Where Are My Friends?

 Xbox One
Metascore
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  2. Mixed: 1 out of 1
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  1. TheXboxHub
    Apr 3, 2018
    60
    Where Are My Friends? manages to create an original experience with the concept of designing four contrasting games and wrapping them together in a story of friendship – what little story there is. Nothing has the wow factor though, and aside from the lovely runner level, there is very little I haven’t seen before elsewhere.

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  2. Mixed: 2 out of 2
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  1. Xbox_Alive
    Mar 24, 2018
    7
    Games that have multiple genre’s in play at the same time often take too much on and ultimately that takes away from the gameplay in the grandGames that have multiple genre’s in play at the same time often take too much on and ultimately that takes away from the gameplay in the grand scheme of things. Where Are My Friends? is another game that offers you multiple genre’s in one playthrough and whilst it may not be perfect, on the whole I must admit that they’ve done a pretty good job. Each different genre that’s in play is actually pretty fun and most importantly they each give the gameplay a different dimension and that keeps things both fresh and interesting throughout. It does however still have a couple of problems and the biggest problem for me was the platforming elements in the game. The platforming just felt a little awkward most of the time and this did make me die more times than I would’ve liked. Thankfully though the controls held up really well throughout my time with the game and the simplicity of them was a breath of fresh air. Throughout your time with the game you will come across quite a few puzzles and each puzzle has a decent amount of variety to them and they never seemed to frustrate me because they don’t get overly difficult which is something that tickled my fancy quite a bit. Whilst the game offers you puzzles and multiple genre’s there still isn’t lots of content for you to get to grips with. Don’t get me the wrong the content that is present will no doubt satisfy you there just isn’t enough of it, but I can’t see this being a problem for too many people because the price of the game is very low and spot on in my opinion. The characters in the game have a nice charming side to them but I didn’t feel them come alive because there isn’t much of a story present. It really is bare bones on the story front and I think a little bit of voice acting would have benefited the game a great deal. The presentation side of the game has been done really well and for me it fits the game’s style perfectly. Visually the game is packed full of colour and the soundtrack is very atmospheric from start to finish, which is great. At the end of the day Where Are My Friends? is a game that has taken quite a few risks and I applaud them for that because after all it’s only a little game. This game won’t be for everybody but without a doubt I would definitely recommend this game because it has so many different mechanics implemented and for the most part they get each different mechanic spot on, which is something that undoubtedly should be praised.… Full Review »
  2. GBG_Jason
    Mar 22, 2018
    6
    What would you do if your best friends disappeared without a trace? Would you simply make new ones (I would in most cases), or would you go onWhat would you do if your best friends disappeared without a trace? Would you simply make new ones (I would in most cases), or would you go on a Taken-ish adventure for justice? The latter is the premise of the recently released Where Are My Friends? Kind of. Okay not really, since there is no Liam Neeson, or guns, or terrorists for that manner.

    While you won’t find any of the more action oriented themes mentioned previously, the title offers some pretty solid platforming mechanics in addition to runner gameplay that you may recognize from mobile games, coupled with a very unique protagonist. Our hero is a Cyclops named Wheye that appears to have been mounted on a unicycle. The opening ship area of the game plays out much like a more complex platformer from the Genesis era, similar to the Beavis and Butthead game from the early 90s. With little to go on, outside of the vague symbols decorating the different areas and consoles, it will be up to the player to progress through the level. While not overly difficult, a tutorial may have been helpful.

    Once the initial level is completed, you’ll be able to proceed on your journey to find your missing mates. Jumping into the next level I was taken aback, as the game panned out quite a bit and began a segment where you are required to constantly move forward, evading hazards and enemies (a runner segment). With no form of offense, your only option will be to jump over the hazards as they appear. While not overly difficult, the game throws new obstacles at you regularly, which resulted in me dying often when new enemies or hazards were introduced. There are frequent checkpoints, but often times they appear right after a new enemy or trap is introduced, which kind of feels like having the carrot yanked right out of your grasp at the last second. It’s not overly frustrating at first, but it does run on a thin line between the desire to move on or to give up.

    Adding insult to injury, the game does not permit the player to save the game mid-level at the most recent checkpoint, which I found out the hard way after spending a great deal of time on the first level due to multiple deaths. The levels are fairly short if you are able to complete them flawlessly, though many of them were much longer than they needed to be. The game takes platforming difficulty to a whole new level. This becomes prevalent when the viewpoint changes between levels, switching from a side scrolling game to a top down viewpoint. In these levels, it becomes extremely difficult to time your jumps as the animation is a bit awkward and hard to get accustomed too. The developers did a great job of making the alien appear to be a bit larger than when on the ground, adding the illusion of perspective, but from a technical standpoint it does not work well.

    The visuals are by far the highpoint. I quickly fell in love with the mixed media approach, with some areas appearing to be cel-shaded and others having the unique textures one would get using crayons or colored pencils on paper. This makes certain objects pop in a way that is not only visually interesting, but makes the path forward very clear, even on the levels featuring the bird’s eye view. While this wouldn’t work on every game, it does suit this one well. The characters are also designed well, which appear to be inspired by the likes of Toe Jam and Earl.

    Despite the extreme challenge being a bit much for my tastes, Where Are My Friends? is a unique platformer that deserves the attention of anyone up for a game that breaks the mold visually and mechanically, even if all of the mechanics do not work well all of the time.    … Full Review »