Did grim fandango and Rocko’s Modern Life have a baby?
Mob bosses, suicidal sleeze balls, dancing queens and kings all help to flesh out the world in Stick it to the Man. A puzzle adventure game developed by Swedish studio Zoink games and originally released in 2016. With an essence of 90s cartoons reminding me of ahhhh real monsters with a twist of rocko’s modern life, you explore asDid grim fandango and Rocko’s Modern Life have a baby?
Mob bosses, suicidal sleeze balls, dancing queens and kings all help to flesh out the world in Stick it to the Man. A puzzle adventure game developed by Swedish studio Zoink games and originally released in 2016. With an essence of 90s cartoons reminding me of ahhhh real monsters with a twist of rocko’s modern life, you explore as Ray Doewood. A normal guy with abnormal problems.
After getting hit in the head with a secret government capsule containing a strange silhouetted creature, Ray wakes up with a huge piece of pink spaghetti sticking out of his head. This magenta noodle gives you some super powers that allow you to read minds, swing from push pin to push pin, and tear through the paper world you inhabit. Trying to dodge goons sent by an evil cigarette toting villain. With the goal of finding problem solving stickers which you then use to solve the problems of the characters around you...and oh what characters they are.
Platforming through each level, you use your noodle to read the minds of different people or animals that you encounter. Finding out their ironic problems, then searching the world for a sticker that solves them. A pair of mobster brothers are having their own internal family struggles while getting ready to bind a man’s feet in cement, then toss him in the river. While that man is in the trunk late to meet up with his girlfriend to win a dance competition; all next to a dog who is waiting to get payback on the mobster brothers. Just a few sticks and the dog gets his payback, the mobsters get what’s coming, and the dancing couple can cure their case of saturday night fever.
While you do platform in this game and a few times, swinging from push pin to push pin dodging goons can be quite a challenge. The foundation of Stick it To The Man is the layered and eccentric world Zoink games has created. From a therapist who wants to solve every ailment with a lobotomy, to a lousy magician whose dead wife is mad at him because he accidentally sawed her in half. Each level leaves you with a smile on your face as you stick some goofy solution together to keep these crazy characters satisfied.
While the ten chapter campaign moves along relatively quickly, the concise nature of this game gets you in and out, before you linger too long, never wondering where...do I go next.
Playing on the go was not my preferred choice for Stick it To The Man, as you really need to be immersed in each level to have a cohesive experience. Definitely not a pick up and play for 15 minutes sort of game. I would recommend docked mode, with some time to invest in the characters and theme of each level.
If you’re a fan of adventure games in the light of Grim Fandango, then Stick it To The Man is certainly for you. While very light on the platforming aspect, it has a great sense of humor, fantastic visuals, and extremely satisfying narrative puzzles. This game will certainly keep you stuck
Check out my video review on YouTube channel TheFlannelFox… Expand