posibles empleadores, y las escasas bifurcaciones se dan al aceptar trabajos que resultan excluyentes. El guión representa apenas una guinda para la superficial ambientación noir del juego, que por supuesto incluye el sombrero fedora y la gabardina del protagonista, que se mezcla con ligeros toques de cyberpunk. Nuestro avatar utiliza todo tipo de herramientas futuristas que propician habilidades tan curiosas como el saltar cual Superman o recablear todo el tendido eléctrico de un edificio, y tampoco faltan las locas misiones de hackeo corporativo en multinacionales bien protegidas por asesinos.

El aspecto bidimensional, y los generosos sprites, gozan de un buen acabado general que retratan estilizadamente los sucesos de los robos. Y la ambientación viene rematada por la excepcional música, que mezcla con acierto piano, saxofón y samples electrónicos cortos para conformar una extraña receta a base de cyberpunk suave y temas instrumentales que rememoran los años cuarenta del siglo pasado. En conjunto se trata de una mezcla audiovisual peculiar difícil de ignorar y que sirve efectivamente como envoltorio a las mecánicas que muestran los escenarios de las misiones.

Casi diez años de la vida de una persona siempre dejan un poso, y puede que realizar críticas para un medio especializado no convierta a Francis en un diseñador consumado pero desde luego se trata de una experiencia aprovechable. Cualquier redactor que critique un título con un mínimo de mimo hacia su labor habrá caído en la tentación de pensar en cómo resolver o cambiar aquello que crea que no encaja, o qué añadir para mejorar lo que ha sufrido. Todo ese bagaje jugable parece haber propiciado el diseño mostrado en Gunpoint.

Este pequeño juego hecho en Game Maker nos exige infiltrarnos en edificios custodiados, eludir guardias y trampas comprobando sus rutinas gracias al corte transversal del edificio que ofrece la omnisciente vista lateral, y todo para lograr recabar información de ficheros u ordenadores. Lograr nuestros sucios o bienintencionados objetivos no es fácil, y los niveles requieren de manera constante el uso de nuevas habilidades. La básica en todos ellos son unas zapatillas especiales que nos permiten saltar grandes distancias, incluso entre fincas.

Gunpoint-corte-1

Podemos adentrarnos sigilosamente en edificios tras atravesar ventanas de un salto. O recablear el circuito eléctrico de todo el edificio según el tipo de cables que encontremos para alterar la secuencia de eventos entre los vigilantes, en algún caso también para lograr colocar nuestras propias trampas. Podríamos apagar una luz y, tras esto, convenientemente reconectar su interruptor a la puerta de la habitación para que un guardia incauto se encerrase sin quererlo, puede que incluso perdiese el sentido por una inocente trampa eléctrica. Y aunque siempre existe la posibilidad de dejar que el manto de la oscuridad encubra nuestros actos, en última instancia, disponemos de una pistola que puede sacarnos definitivamente de un apuro.

El patrón de los niveles rara vez se altera entre las misiones, pero si se extiende efectivamente cada vez: requiriendo nuevas habilidades o mejoras en las mismas, y por supuesto mayor atención por nuestra parte. El número creciente de variables a vigilar incluye los rangos de visión enemigos, las cámaras, puertas o ascensores, las alarmas o los sonidos, en suma detalles de vital importancia cuando dejamos de encontrarnos con los guardias de seguridad y nuestros contrincantes se protegen con sicarios que disparan al primer vistazo. Podría parecer que la complejidad fuese desbocarse en algún momento pero parte de un inicio asequible y es creciente, además de que siempre se encuentra dentro de lo que cabría esperar para alguien que ha llegado hasta esa misión.

Las habilidades o útiles de trabajo deben mejorarse con la paga de cada misión superada, pero en un intento de evitar el estancamiento por una mala decisión, se nos permite reubicar el dinero en compras distintas en cualquier momento. Nadie perderá su partida y es posible reconfigurar fácilmente a nuestro Conway para alterar el modo de trabajo de modo que aún se atenúa un poco más la dificultad.

Como colofón el título incluye un sencillo editor de niveles, que se maneja con la propia interfaz del juego y, que permite realizar misiones ubicando cualquiera de los elementos visto durante el juego: desde el decorado a los enemigos, pasando por todas las rutinas que seamos capaces de imaginar. El potencial de expansión de esta herramienta es evidente pero aún requiere cierto mimo en forma de actualizaciones para permitir la creación de verdaderas campañas que la comunidad pueda compartir. De hecho parece que Francis se encuentra actualmente trabajando en ello. Aunque al menos se trata de una característica que encaja perfectamente en la manera de disfrutar de los videojuegos de la plataforma que acoge a este título.

Suspicious Developments ha firmado uno de los videojuegos de puzles más divertidos del momento para PC. Es un juego que no llega a aburrir, sin misiones de relleno, y que en ciertos momentos parece una clase de buenas prácticas de diseño sobre cómo no agobiar a un jugador. Es cierto que puede acabarse en unas escasas cuatro horas pero su variedad en las misiones, o más bien la falta de repetición, es lo que propicia el buen sabor de boca que deja.

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