Let me be direct. Ignore the score and try this game. It's cheap enough and simple enough; the price of admission is worth it for such aLet me be direct. Ignore the score and try this game. It's cheap enough and simple enough; the price of admission is worth it for such a unique experience. Even though my critique itself is mixed, I find myself thinking about the game regularly even after completing it. Also, don't let the half-naked anime lady on the splash page throw you off... it's not the focus or "that" type of game. *cough*
[ THE GIST ]
A bizarre multi-gameplay style adventure akin to "Another World" but with an artistic direction reminiscent of carnival horror rides you may have seen as a kid. A unique gaming experience that I believe will get loads better with (hinted at) sequels and further improvements.
Players: 1
Length: About 2 hours.
Replayability: A little, due to branching paths and secrets.
[ THE GOOD ]
As I said, you're in for quite the experience. You truly do feel that you are in a waking nightmare. Not only is this achieved by the creepy visuals, but also in the way the game leaps from one gameplay style to the next. So apart from meshing well with the atmosphere you are treated to a refreshing way to play at regular intervals. The abruptness and learning curve in adjusting to each mode is part of the experience in my eyes. Don't worry, there is minimal punishment for making mistakes.
The story hinted at and the reappearance of interesting characters helps cement a consistent and well thought out game world that remains engaging through the entire experience. If I had to deduct something here it would be the lackluster climax and ending. I'll let you decide for yourself.
[ THE MIXED ]
The art in this game is fantastic. It's simple yet grotesque. You can't help but wonder what the next screen will hold. Certain set pieces don't seem to mesh with the others but this only heightens to bizarre factor, in a good way. That said, the animations are a bit jarring due to low frame count. I can't help but wonder how much better it would look with more development time. There's some nice details as well that can easily be missed. The world is definitely alive.
Then there's the NPC close-up shots. I won't spoil it but the art here is completely out of place and feels like pure unadulterated pandering. I'm lukewarm about this... so this may improve or harm your experience.
[ THE BAD ]
As mentioned, there are times the gameplay style shifts. One mode in particular needs heavy balancing tweaks. It's incredibly easy and very devoid of obstacles. This coupled with being somewhat of a long sequence makes it pretty boring.
The controls feel "cheap", for lack of a better term. There's no finesse and the lightest tap will send your character sprinting in the direction during platforming. During another segment the acceleration is all over the place, making it difficult to adjust too. Fortunately there are infinite lives, branching difficulty paths, and even sometimes the game will ask if you wish to skip a part... so dealing with the controls becomes less of an issue. However the fact the game has to do this to begin with is a bit telling.
I have yet to encounter a major glitch, however there are a few collision issues, especially against walls--once during an auto-scrolling portion I passed into a wall and was unable to move.
Finally, the save feature is non-existent. In place you have a password system that takes you to several points in the game. It's not terrible but saving what screen you're on seems like a simple enough feature to include that it's a wonder why the developers went that route.… Expand
