NIDZUMI+

They say that great art evokes emotion and opinions, whether they be favorable or critical, as long as it provokes a reaction, its considered art. Axel & Pixel is definitely a game that will evoke emotions but it’s tough to put an opinion on something that is so ambiguous in approach. Occasionally I’m left thinking that this game is for kids but then suggestive adult themes pop up. So it must be art then? Well it is until another poorly rendered cartoon animal flies across the screen. Then you’re back at square one again.

I was definitely left in two minds after playing the game but it was evoking a response, so then is it art? Well personally the whole ‘games as art’ discussion is a subjective viewpoint so let’s save some time and not get into that one. All I know is that Axel & Pixel is an enjoyable experience because it lacks the pretentiousness that traditionally follows art.

It lacks the pretentiousness that traditionally follows art

The game opens upon simply another day for the outlandish and charming painter, Axel and his trusty companion canine friend, Pixel. That is until they doze off and are locked inside a surreal dream world with the ever looming thought that if they don’t get out by winter they’ll be trapped forever. Then you’ll take the helms and venture across all four seasons trying to hunt down the key to the real world. You’ll encounter a brief twenty-four levels of click and point adventuring, each with their own unique challenge or puzzle to solve.

Sure twenty-four levels might seem short and quite frankly it is, you’ll complete the game in under three hours, but you’ll have great fun figuring out all the random puzzles and traversing through the various mini-games. You’ll essentially switch between playing cheap knock-offs of Trials HD, Pipe Dream and a plethora of other flash games. Sure they might pale in comparison to fully focused or free online versions of those titles but they failed to pull it off with the context and elegance seen within Axel & Pixel.

The whole world is a mishmash of hand drawn European animation and haphazardly placed Google ImageSearch results. The result is one of the most unique art styles you’re likely to encounter for a long time.

But Axel & Pixel is also one of the more deceptively easy games you’re likely to encounter for a long time. The nature of point and click adventures means that Axel & Pixel turns into the latter, a hunt for pixels. If you’re patience is shot you can always resort to the handy hint system, which is less of a ‘vague push’ and more of a ‘click on this’, but it’s nice to always have something to fall back on.

The result is one of the most unique art styles you’re likely to encounter

Axel & Pixel is one of the most bizarre, artistic and charming games on the Xbox Live Arcade and should probably be recommended just because there is nothing like it elsewhere, it truly is unique. That alone just about makes up for mediocre gameplay, easy puzzles and a lack of real longevity despite some thrown-in mini-games.

Is Axel & Pixel art though, well it’s subjective really and I won’t pepper your opinion on that one. I would however urge anyone interested in this discussion to give the game ago, if only for the aesthetics rather than the gameplay.