..."punishing" is a more accurate description. [Spoiler-free] The end of Act 1 is where I think I've come as far as I can without doing something to my Steam Deck I'll regret later. I think it's time to put it down. (But will I be able to?!) There were many parts of Act 1 that genuinely brought back some of those feelings I had during my Hollow Knight playthrough. The exploration is not nearly as good as it was there, but good enough. It felt more linear for sure, but parts that opened up later ended up expanding into a much larger area than I'd initially expected, and that feeling of awe returned. Some of the earlier boss fights were also challenging and fun; they felt well-enough balanced for the powers you had at that point (or lack thereof). But this is where Act 1 failed me as I kept advancing. The platforming challenges kept increasing in a way that didn't feel unfair, because you actually got better at it and platforming in and of itself does not require your abilities to expand - not counting areas that are ability-gated of course - but the boss fights absolutely did feel more and more unfair. You just don't feel powerful enough to take them on and they feel more and more like a slog. The game offers you little reward for overcoming some of the harder bosses. And don't get me started on those enemy-spawn rooms. Honestly I should have realized I was not going to get what I wanted out of it when getting past the two major bosses before the final boss of Act 1 required me to take a break out of sheer frustration after the former and (kinda) cheesing part of the latter. But a part of me just kept saying "keep going, it's bound to click and you'll enjoy it!" Sekiro felt this way and that's the game I'm coming from, so hey, maybe this one will click too. But at this point, I don't see that happening. The reviews I'm reading online only talk about the increased difficulty as you progress. I don't think that's something I'm going to find fun if it keeps going this way. It's a shame because the platforming sections were actually lots of fun and that's the part I'll miss. The combat arenas, not even a little. But maybe that's just me. All in all, I think the 40 or so hours I've put into it don't feel like an utter waste of time. But the metroidvania trope of exploring your way out of a boss-sized problem doesn't feel rewarding enough after a while.
Great game, nice music, took me back to school days. Had fun!
Not a lot to say that hasn't already been said about this wonderful game during the peak of Maxis. I spent many hours playing this and the soon-to-release Sims game, and that idea of controlling the lives of other humans seemed so novel and futuristic. Looking at games today, while the pace of development has skyrocketed and we have some of the most immersive experiences going around, some of the charm of "sim" games has been lost. Even the most widely acclaimed city builder of today, Cities Skylines, lacks it to the point that I've used a mod to play SC3K music in that game.
Unlike many reviewers and raters who got hold of Curse in their childhood, I first played this game at the age of 23, not expecting to enjoy it much (I was trying it out to see why it was so highly rated). Boy, was I wrong! Thoroughly fun - and funny - from start to finish. I found myself playing it for hours at a time. Something about the experience keeps you entertained even during the hardest of puzzles: there's not a moment where you get frustrated and lose interest. As kids we tend to be more patient and try harder than as adults, and this is especially true on older games, but Curse does not have that "issue" (for lack of a better word!) Highly recommended for all ages. Get this one, eyes closed.
