Holy. Fucking. Shit.
Ok ok, before fully diving in, a little bit of background: A few years ago, it must had been in 2018 or 2019, while checking my Twitter feed, I saw this game. It looked pretty interesting and so I began following the developer, but after a long time without updates and beacuse I deleted my account, I lost this game's track for a long time... so imagine my sheer surprise when I see the trailer announcing the release date, and when it comes out, the internet completely blows up and everyone says that it's a masterpiece. I felt almost obligated to play it, both because of my short-lived past with it and how amazing, fun and unhinged it looked. Well, I finished it, and the question is, did I like it...?
I mean you already saw that I gave it 5 stars but also HOLY SHIT I FUCKING LOVE THIS GAME.
Look, I value A LOT of things that a game can provide as an experience, be it a story, a theme, an atmosphere,... Pizza Tower does a little thing I like to call ''being fucking insane'' and what provides is a genuine fever dream in all of the best ways. The characters don't talk at all, yet because of how they act or interact with each other they feel alive, catoony and funny as hell. The fact that The Noise only has one real major appereance in the whole game and still it's one of the mos memorable characters I've come across in a long time says a lot, and this basically applies to everyone, even the minor enemies; everyone here is animated in such a way that they feel straight out of a 90's cartoon, and the internet has clearly noticed it too.
Gameplay wise desings, I'm really sad to report, that at least to me the game feels like the bEST FUCKING 2D PLATFORMER I'VE PLAYED IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. Pizza Tower makes clear that its isnpired by Wario Land 4, Sonic and Earthworm Jim, and uses these references to create one of the most satisfiying controls, level designs and movement I've encountered, and belive me I've played my share of 2D platformers. Each level feels like its own world, the mechanics feel distinct to one another, the themes, THE MUSIC, it all just clicks and each time you fail it's just another chance to do it better and faster, and faster, AND FASTER, AND FASTER, AND FASTER, AND THEN IT'S PIZZA TIME AND THE MUSIC KICKS IN AFTER YOU BREAK JOHN GUTTER AND IT'S NON STOP RUNNING DING THE LEVEL YOU JUST DID IN REVERSEANDYOUFEELTHEPREASSUREASTHECLOCKTICKSANDYOUTRYTOGETANYTOPPINGYOUMISSEDANDBYTHESKINOFYOURTEETHSWITHSECONDSLEFT you arrive at the door, and it's this adrenaline, paired with how the level is designed, the personality and the secrets, what makes Pizza Tower, well Pizza Tower.
I think I'll never forget Peppino and his friends, enemies and adventures, it all just feel to good to be real and I just... I really cannot stress this enough, this just doesn't feel real, yet it's marvelous. I've left a ton to talk about 'cause belive me, this game has A LOT, but I want you to discover it, it's unique and full of insanity, the best kind of insanity.
Never had I thought that a game I discovered so many years ago starring an stressed and angry italian called Peppino could make me feel so much joy, but at the same time, it makes so much sense...
Ok ok, before fully diving in, a little bit of background: A few years ago, it must had been in 2018 or 2019, while checking my Twitter feed, I saw this game. It looked pretty interesting and so I began following the developer, but after a long time without updates and beacuse I deleted my account, I lost this game's track for a long time... so imagine my sheer surprise when I see the trailer announcing the release date, and when it comes out, the internet completely blows up and everyone says that it's a masterpiece. I felt almost obligated to play it, both because of my short-lived past with it and how amazing, fun and unhinged it looked. Well, I finished it, and the question is, did I like it...?
I mean you already saw that I gave it 5 stars but also HOLY SHIT I FUCKING LOVE THIS GAME.
Look, I value A LOT of things that a game can provide as an experience, be it a story, a theme, an atmosphere,... Pizza Tower does a little thing I like to call ''being fucking insane'' and what provides is a genuine fever dream in all of the best ways. The characters don't talk at all, yet because of how they act or interact with each other they feel alive, catoony and funny as hell. The fact that The Noise only has one real major appereance in the whole game and still it's one of the mos memorable characters I've come across in a long time says a lot, and this basically applies to everyone, even the minor enemies; everyone here is animated in such a way that they feel straight out of a 90's cartoon, and the internet has clearly noticed it too.
Gameplay wise desings, I'm really sad to report, that at least to me the game feels like the bEST FUCKING 2D PLATFORMER I'VE PLAYED IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. Pizza Tower makes clear that its isnpired by Wario Land 4, Sonic and Earthworm Jim, and uses these references to create one of the most satisfiying controls, level designs and movement I've encountered, and belive me I've played my share of 2D platformers. Each level feels like its own world, the mechanics feel distinct to one another, the themes, THE MUSIC, it all just clicks and each time you fail it's just another chance to do it better and faster, and faster, AND FASTER, AND FASTER, AND FASTER, AND THEN IT'S PIZZA TIME AND THE MUSIC KICKS IN AFTER YOU BREAK JOHN GUTTER AND IT'S NON STOP RUNNING DING THE LEVEL YOU JUST DID IN REVERSEANDYOUFEELTHEPREASSUREASTHECLOCKTICKSANDYOUTRYTOGETANYTOPPINGYOUMISSEDANDBYTHESKINOFYOURTEETHSWITHSECONDSLEFT you arrive at the door, and it's this adrenaline, paired with how the level is designed, the personality and the secrets, what makes Pizza Tower, well Pizza Tower.
I think I'll never forget Peppino and his friends, enemies and adventures, it all just feel to good to be real and I just... I really cannot stress this enough, this just doesn't feel real, yet it's marvelous. I've left a ton to talk about 'cause belive me, this game has A LOT, but I want you to discover it, it's unique and full of insanity, the best kind of insanity.
Never had I thought that a game I discovered so many years ago starring an stressed and angry italian called Peppino could make me feel so much joy, but at the same time, it makes so much sense...
6 Comments
Great review, exact feelings I had about it. Something about this game just makes you want to scream in the best of ways.
The craziest thing about this game is the inclusion of Mort the Chicken... I dunno why they got the idea to do that but it's amazing
@Weatherby Even tho I absolutely recommend it, if you already have a lot of games pending or you want to wait the perfect opportunity to get it it's totally understandable, the game's not going anywhere, so play it whenever you feel like it. Even so, the game's worth every cent and the main story doesn't take that long, so if you find time where you got nothing else pending to play, this is more than worth it.
@appreciations Swear to god I sometimes found myself doing the same faces Peppino does on the small TV when I was under pressure and in the final level I genuinely popped off out of sheer exicetement. This game man... I just love it. Also thanks so much for the kind words :)
@appreciations Swear to god I sometimes found myself doing the same faces Peppino does on the small TV when I was under pressure and in the final level I genuinely popped off out of sheer exicetement. This game man... I just love it. Also thanks so much for the kind words :)
@moschidae I KNOW RIGHT? It feels out of nowhere yet it's so funny, and it's use on the level in such a fun and original game that I honestly wished that some other forgotten characters could appear, it's just so nonsensical yet it works wonderfully, just like the rest of the game
I hope they make enough money so they can get another weird licensed character for dlc or something. I wanna see Peppino riding around on BonziBuddy.
Weatherby
1 year ago
Still, feel like I'm missing out on this by delaying it...