At bottom, the mechanics for this game are mostly pretty typical turn-based, party-based JRPG fare. But the graphics and the terminology and the worldbuilding are just so compellingly bizarre that it may take you many hours of playing before you even notice that. You're basically dropped into this surreal hallucination and have to find your bearings. It makes you feel like you're discovering the genre for the first time. That's not to say the game doesn't play with the trappings of the genre – instead of leveling, for instance, each stat has a different way of being boosted (I won't spoil the particulars); and the light platforming elements add something fresh and make moving around the world more fun (if often frustrating – more on that below).
But a lot of the pleasure here comes just from immersing yourself in this totally idiosyncratic environment. The world Lindroth has created feels so fully realized, and the strange, often very funny writing really helps to sell that. This is the rare RPG where you actually want to talk to every NPC you can find, just so you don't miss out on dialogue like "I've worked as a calthemite motivator, a sympathetic jumper, and a contract extruder. Seems I've finally settled on juice ranching" or "It all comes down to thoughtful use of comestibles." Just about every element is handled with such radical creativity and style, that typically rote genre tropes become actually enjoyable. To give just one example: whereas in lots of other RPGs I inevitably get frustrated with having to watch the long spell-casting animations over and over, the animations in Hylics are all so stunningly beautiful that watching them again and again is a joy. And I'd be remiss not to mention the killer soundtrack, which complements the visuals and writing perfectly.
The fact that this is a one-person passion project means you can expect some wonky mechanics and whatnot. As I mentioned, the platforming aspect can often be frustrating, since the art style sometimes makes depth perception really difficult. The absence of a leveling system can create some balance issues when it comes to enemy vs player strength. And although the puzzle-solving elements were mostly enjoyable, I sometimes got stuck not knowing what to do next and had to watch a guide or playthrough vid to be able to progress. The mashup of genres keeps things fresh, but it can also sometimes feel like Lindroth had an idea for another game entirely, and just decided to fold it into this one: the arcade-style platformer mini-game you need to play to progress at one point (and which unlocks a bonus at another) was too difficult for my taste, and could be a major stumbling block for someone who's not a skilled platformer player; and the old school, Dungeon Master-esque 1st person 3D dungeon crawler segment had me banging my head against a wall getting lost amidst a bunch of identical looking drab brick corridors. The strengths and charms of the game more than make up for its shortcomings though, and more often than not Lindroth uses the game's limitations to its own advantage, often cleverly turning a clunky element into a bit of absurdist humor (one favorite example: the way Wayne climbs ladders by simply jumping straight upward with a totally stiff body is pure gold).
Long story short: this is one of the most unique games I've played in a long time, and one of the most aesthetically pleasurable I've played ever. It's really no wonder this has garnered the cult following it has. If you have even the slightest interest in RPGs, and a taste for the unconventional, this is more than worth the 15 bucks to give a try.
But a lot of the pleasure here comes just from immersing yourself in this totally idiosyncratic environment. The world Lindroth has created feels so fully realized, and the strange, often very funny writing really helps to sell that. This is the rare RPG where you actually want to talk to every NPC you can find, just so you don't miss out on dialogue like "I've worked as a calthemite motivator, a sympathetic jumper, and a contract extruder. Seems I've finally settled on juice ranching" or "It all comes down to thoughtful use of comestibles." Just about every element is handled with such radical creativity and style, that typically rote genre tropes become actually enjoyable. To give just one example: whereas in lots of other RPGs I inevitably get frustrated with having to watch the long spell-casting animations over and over, the animations in Hylics are all so stunningly beautiful that watching them again and again is a joy. And I'd be remiss not to mention the killer soundtrack, which complements the visuals and writing perfectly.
The fact that this is a one-person passion project means you can expect some wonky mechanics and whatnot. As I mentioned, the platforming aspect can often be frustrating, since the art style sometimes makes depth perception really difficult. The absence of a leveling system can create some balance issues when it comes to enemy vs player strength. And although the puzzle-solving elements were mostly enjoyable, I sometimes got stuck not knowing what to do next and had to watch a guide or playthrough vid to be able to progress. The mashup of genres keeps things fresh, but it can also sometimes feel like Lindroth had an idea for another game entirely, and just decided to fold it into this one: the arcade-style platformer mini-game you need to play to progress at one point (and which unlocks a bonus at another) was too difficult for my taste, and could be a major stumbling block for someone who's not a skilled platformer player; and the old school, Dungeon Master-esque 1st person 3D dungeon crawler segment had me banging my head against a wall getting lost amidst a bunch of identical looking drab brick corridors. The strengths and charms of the game more than make up for its shortcomings though, and more often than not Lindroth uses the game's limitations to its own advantage, often cleverly turning a clunky element into a bit of absurdist humor (one favorite example: the way Wayne climbs ladders by simply jumping straight upward with a totally stiff body is pure gold).
Long story short: this is one of the most unique games I've played in a long time, and one of the most aesthetically pleasurable I've played ever. It's really no wonder this has garnered the cult following it has. If you have even the slightest interest in RPGs, and a taste for the unconventional, this is more than worth the 15 bucks to give a try.