About 7 hours in: Does a really good job of tapping into the nostalgia that it aims to simulate. Feels like a game from ye olden days, but with several quality of life updates and streamlined gameplay. Graphics are about as purdy as they can be, albeit somewhat muddy from time to time. Combat is entaertaining and seldom daunting. Some UI and menu actions seem a bit counter intuitive, but one gets used to it soon enough. Exploring is fun, although the level design (particularly in regards to art direction) may be a bit confusing. I'm mainly invested in the world and lore. The writing is solid and interesting, and I'm eager to see how the story unfolds. Might very well scratch the itch if you're in the mood forl this sort of old school crpg but realize that actual vintage crpgs usually don't hold up.
I really wanted to like this game. Beautiful art direction and music. Great theme. Equally lighthearted and macabre. On paper; this would be my favourite game. Overly convoluted and tangled mess. Had to rely on online wiki to get even basic tasks done. Almost every aspect of gameplay more complicated than it needs to be. Tasks end up feeling like chores, and playing the game is almost as tiring as doing said chores in real life. After some eight hours I threw in the towel. This is a sub-par Stardew Valley in a really cool Halloween outfit. Also, you never get to ride the donkey. Shame.
Fantastic pixelly horror/ fairytale experience, with somewhat frustrating gameplay. Story, graphics, and audio is well-crafted and beautiful, lending to an ambience that is exciting and even somewhat scary. The game has great character with an interesting world and dialogue. Controls are a bit annoying, and the pace a bit sluggish. The slow walking speed can be really grating. Game is rather short, just a few hours. Decent replay value with a few different endings. Uses terrible save-tokens like original Resident Evil. The actual puzzles and challenges are, well... They´re not for me. Which of course doesn´t mean that there´s anything objectively wrong with them. I feel like a vegetarian trying to review a steak here. Slowly walk away from creepy monsters and hide under tables, while pushing blocks and pulling levers; that´s about it. Lots of trial and error. All in all, I find it entirely worth checking out. It´s a beautiful little game in its own right, but in my opinion winning more through world-building and mood than actual gameplay.
Not very much of a game, but a welcome oddity in itself. Great atmosphere, with art direction, music, voice acting etc. being top notch. Gameplay is very much linear, and more of an interactive story sort of thing. Very few puzzles or challenges. Limited replayability. Rather short, maybe 3-4 hours. Great for a cozy weekend night. Expect a dark and endearing little story with solid character, crafted with great love and care. Very much worth checking out if you´re into the genre of "big-headed children being lost in scary woods". I believe this studio may deliver true excellence in the future.
Top notch of the nineties. Great level design, guns, enemies and humour. Some minor issues with the control scheme. Thank you GOG for this release. It's a must for every fps player out there!
