The journey Paradigm takes you on is an extremely self-aware, tongue-in-cheek experience that hits all the marks which make an adventure game fun. You can tell this was a passion project & used as a kind of carte blanche by game designer Jacob Janerka to integrate lots of distinct creative concepts. It's weird and absurd, consistently witty & clever, and has an appealing modern retro visual aesthetic. Quirky, unique mechanics and minigames are stuffed in everywhere. Just when you think you've seen it all - you haven't. The sound design & music are super on point as well. If you try every single action for every single thing you can interact with, it becomes clear how much depth of content there is & how much effort went into this game. The writing & voice acting goes beyond expectation. Maybe you won't laugh at every single joke like you're some sort of malfunctioning sitcom laugh track, but everything does have a cohesive sense of humor. Some of it is of the dry, subtle type where you if you think you were supposed to obnoxiously LOL, the real joke probably flew over your head. However there are definitely some laugh out loud moments, and many more chuckle-worthy turns. Sometimes it is just silly for the sake of being silly, and nothing more. This isn't the right type of comedy for literally everyone, but those who get it will certainly be amused throughout the trip and not get butthurt if they aren't ROFLing constantly. 100% recommended for fans of OG point & clickers. Think Day of the Tentacle (which is explicitly referenced here) or Sam & Max. This game will probably be too playful, too subtle, too artsy, and too meta for people who take themselves really seriously or need a non-stop barrage of violent action or fancy 3d graphics to keep them engaged. Personally I'm looking forward to seeing what Janerka comes up with next. (Owned on Epic)
This game is a work of art. You can tell the developers are creative people who really cared about making a unique and fun experience. This would be a great game for young (ish) kids. Aside from being thoroughly wholesome, it's not hard to imagine that if you played this as a kid, it'd be something that sticks with you forever and you'd always find yourself looking back on it with nostalgia. It's also quite capable of entertaining adventurous adults who know how to appreciate a novel approach to a gaming experience. The laid back atmosphere makes playing it a pleasant endeavor. This would be an excellent choice for when you aren't in the mood for anything potentially overstimulating & just want to relax and play around with some eye & ear candy. Each environment is finely detailed and richly textured, almost as if they were based off of hi-res nature photographs. Every single screen would probably look good as a desktop background. The lush landscapes are both alien and deeply earthy, often with a familiar yet unfamiliar effect, like all of a sudden being bug-sized in a rainforest. There's also a strong focus on sound & music in a way that is rarely, if ever, seen. The soundtrack is wonderful, a playful mix of electronica, IDM, and ambient compositions typically foreign to video games. You can even unlock little loops to play with, layering different sounds on top of one another just as a fun little bonus. Sound layering also plays a small role in a puzzle or two, and the way music integrates into the mood and the experience is really creative and fits perfectly. Big ups to the Amanita Design team for their excellent work!
