Heisei Pistol Show is indicative of a lot of the zaniness and beautiful creativity that has come out of the RPG maker community. I had only heard about this game a few months ago with its unique premise and intriguing visuals looking to be up my alley. Having beaten it, practically, one sitting I say it delivered on a lot of its initial intrigue while also not quite matching some of the enthusiasm surrounding it.
You play as Heart, a lolita-dressed hitman who has been betrayed by his ex-lover. Now he is on a quest for vengeance that involves dealing with three fellow top assassins. This initial setup reminds me a lot of "Kill Bill" with a sort of similar structure but is mainly matched with the style and flair in which the story is presented. As you progress you slowly reveal, in typical RPG-maker fashion, that not everything is as it seems.
It surprised me that the game acts as a simple "puzzle" exploration game. I say "puzzle" but all of the obstacles in the game are simple logic and word puzzles including the few gunfights. In reality, the game is more focused on the player exploring the surreal levels the game consists of and how they eventually tie back into the main narrative. It was interesting seeing how a lot of these non-sensical stages eventually made some sense but some parts still felt a lot like the author slapped down some of the basic assets of the engine.
A lot of people seemed to be affected by the game's story which chronicles a lot about "what it means to be in love", "how love is defined" and "how do you maintain your happiness". These subjects were extremely meaningful to the author and to many who experienced it, but I can't say it had the same effect on me. For me, there were a lot of parts of the narrative that felt a little too comical to be taken super seriously with only the last few minutes of the game striking a chord for me emotionally.
Though the narrative did not affect me, I adored this game's style as previously mentioned. For starters, all of the character portraits have this 2000s Deviant Art style that, while maybe ugly to some, I find incredibly charming and wish more of the game looked like this. A lot of the cutscenes of the game also have this really fun energy to it that I have never seen in other games like this. Also, the soundtrack is one of the best I've heard in a while with each track perfectly used to match both the absurdity and emotional elements of the game.
This was not quite the sleeper classic that I was hoping it would be, but I still greatly enjoyed my time with it. Its absurdist style is worth playing alone, especially given its short length. Games like this make exploring the RPG Maker genre worth it.
P.S.: It saddens me to read that this developer passed away as, going off of this game, they had a beautifully creative soul.
You play as Heart, a lolita-dressed hitman who has been betrayed by his ex-lover. Now he is on a quest for vengeance that involves dealing with three fellow top assassins. This initial setup reminds me a lot of "Kill Bill" with a sort of similar structure but is mainly matched with the style and flair in which the story is presented. As you progress you slowly reveal, in typical RPG-maker fashion, that not everything is as it seems.
It surprised me that the game acts as a simple "puzzle" exploration game. I say "puzzle" but all of the obstacles in the game are simple logic and word puzzles including the few gunfights. In reality, the game is more focused on the player exploring the surreal levels the game consists of and how they eventually tie back into the main narrative. It was interesting seeing how a lot of these non-sensical stages eventually made some sense but some parts still felt a lot like the author slapped down some of the basic assets of the engine.
A lot of people seemed to be affected by the game's story which chronicles a lot about "what it means to be in love", "how love is defined" and "how do you maintain your happiness". These subjects were extremely meaningful to the author and to many who experienced it, but I can't say it had the same effect on me. For me, there were a lot of parts of the narrative that felt a little too comical to be taken super seriously with only the last few minutes of the game striking a chord for me emotionally.
Though the narrative did not affect me, I adored this game's style as previously mentioned. For starters, all of the character portraits have this 2000s Deviant Art style that, while maybe ugly to some, I find incredibly charming and wish more of the game looked like this. A lot of the cutscenes of the game also have this really fun energy to it that I have never seen in other games like this. Also, the soundtrack is one of the best I've heard in a while with each track perfectly used to match both the absurdity and emotional elements of the game.
This was not quite the sleeper classic that I was hoping it would be, but I still greatly enjoyed my time with it. Its absurdist style is worth playing alone, especially given its short length. Games like this make exploring the RPG Maker genre worth it.
P.S.: It saddens me to read that this developer passed away as, going off of this game, they had a beautifully creative soul.