When Icons Attack
Emojis have been around in their present form since 1999, originating in Japan when Japanese artist Shigetaka Kurita created a series of characters that easily summed up an emotion. The rest is history; they have since been expanded upon and used by everyone, from big businesses to the White House. Hell, some people now use emojis to replace words entirely, conversing solely through these icons.
But what would happen if the emojis turned on us and attacked in numbers? Not the small size we see on our screens, but huge, giant ones. Will somebody please think of the children? Welcome to Emoji Battlefield – Origins.
From Aery to Emoji
Emoji Battlefield – Origins comes from EpiXR Games, better known for the huge Aery series and that of Life of Fly. Emoji Battlefield – Origins sounds like it should be a prequel to a larger series, but from what I can see, this is the first of its kind. But, what is it? Well, it is a chaotic, roguelike first-person shooter where you are faced with waves of killer emojis across various levels that you must complete.
There isn’t any story to this game at all. We don’t know why these emojis have spawned into large bouncing balls and flying demons. We don’t know why we must keep killing them, who we are, or why we are in these strange battlefields. There are no answers to these questions unless you want to write your own fan fiction and create an origin story yourself. I have actually created a screenplay that I am opening for bidding, but I digress…
Crazy Hat Mode
You are presented with several options as you enter the loading screen. You can choose a hardcore experience if you wish, and you can select whether the emojis can bounce or not, with the latter making things a bit harder. Then, the most important decision you need to make is whether to select “Crazy Hat Mode.” Here, each emoji wears its own crazy hat. Honestly, how could you not select this option? In the background of these menus, you can see a burnt-out city, implying that something terrible must have happened to the world.
Emoji Battlefield – Origins throws you into six different worlds, consisting of small arenas like Candy World and Bouncy Castle. They are full of strange, childlike objects that you can climb up or use as cover to move in and out of. The action takes place in the first person, and the first thing you need to do is grab a gun, which actually took me a few attempts to figure out as there isn’t much of a tutorial. The giant emojis then spawn from different areas in the arena, and your job is to kill them all. You can shoot, aim, jump, and run. You know, standard stuff.
Card-Based Upgrades and the Struggle for a “Build”
The main aim of the game is to kill a specific number of emojis to unlock the next level. In the first level, for example, you need to defeat around 30 enemies. When you kill one, they explode and leave EXP points for you to collect. Much like the card-based systems popularised by games like Vampire Survivors, when you level up, you get several cards to choose from to help you progress. You might choose extra damage, a new weapon, or – strangely – more waves of enemies. This system is fine, but it never feels like a strong mechanic because the levels are quite short; you only need to kill 100 enemies at most, rather than thousands, so you don’t get much time to build a “build.”
Floaty Firepower
It does get tricky, however, as any foes come in droves, and some move faster than others, more still flying and shooting projectiles at you. I also found myself getting trapped in the geometry of the blocks quite often, leading to my death as the horde descended on me.
The gun mechanics are okay, but they feel light and a bit floaty. But through my time with this one, nothing seems as good as the starting pistol, even though you can acquire rocket launchers, shotguns, and an automatic rifle, but the latter is a nightmare to keep steady.
Visually, it is fun to spot all the different emojis on show, though they are surprisingly frightening when they come at you en masse, with a ‘LOL’ face and a sickly green one working in cohorts. I liked the strange level designs, and each one feels distinct enough. The soundtrack consists of rock music that sounds like something you might find playing in the background of a shopping mall, but on the whole, the effects are simple and functional.
A Novelty Premise with Limited Staying Power
Emoji Battlefield – Origins delivers a simple premise and comes across as a simple game to play. At least until things ramp up right near the end, as difficulty increases in the final two stages.
Overall, it is a shortish game, and I don’t think there is quite enough content here to really warrant a purchase, even for the cheap price. But then, if you have always wanted to shoot a giant emoji, Emoji Battlefield – Origins could (just about) be for you.
Important Links
Buy from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/emoji-battlefield-origins/9nxjsnngr673
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