Space Giraffe

About

Space Giraffe is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Llamasoft LTD and was released on March 19, 2009. It received neutral reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

Space Giraffe is an abstract shooter game with 200 levels, featuring beautifully responsive graphics and deep gameplay that caters to both novice and expert players. Its intense and satisfying action offers a synaesthetic experience, rewarding strategic and thoughtful play while challenging you to achieve higher scores.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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78%

Audience ScoreBased on 120 reviews

gameplay10 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

Space Giraffe offers a unique and engaging gameplay experience that rewards players for mastering its mechanics, providing a deep and satisfying challenge.
The game's psychedelic visuals and audio create a surreal atmosphere that enhances the overall experience, making it a standout title in the genre.
With over 200 levels and a variety of gameplay elements, Space Giraffe provides excellent value for players looking for a lengthy and varied arcade shooter.

The overwhelming visuals can obscure gameplay, leading to confusion and frustration as players struggle to identify threats and navigate the chaotic environment.
The game lacks clear instructions and can be difficult to understand, which may deter new players from fully enjoying the experience.
The PC port has technical issues, including sound bugs and a lack of features present in the original XBLA version, which can diminish the overall enjoyment.

gameplay
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
62%
9%
The gameplay is described as a unique blend of mechanics that can be enjoyable once players acclimate to its quirks, such as the bulling and power zone systems. While the individual elements like jumping, shooting, and enemy types function well on their own, they can feel disjointed when combined in a level, often exacerbated by overwhelming visuals that obscure the action. Overall, the experience is rewarding for those willing to invest time, but the chaotic presentation may lead to frustration for some players.
- “The gameplay itself involves herding and automatically shooting to maintain the power zone while defending against projectiles, spikes, and other enemies that cannot be bullied.”
- “Once you get used to the game's whacked-out mechanics, the flow seems to become natural, until it's stomping time.”
- “The key to understanding it is realizing that it is not Tempest and has different goals - once you get over this hurdle, the mechanics are fun as hell, and it's a sensory experience like no other.”
- “The gameplay feels tight but disjointed; everything by itself makes sense—jumping, pods, power-ups, enemy types, movement, shooting—all of it works fine on its own, but when experienced all together during a level, nothing seems to work well, or at least work how I expect it to after having experienced everything by itself.”
- “The over-the-top visuals, effects, and audio come at the cost of obfuscating the already abstract gameplay.”
- “Far too often, the emphasis on eye-searing visuals over gameplay can and will cause many unnecessary deaths due to how obscured the playfield can get.”
graphics
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
72%
9%
The graphics of the game are described as astonishing and psychedelic, showcasing a unique aesthetic that may overwhelm some players. While the visuals are praised for their creativity and emotional depth, they can also obscure gameplay, leading to frustration as players struggle to identify threats amidst the chaotic design. Overall, the graphics create a surreal experience that appeals to fans of abstract and score-attack arcade shooters, though they may detract from the gameplay for others.
- “But this is so much more... deeper gameplay, astonishing graphics that could only be done by Jeff Minter, and incredible personal, classic gaming and British culture 'mementos' litter the game.”
- “The gameplay is fun, but the graphics along with the sound/music is what makes this game an absolutely surreal experience.”
- “When all that comes together with the visuals and audio in the way that it's supposed to, Space Giraffe is simply astounding to play and you can almost feel like you're in a trance when you're on a roll.”
- “The main issue I have is that the entire game's aesthetic is a goddamn mess.”
- “Far too often, the emphasis on eye-searing visuals over gameplay can and will cause many unnecessary deaths due to how obscured the playfield can get.”
- “Visuals are psychedelic, which might be some folks' cup of tea, but I found myself dying more often than not due to one of the things I was meant to shoot getting lost in the overwhelming visuals.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
68%
19%
The music in the game is generally considered inferior to that of T2K, leading many players to recommend using their own soundtracks instead. While the game features some engaging soundscapes that contribute to a surreal experience, the option to turn off the in-game music allows players to customize their auditory experience. Overall, the music may not appeal to everyone, particularly those who prefer a different style.
- “Wondrous sights, sounds, and music await you as you clear web after web of abstract monsters, flowers, and bullets.”
- “Strongly recommend having your own music handy, though...”
- “I'm sure there are some people who enjoy shooting things in a trippy space kind of environment with spacey trance music in the background, but I'm not one of them.”
- “The gameplay is fun, but the graphics along with the sound/music is what makes this game an absolutely surreal experience.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is consistently highlighted as a key strength, with users emphasizing its comedic elements as a primary reason for their enjoyment.