At Gamescom, our writer Dani had the chance to test the distinctive puzzle game PVKK and even experience a “real” cannon cockpit. She shares just how enjoyable this exhilarating button-mashing game already is.
“Wow, I’d be thrilled to push buttons and pull levers in a command center!” Just a few days ago, I shared this childhood aspiration with my mother. The umpteenth screening of Alien was on, and I envied Ellen Ripley as she flipped switches, input codes, and made everything in the spaceship cockpit illuminate and beep with the press of a button.
Now I find myself at Gamescom in front of one of the most incredible booths in the Indie Arena: Instead of a table, chair, and PC, my appointment to play Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant (try saying that three times quickly!) features a setup with physical buttons, screens, controls, and much more. What appears to be snatched straight from an authentic cockpit is my playground for the next 20 minutes.
I take on the role of the Planetenverteidigungskommandant (yes, I will spell it out every time!) with a straightforward mission, which isn’t really that straightforward: Shoot down enemy aircraft before they can attack me.
Don’t hit the red button!
My instincts are urging me to “Press everything at once!” in my ear, but I resist and heed the guidance of my general, René, a developer at Bippinbits and button expert. He navigates me through the initially quite daunting maze of switches: by moving this lever up, I respond to a call from Operations Analyst Schwarz, who provides details about my current mission.
I adjust another slider and turn a knob to lock onto the enemy aircraft in the sky. With this lever on the left, I ignite the engine, and with the lever above it, I regulate the pressure. As soon as I power up the furnace, flames appear on the screen in front of me. Phew, everything’s in order.
Next, I ready the weapons. I adjust the firing angle, input the coordinates into the system, activate the missiles, and hit the big red button—BOOOM. Direct hit! I hear enthusiastic applause from behind and feel quite pleased with myself.
I take aim at the next target with minimal assistance from René. Even within this brief time, I have memorized most of the sequences. However, since I’m targeting a moving aircraft instead of a hot air balloon this time, I need to set the right trajectory and fire at just the right moment to achieve a hit.
But that’s nothing a seasoned planetary defense cannon commander like me can’t handle. BOOOM. The monitor shakes, and on the display to my right, I see a close-up of the explosion, followed by another round of applause behind me. It’s so simple, yet pressing buttons feels incredibly satisfying!
Is that all?
While pressing buttons and flipping switches are the central elements of the gameplay, Planet Defense Cannon Commander has much more in store. It’s a narrative-driven game with four planned acts, where we can even make choices that alter the game’s direction.
As we sit in our cozy bunker, tending to our needs, enhancing our base, sipping tea, and tinkering with the cockpit panels, we receive messages over the radio from our superiors. However, the enemy faction also taps into our communications and tempts us with counteroffers.
Will we remain loyal commanders or turn against our regime? Our choices directly impact the story and its conclusion. According to René, the simulation is designed to evoke a bit of the bureaucracy simulation Papers, Please. Thus, we establish a daily routine, are assigned more tasks, make independent decisions—and likely make many mistakes along the way.
The allure of switches
The concept of creating a simulation focused on button pressing originated with René from a sound sample. The developer was so captivated by the sound of a simple button press that he wanted to incorporate it into a game—and now he’s constructing an entire game around it.
At Gamescom, publisher Kepler Interactive and the development team are showcasing an impressive setup—but how can this tactile sensation be translated into the game? “We use a trick that you typically shouldn’t apply in game design,” René explains.
To mimic the heavy switches, levers, and cranks, the mouse pointer stays fixed in one place as long as the button is pressed. Moving the mouse then executes the actions. René also prioritizes sound effects. A click and creak here, a metallic clang there, and a deafening siren as the grand finale.
We’ll discover whether the exhilarating feeling and childlike joy I experience at the indie booth of Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant will translate well when the game releases.