Narita Boy

Mostly PC, but console and mobile too
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Leisher
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Narita Boy

Post by Leisher »

Got this in a Humble Bundle.

Side scroller that has you as Narita Boy. You're in a computer, ala Tron, trying to save it and the world from HIM.

Ever hate played a game? I kind of did that here. I started off simply disliking the look, the feel, and the story. It felt like someone's first movie out of film school. You know, the crappy arthouse one? Except this is a video game. The best word to describe it? Pretentious. I was going to leave it behind, but I was so quickly through a lot of it that I knew I'd knock it out in night two and I did.

Full disclosure, I did come to start enjoying it. The combat is fun, although a bit repetitive, and the story is just interesting enough. That was mainly because the programmer is clearly telling his real story.

It has a "Very Positive" standing among Steam reviews and has also won loads of awards for the graphics/visuals.

Truthfully, I think the game looked like shit. I get what they were going for and it works for that, but there's a reason we left that stuff in the past. It's garbage. This is especially true early on as my eyes were trying to adjust to what I was looking at. Later, it basically showcases this shittiness with puddles that are damn near invisible. Why is this a big deal? Because the puddles can hurt or kill you. Yes, stepping in a fucking puddle can hurt you.

Also, for a side scroller platformer, there are moments when the movements of your character seem to change. Even hopping from multiple platforms across a pit hopping from one to another can feel different. I'm no coder, but that shit isn't right. (And I've seen others complaining about the same thing, so it's not just me.)

There's also the "codes" to portals, their placement, and their usage throughout the game that doesn't seem well thought out. Also, the dialogue is just gibberish.

A sequel is clearly going to be made based on the ending.

I guess if you like side scrolling platformers, check out the Steam page and see if it has appeal to you. I can't recommend it. There's stuff here that is cool, like the combat, the way he tells his clearly real story, and a few other things, but overall it just doesn't work for me.
“Every record been destroyed or falsified, books rewritten, pictures repainted, statues, street building renamed, every date altered. The process is continuing day by day. History stops. Nothing exists except endless present in which the Party is right.”
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