didnt expect to play this but there was Some Magnetism to the original that i kinda just Kept Thinking Ab even tho it was mostly a mid experience, so i had to sate my curiosity. the result is a game that is both Kinda Stunning (as an improvement and even on its own goals) and kinda conflicting for me in ways i dont quite know how to resolve...
to get the obvious out of the way, this is a Shining Blinding Testament to what an indie team can do when theyre cushioned by sufficient financial success to take their time and make a Done When It's Done passion project. in hindsight most of the problems i had with the original (esp narratively) were the result of the episodic release, and the annoying desire to subvert the expectations ppl gathered in the aftermath of each episode. the story they wrote by the seat of their pants moment to moment mostly feels v hollow, and while theres cool background stuff going on sometimes, its so transparently in service to Proving Matpat Wrong that it pales even in comparison to fnaf, which always kept a safe Vagueness and also seemed to want to actually reward ppl for figuring things out and thinking ab the story (and frankly even if they were messily organized, mr cawthon rly did land on a bunch of genuinely emotionally evocative beats). this also effects the gameplay 2 a lesser degree, i think it at least slightly informs the lack of Systems, the idea is that yr doing something different in every chapter ig but with no core mechanical thrusts the start-to-finish playing experience of the final game rly does just play like bioshock for actual babies
by contrast the dark revival is a well considered, clearly passionate, far more nourishing experience...built from the ground up to support itself from the beginning to the end. hell there's even a real Story this time, and it doesnt require thatttt much knowledge of the lore theory analysis bullshit from the original (tho it does require a little) to follow. the story of the game involves the things that are actually Currently Happening, informed by the past,,,much closer to actual bioshock ! speaking of which, we've at Least made the huge leap to Bioshock For First Graders, none of the systems in place are original but the stealth, puzzles, collectables, Combat U Want To Avoid Generally, its all perfectly functional even in a vacuum, and implemented with clear care and polish. sometimes yr scurrying around while crouched physically rustling thru various containers for health and upgrade parts, and then some enemy starts heading yr way and u ink jet out of their line of sight, and all of a sudden u have an Actual Identity for bendy as a game, derivative yes, but enjoyable and charming. man and a lot of the puzzles rly are just Good, they didnt have to do that !!!
narrative is where the games new construction benefits it the most, but its also where my conflict comes into play. in a vacuum, i think this is rly solid and sometimes even moving stuff. even tho im not invested in this franchise, i still smiled at some of the fanservice and was Gobsmacked at some of the Massive Twists (thankfully delivered with no Theorybait Vagueness this time, the impact is fully felt with every reveal), the second half is full of rly well-crafted narrative Bombs that manage to actually feel resonant with the whole piece (something u cant do if yr changing yr idea for the ending cuz matpat guessed it), and also somehow with the original??? that the original's bonkers ending (which i thought was interesting in concept but understimulating because it was so clearly a last-minute decision instead of one that made any real impact on the preceding game) is justified and made evocative as much as it is here is nothing short of a miracle...the psychological toll of the events on the characters, the embrace of the ink machine's world as a controlled fiction in monument to the failures of its creator, god idk man its just good !!! its just rly good stuff !!! at this point theres no excuse for there not to be a fnaf game or something that tries to wrangle that vague mess into something impactful in the moment of play, cuz they have waaaaay more to work with then bendy did and bendy somehow just pulled it off rly good!
my conflict (aside from my just general lack of Bendy Fandom, meaning some of the expected investment is a little lost on me) comes w/ my knowledge (v limited btw) that some stuff is up w/ the devs,,,i will not pretend to be informed on the situation and even with what i know its my understanding that the main problem has been Dealt With and theres not too too much of an ethical dilemma with buying the game or whatever. but it does make some of the redemptive elements of the game feel v distracting and uncomfortable for me, theres already kind of an uneasy irony at play with this franchise since its an Aspiring Media Empire ab the horrors of an Aspiring Media Empire, and stuff like Lets Consider The Psychology Of Horrible Capitalist Abuser Joey Drew rly rly makes that tension boil over in a way that took me out of what could have been v charming and moving moments. even the ending, which i think is v v sweet and v v azzycore in concept, is a lil deflated by this feeling for me
still tho idk. i do just kinda think this is a rly nice game and probably one i would have been obsessed with had i played it at a young age. fairly definitive proof that the creatives behind these games are v v talented and just needed to be given a better format and more wiggle room to fully shine. another W for autistic children with bad taste (me)
to get the obvious out of the way, this is a Shining Blinding Testament to what an indie team can do when theyre cushioned by sufficient financial success to take their time and make a Done When It's Done passion project. in hindsight most of the problems i had with the original (esp narratively) were the result of the episodic release, and the annoying desire to subvert the expectations ppl gathered in the aftermath of each episode. the story they wrote by the seat of their pants moment to moment mostly feels v hollow, and while theres cool background stuff going on sometimes, its so transparently in service to Proving Matpat Wrong that it pales even in comparison to fnaf, which always kept a safe Vagueness and also seemed to want to actually reward ppl for figuring things out and thinking ab the story (and frankly even if they were messily organized, mr cawthon rly did land on a bunch of genuinely emotionally evocative beats). this also effects the gameplay 2 a lesser degree, i think it at least slightly informs the lack of Systems, the idea is that yr doing something different in every chapter ig but with no core mechanical thrusts the start-to-finish playing experience of the final game rly does just play like bioshock for actual babies
by contrast the dark revival is a well considered, clearly passionate, far more nourishing experience...built from the ground up to support itself from the beginning to the end. hell there's even a real Story this time, and it doesnt require thatttt much knowledge of the lore theory analysis bullshit from the original (tho it does require a little) to follow. the story of the game involves the things that are actually Currently Happening, informed by the past,,,much closer to actual bioshock ! speaking of which, we've at Least made the huge leap to Bioshock For First Graders, none of the systems in place are original but the stealth, puzzles, collectables, Combat U Want To Avoid Generally, its all perfectly functional even in a vacuum, and implemented with clear care and polish. sometimes yr scurrying around while crouched physically rustling thru various containers for health and upgrade parts, and then some enemy starts heading yr way and u ink jet out of their line of sight, and all of a sudden u have an Actual Identity for bendy as a game, derivative yes, but enjoyable and charming. man and a lot of the puzzles rly are just Good, they didnt have to do that !!!
narrative is where the games new construction benefits it the most, but its also where my conflict comes into play. in a vacuum, i think this is rly solid and sometimes even moving stuff. even tho im not invested in this franchise, i still smiled at some of the fanservice and was Gobsmacked at some of the Massive Twists (thankfully delivered with no Theorybait Vagueness this time, the impact is fully felt with every reveal), the second half is full of rly well-crafted narrative Bombs that manage to actually feel resonant with the whole piece (something u cant do if yr changing yr idea for the ending cuz matpat guessed it), and also somehow with the original??? that the original's bonkers ending (which i thought was interesting in concept but understimulating because it was so clearly a last-minute decision instead of one that made any real impact on the preceding game) is justified and made evocative as much as it is here is nothing short of a miracle...the psychological toll of the events on the characters, the embrace of the ink machine's world as a controlled fiction in monument to the failures of its creator, god idk man its just good !!! its just rly good stuff !!! at this point theres no excuse for there not to be a fnaf game or something that tries to wrangle that vague mess into something impactful in the moment of play, cuz they have waaaaay more to work with then bendy did and bendy somehow just pulled it off rly good!
my conflict (aside from my just general lack of Bendy Fandom, meaning some of the expected investment is a little lost on me) comes w/ my knowledge (v limited btw) that some stuff is up w/ the devs,,,i will not pretend to be informed on the situation and even with what i know its my understanding that the main problem has been Dealt With and theres not too too much of an ethical dilemma with buying the game or whatever. but it does make some of the redemptive elements of the game feel v distracting and uncomfortable for me, theres already kind of an uneasy irony at play with this franchise since its an Aspiring Media Empire ab the horrors of an Aspiring Media Empire, and stuff like Lets Consider The Psychology Of Horrible Capitalist Abuser Joey Drew rly rly makes that tension boil over in a way that took me out of what could have been v charming and moving moments. even the ending, which i think is v v sweet and v v azzycore in concept, is a lil deflated by this feeling for me
still tho idk. i do just kinda think this is a rly nice game and probably one i would have been obsessed with had i played it at a young age. fairly definitive proof that the creatives behind these games are v v talented and just needed to be given a better format and more wiggle room to fully shine. another W for autistic children with bad taste (me)