This review contains spoilers
I was mostly in the "recommended" side of things for almost the entire game. While the gameplay is very simple and sometimes tedious, the game had a level of sincerity and charm that I really couldn't dismiss. Especially for people who would love a sort of calming experience and wouldn't mind the hide-and-seek type of gameplay, this is still something I'd recommend. The game has a fair few foibles and basically simply requires you to effectively pixel hunt by clicking on so much stuff in the environments but the context of why you're doing it combined with the simple art style and the gentle music got me through most of it even if I was a little annoyed at the ancillary additions like the "grenkins" and the stupid "riddles". There also seems to have been a lot of effort put into the slicing mechanic because it does make for some cool visuals and moments throughout that always impressed me by how they could have implemented it technically.
But at the very final moments, the game just ends. There's a cutscene that plays and until the credits rolled, I thought there was going to be another hide-n-seek environment left, which I do admit didn't thrill me cause I was pretty done with the game by this point. But for a game about death, moving on, and the passing of the torch, I cannot believe that they simply drop the entire premise of the story in such a ridiculous manner and deprive anyone playing of closure of all things. I was left completely gobsmacked at the audacity of not having a final conclusion to the hunting I'd been doing for 5 hours.
I'm ok with stories being left ambiguous and open ended but this game does not deserve, earn or really set up such a thing. The entire game is about a very specific plot point that you're doing and that the game simply stops is such a black mark against it. The gameplay does not make the experience all that worthwhile for me personally and there's not even the simple quality of life feature to go back to earlier levels to reattampt the riddles and grenkins. I am thoroughly disappointed with this game and would go so far as to say it wasted my time.
But at the very final moments, the game just ends. There's a cutscene that plays and until the credits rolled, I thought there was going to be another hide-n-seek environment left, which I do admit didn't thrill me cause I was pretty done with the game by this point. But for a game about death, moving on, and the passing of the torch, I cannot believe that they simply drop the entire premise of the story in such a ridiculous manner and deprive anyone playing of closure of all things. I was left completely gobsmacked at the audacity of not having a final conclusion to the hunting I'd been doing for 5 hours.
I'm ok with stories being left ambiguous and open ended but this game does not deserve, earn or really set up such a thing. The entire game is about a very specific plot point that you're doing and that the game simply stops is such a black mark against it. The gameplay does not make the experience all that worthwhile for me personally and there's not even the simple quality of life feature to go back to earlier levels to reattampt the riddles and grenkins. I am thoroughly disappointed with this game and would go so far as to say it wasted my time.