![]() ![]() The Yakuza games, for all their gunfights and fisticuffs, constantly convey a line of positivity. Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S It's electronic LEGO, where imagination runs free and anyone can be what they want, with no boundaries or limits. Perhaps the game itself doesn't spell out this concept, but it gives players a place to feel at home, at peace, and create anything from outlandish castles for solo players to rattle around in, to sprawling villages made by a mum and her kids. It's an opportunity for play, to create anything your heart and mind can conceive. Minecraft is much more than an adventure story full of monsters and survival. Granted, you have to complete the game after perhaps hundreds of hours to see this poem, but one line manages to sum up the entire experience of this sandbox adventure – "What did this player dream?" If you cut through all the cheese and whimsy, there are a few lines that actually carry some emotional weight. One which, upon first creation was meant to be "over the top" on sentiment. When the credits finally roll on Minecraft, after beating the Ender Dragon, we're treated to a poem of sorts. The game is rated T.Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch Happy Game will be available on Thursday, October 28 on Steam/GOG.com and the Nintendo eShop for $13.13. This review is based on a Steam digital code provided by the publisher. There's nothing that would make me want to revisit it, but I certainly can't fault it for what it is: a seasonal treat filled with tricks. One thing to note about it is that it's a short romp, able to be completed in just a few hours. Those looking for a short, unsettling stroll can find one with Happy Game. While there's a lengthy disclaimer in front of the game, an option to turn those effects down would have been a better way to go. ![]() Even though I'm not an epileptic myself, I found the effects to be a bit much. The problem is that many of them have flashing white and red lights, which can be an epileptic nightmare. The puzzles themselves are creative, though it can be easy to get stuck and sit in front of one for minutes at a time. Once the puzzles are solved, there's a brief reprieve from the terror until reaching the next sequence. The ominous atmosphere on this and other sections are enhanced greatly through the game's sound design. Every time a new toy gets put back together, there's either a flash of red light or there's a twisted image that briefly injects fear down the player's spine. ![]() For example, one puzzle has players in a room filled with broken toys and they must reassemble them, one at a time. The puzzles that players face often involve terrifying images of strange monsters, mundane objects with horrifying faces, and red lighting as far as the eye can see. The main idea of Happy Game is that it looks like a happy-go-lucky experience on the surface, but that facade is quickly erased and replaced with something far more horrifying. They're not overly difficult with the main trick being to iron out what's even at work. First, they have to figure out what the puzzle even is and then how to solve them. Puzzles are entirely up to the player to figure out, in more ways than one. There's no explanation of what to do and there's only a fleeting glimpse of the game's controls. In sticking with the spirit of the Amanita Design aesthetic, there's no HUD at any point. This leads into the game's various puzzles. The boy soon finds himself in a dream state, where his innocent mind is fixated on either finding a ball or a toy. However, he's quickly plagued by nightmarish images and creatures. The game centers around a young boy drifting off to what's supposed to be a peaceful sleep. Don't close your eyesĪs noted, most Amanita Design stories are left to the player's imagination and Happy Game is no different. Happy Game is more of the Amanita Design style, but one that's going to prove to be much more of an acquired taste. ![]() Those who have followed the indie gaming scene for the last ten years is likely familiar with their distinct art style, their minimalistic presentation, and their unique worlds where the stories are mainly left to the player's imagination. The team at Amanita Design has specialized in a certain kind of game for the past decade. ![]()
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