Sights & Sounds
- As many other reviews have pointed out, Ugly is the name of the game but not an accurate descriptor of its art direction. Each of the crumbling palace setting's environments are jam-packed with beautiful detail, and the classically-animated characters (particularly the bosses) looked incredible. The fourth and fifth bosses were standouts. If their animation were just a little more fluid, the visual presentation would be just about as flawless as a 2D platformer can get
- Additionally, for such a creepy game, the color palette frequently swings into the brighter tints quite often and uses them very effectively. Sure, there's a lot of black and red like you'd expect, but never without reason
- The music is also excellent. I knew from the very first introduction of the tense, discordant strings into the otherwise ethereally tinkling piano of the game's opening song that the soundtrack was going to be a banger. The string/piano combo also works well for delivering much of the game's well-performed vocal work
- It's not all just dreamy sounding slow jams, though. The boss themes sometimes give way to wailing black metal guitar solos or riffy doom metal chugging. All the energy and beauty of the game's earlier music can even sometimes give away to a cacophony of dying gasps and growled insults. The diversity in the soundtrack is noteworthy and serves to deliver the story in another way. And be sure to 100% the game or you'll miss out on one of the best tracks
- All told, the presentation here is remarkable. It's evident that a lot of hard work and love went into crafting this game's audiovisual experience
Story & Vibes
- Ugly is a game with a progressively told (and out of sequence) story, so shedding much light on it would require delving into spoilers. Half the fun is piecing together the narrative from the environment and the scattered memories you find littered about as chalk drawings on the walls
- Instead of giving away the details, I'll focus on the themes. To say the story is dark would be a bit of an understatement. Abuse, violence (sexual and otherwise), and virtually every word ending in "-icide" find a home in Ugly's aggressively sad narrative. Ugly is a story about a family, and that opens an opportunity for unique evils. The dad is not a nice dude
- So, to put a pin in the plot, let's just say that the game starts you off as an ugly little protagonist who wakes up in a crumbling palace's cellar, and it doesn't get much happier from that point. It's not the most interesting narrative, and it didn't speak to me in a meaningful way (i.e., it didn't make me think carefully about anything and I didn't learn anything). However, it's told really well, and that's worth celebrating
- I was not expecting the game's twist, either. It makes complete sense when you learn it, but the game in no way drops any hints until the reveal. Or maybe they do, and I didn't pick up on it
- If you're still confused about the story or had trouble putting it together, don't worry. Just find all the game's memories. It'll unlock the true ending (which is awesome in its circularity) and the game's only bit of overt exposition (which is presented in the best way possible)
- Honestly, the subject matter in the game did make me a bit uncomfortable, but that appears to be the point. Thankfully, it's there for storytelling and character development purposes and not for shock value
Playability & Replayability
- I haven't played a puzzle game that was this mechanically satisfying and elegant since Portal. Like Portal, you're given a tool that is easy to understand but can be used in incredibly creative ways, and like Portal, it's an incredibly fun and memorable experience that'll test your creativity, problem-solving, and platforming ability
- Rather than portals, Ugly's central mechanic focuses on a magical mirror that creates a, well, mirror image of him on the opposite side. The mirror can be positioned vertically (meaning that your copy will move in the opposite left-right direction, even through walls) or horizontally (your doppelganger will stay below you, even below the floor)
- Using this simple mechanic, you'll soon be accessing nearly every platform and otherwise inaccessible nook and cranny of each level
- Speaking of levels, they're all presented in the form of locked doors occupying one of the several wings of the noble family's crumbling palace like some sort of overly-restrictive advent calendar. And instead of crappy chocolate, there's puzzles
- Solving those puzzles will progressively teach you a wealth of tricks by way of clever level design. Pay close attention to the height and position of platforms, make note of how any special surfaces might affect your mirror power, and don't be afraid of trial and error. You can always take a nip from your handy hip flask to reset any room
- Completing a wing will also trigger a boss fight, which will test your mastery of whichever neat mirror trick the levels on that wing taught you how to use
- As far as collectibles go, there are "memories" (chalk drawings that you and your mirror image must stand on to activate) and movies (quick clips that don't actually appear to provide much but ambiance). Finding all of these will unlock the true ending and let you 100% the game. Don't worry if you miss a few. You can track the ones you're missing from the painting in the hubworld, and Act II gives you an opportunity to circle back for stuff you missed
- Even though I 100%ed it, I want to play it again in a few years after I forget the puzzle solutions. It's that good of a game
Overall Impressions & Performance
- I was not expecting this game to be so good. It's gotten hardly any press and barely any reviews on Steam. I know 2023 was a big year for games, but it's such a shame that this one got lost on the shuffle. It deserves far more recognition than it's received. I wouldn't have even known about it had it not shown up on a bundle site, and even then I wouldn't have picked it if someone weren't raving on Reddit about how much of a gem it is, and you just have to take that sort of rec with a grain of salt. They were right, though
- I know the Portal comparison will probably rub some people the wrong way, but oh well. The puzzles are, on average, nearly as creative and intuitive, and the designs are devilishly clever. The only thing Ugly is lacking that Portal had is the depth of personality and sense of humor
- Played perfectly on the Steam Deck
Final Verdict
- 9.5/10. The only reason this doesn't get a 10 is the three box puzzle room in Act II, which is easy to understand but virtually impossible to do (I had to glitch over a gap to finish the room). Everything else is virtually flawless, though
- As many other reviews have pointed out, Ugly is the name of the game but not an accurate descriptor of its art direction. Each of the crumbling palace setting's environments are jam-packed with beautiful detail, and the classically-animated characters (particularly the bosses) looked incredible. The fourth and fifth bosses were standouts. If their animation were just a little more fluid, the visual presentation would be just about as flawless as a 2D platformer can get
- Additionally, for such a creepy game, the color palette frequently swings into the brighter tints quite often and uses them very effectively. Sure, there's a lot of black and red like you'd expect, but never without reason
- The music is also excellent. I knew from the very first introduction of the tense, discordant strings into the otherwise ethereally tinkling piano of the game's opening song that the soundtrack was going to be a banger. The string/piano combo also works well for delivering much of the game's well-performed vocal work
- It's not all just dreamy sounding slow jams, though. The boss themes sometimes give way to wailing black metal guitar solos or riffy doom metal chugging. All the energy and beauty of the game's earlier music can even sometimes give away to a cacophony of dying gasps and growled insults. The diversity in the soundtrack is noteworthy and serves to deliver the story in another way. And be sure to 100% the game or you'll miss out on one of the best tracks
- All told, the presentation here is remarkable. It's evident that a lot of hard work and love went into crafting this game's audiovisual experience
Story & Vibes
- Ugly is a game with a progressively told (and out of sequence) story, so shedding much light on it would require delving into spoilers. Half the fun is piecing together the narrative from the environment and the scattered memories you find littered about as chalk drawings on the walls
- Instead of giving away the details, I'll focus on the themes. To say the story is dark would be a bit of an understatement. Abuse, violence (sexual and otherwise), and virtually every word ending in "-icide" find a home in Ugly's aggressively sad narrative. Ugly is a story about a family, and that opens an opportunity for unique evils. The dad is not a nice dude
- So, to put a pin in the plot, let's just say that the game starts you off as an ugly little protagonist who wakes up in a crumbling palace's cellar, and it doesn't get much happier from that point. It's not the most interesting narrative, and it didn't speak to me in a meaningful way (i.e., it didn't make me think carefully about anything and I didn't learn anything). However, it's told really well, and that's worth celebrating
- I was not expecting the game's twist, either. It makes complete sense when you learn it, but the game in no way drops any hints until the reveal. Or maybe they do, and I didn't pick up on it
- If you're still confused about the story or had trouble putting it together, don't worry. Just find all the game's memories. It'll unlock the true ending (which is awesome in its circularity) and the game's only bit of overt exposition (which is presented in the best way possible)
- Honestly, the subject matter in the game did make me a bit uncomfortable, but that appears to be the point. Thankfully, it's there for storytelling and character development purposes and not for shock value
Playability & Replayability
- I haven't played a puzzle game that was this mechanically satisfying and elegant since Portal. Like Portal, you're given a tool that is easy to understand but can be used in incredibly creative ways, and like Portal, it's an incredibly fun and memorable experience that'll test your creativity, problem-solving, and platforming ability
- Rather than portals, Ugly's central mechanic focuses on a magical mirror that creates a, well, mirror image of him on the opposite side. The mirror can be positioned vertically (meaning that your copy will move in the opposite left-right direction, even through walls) or horizontally (your doppelganger will stay below you, even below the floor)
- Using this simple mechanic, you'll soon be accessing nearly every platform and otherwise inaccessible nook and cranny of each level
- Speaking of levels, they're all presented in the form of locked doors occupying one of the several wings of the noble family's crumbling palace like some sort of overly-restrictive advent calendar. And instead of crappy chocolate, there's puzzles
- Solving those puzzles will progressively teach you a wealth of tricks by way of clever level design. Pay close attention to the height and position of platforms, make note of how any special surfaces might affect your mirror power, and don't be afraid of trial and error. You can always take a nip from your handy hip flask to reset any room
- Completing a wing will also trigger a boss fight, which will test your mastery of whichever neat mirror trick the levels on that wing taught you how to use
- As far as collectibles go, there are "memories" (chalk drawings that you and your mirror image must stand on to activate) and movies (quick clips that don't actually appear to provide much but ambiance). Finding all of these will unlock the true ending and let you 100% the game. Don't worry if you miss a few. You can track the ones you're missing from the painting in the hubworld, and Act II gives you an opportunity to circle back for stuff you missed
- Even though I 100%ed it, I want to play it again in a few years after I forget the puzzle solutions. It's that good of a game
Overall Impressions & Performance
- I was not expecting this game to be so good. It's gotten hardly any press and barely any reviews on Steam. I know 2023 was a big year for games, but it's such a shame that this one got lost on the shuffle. It deserves far more recognition than it's received. I wouldn't have even known about it had it not shown up on a bundle site, and even then I wouldn't have picked it if someone weren't raving on Reddit about how much of a gem it is, and you just have to take that sort of rec with a grain of salt. They were right, though
- I know the Portal comparison will probably rub some people the wrong way, but oh well. The puzzles are, on average, nearly as creative and intuitive, and the designs are devilishly clever. The only thing Ugly is lacking that Portal had is the depth of personality and sense of humor
- Played perfectly on the Steam Deck
Final Verdict
- 9.5/10. The only reason this doesn't get a 10 is the three box puzzle room in Act II, which is easy to understand but virtually impossible to do (I had to glitch over a gap to finish the room). Everything else is virtually flawless, though