Reviews

• 

  ThreeHams

  Aug 12, 2022

  This one's just too rough / flawed for me, and I stopped at Act V. That's when I learned that the save system only saves at the beginning of each act (augh!). I don't think I'm going to finish it. A lot of the problems with this game are fixed in the next one, so this one's interesting just to see the evolution.
• 

  Murder is Meat

  Dec 5, 2022

  This

  might

  earn a neutral if the option existed, but even then it'd still tether quite close to a negative. It's not the worst game I've played or everything, but for every thing it does right, it does at least one wrong. The gameplay is a mix of parkour with occasional slight "stealth" elements (read: there's patroling robots which more or less instakill you if they spot you) and brawler sections. For the parkour some of the moves (mostly wallruns) are slightly janky, which make successful completion of a couple of some manuevers unguaranteed (not ragequitting bad, but often enough to add up). These parts actually feels rather well when it's flowing well (though sometimes the timed obstacles prevent a superfluid motion like you can achieve in superior precision platformers). The brawler sections boil down almost entirely to button mashing (the tutorial swears there's combos, but I could never get find anything more complex than the air versions of light and heavy attack). There's a bit of strategizing to be done to make things easier and a couple of the bosses take more conscious actions, but they are all too similar not to feel like they're there for padding after a while. There's a few enemy variants found throughout the game, but their low number paired with all but one of the "arenas" being just a hallway (literally, more often than not) make this a chore. None of this is helped by how padded the game structure is. Every chapter contains at least one "get to key, then backtrack to use it" section, so you'll be crossing almost every screen in two directions (chapters two gets "open worldy", so there's even a few screens that need to be traversed four times). This isn't terrible because at least you don't need to hit switches again, but it rarely gives the rooms any significant new dimension. Oh, I mentioned switches... yeah, some screens contain switches needed to open gates, sometimes positioned so inconveniently that you'll actually need to traverse the screen three times in a row (without dying) before you can advance. There's relief when a particularly frustrating one gets finally completed and you don't have to deal with it anymore (until the return trip), but not in a "I got gud" manner that leads to self-congratulations. The final problem is a relatively minor one, but bears mentioning: there's no proper saving, just chapter select. These chapters can get relatively long, so may you hopefully not have to interrupt a chapter halfway and leave it for later, lest the last thirty minutes having been in vane. I get this is likely engine limitations, but it's annoying nonetheless. The plot is actually cute (and even includes a bit of self-awareness, as expected from a game with this title) and has some mildly funny parts. The protagonist is as loquacious as you might expect from a chuuni, but there's enough charm that even when it does get a bit too much in a couple of spots you can still wonder what comes next. Some of the fetch quests are legitimately funny. I'd quite like a remake which revamped or at least streamlined the gameplay, as sadly the sequel's tone doesn't appear to be as entertaining.

• 

  Soul Minimum

  Jul 16, 2016

  Very Nice Game! The achievements are fairly easy, and the gameplay of the game is nothing to shy away from. There are times where you can't get to a certain place in the game due to how difficult it may be to wall run, but as you proceed farther, you'll eventually get the hang of it. There is also Combat in the game, its your standard beat'em up control scheme: Strong attack, Weak Attack, Jump. I'm not entirely sure if you can die in the game (since there is no indication of a health bar or meter), but if you do get stuck in between two enemies, get ready to struggle to your hearts content to break free. For what it's worth being around 1$~2$ I'd say its a game thats worth picking up if you want something short and fun.
• 

  Silkyy

  Jul 16, 2016

  This game is wonderful 10/10
• 

  Revenkraad

  Jul 17, 2016

  From the 2 hours I've played, I've got to say this is a pretty good game especially for being only 2 dollars. It is easily one of the better 2D platformers I've played.
• 

  wadeithan

  Jul 20, 2016

  Based on the trailer, I thought I would end up enjoying this game quite a bit. I love retro-styled platformers, and the idea of one that incorporated a free-running movements system into a 2D platformer seemed intriguing. Unfortunately, the parkour system is a huge frustration, as it doesn't seem as if the wall running triggers reliably when it should. Pair this with the unnecessary repetition of screens by having to play every one at least twice on each level, and things get annoying quickly. There are also some issues with being able to tell when the character will grab onto a ledge or hang from a bar, which can lead to seemingly random deaths. The game also seems to have an identity problem, as the parkour movement encourages speed and free-flowing platforming (when it works), but then there will be things inserted into the levels that you have to stop and wait for, such as drones to hide from or precise jumps to time between laser beams. Similarly, the combat sections seem to want to replicate a martial arts fight, and while you have various types of attacks, you can simply mash your basic attacks and get through pretty much any fight. The story also makes no sense. I assume that the concept of "chuunibyou" is something that Japanese people or fans of anime and manga would understand, but I had to look it up. Once I did, though, it seemed like a simple enough idea. In the game, though, it seems less clear what is real and what is in the character's delusion. There are also times where there are sentences that just don't make any sense, and the dialogue is often awkward and unnatural (such as the time the characters are discussing the virtues of manga artists and how they should be viewed, which feels very preachy directly toward the player). It was all very bizarre. It's really a shame, too, as it has a lot of potential, and when things work like they're supposed to, it can be really fun. I try to keep in mind that the game was only $2, so I wasn't expecting something as polished as a Shovel Knight or Freedom Planet, but the four hours I spent with the game were four of the most frustrating hours I've spent with a game in recent memory.
• 

  Addison Rae

  Jul 21, 2016

  great buy! it's reallyworth it. I just got it and it rules!
• 

  SpiritoftheRadio

  Jul 22, 2016

  This game is cheap, yes, but not terribly interesting. The controls for the parkour elements are finnicky and difficult, and the platforming challenges just aren't that grand. It also uses some beat-em-up sections to change things up a little; those are more of a hindrance than an actual challenge. You can pretty much button mash through all of those. They're just tedious and exceedingly repetitive with the simplistic controls.
• 

  Samael

  Jul 30, 2016

  I wanted this game to be good so bad, but it's just...not. The combat could be improved with a little polish and less cheap enemies, sure, but the level design really kills it. Going back and forth between a huge linier map with the ocasional inexplicable dungeon isn't metroidvania, it's just a waste of time that drags all the other flaws into the spotlight. The dialogue is also very, very bad. I understand not being a native English speaker, but at the very least it needs an editor. Every character sounds like it was written by a literal space alien-no real engrish, but it doesn't sound like anything anyone would say in real life anyway. There's a sequel on the way and I sincerely hope it improves on this one's flaws, because there's so much potential that just sadly wasn't executed well here.
• 

  Tony

  Aug 7, 2016

  A boring and extremely stupid plot that makes no sense, and repetitive gameplay that makes me wanna punch myself in the nose. 0/10 will never play again.
• 

  manofspiell

  Sep 25, 2016

  My apologies to the dev. Once, he reported me for abuse. I made a youtube vid about his game. It wasn't very nice. But I still don't like it. Yet now the video is gone :)
• 

  lostchild14000

  Dec 14, 2016

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjRt-kLBqHg well, it doesn't actually show much in the way of evolution, but I will admit I enjoyed this one even after marathon-ing his previous three titles; which, at the time, I considered, slightly good, better than good, and a slap back down to boredom and frustrating for each one in turn. The story for this one: you are 14, a famous artist, a prodigy martial artist, and you are high... seriously, in this one, the main character just does the auteur artist "thing" and gives his own version of "by the power of grey skull" right before he runs off for an appointment or opts to take a side quest. he goes on like this for a while, sometimes going into a huge goth/ anime/ Shakespearean sonnet when he runs into new people. The cosmic horrors don't REALLY show up until the end, and even then, the AI is programmed in such a way that everything looks more deliberate. so I personally choose to believe the ghosts and zombies near the end are actually magicians with flame throwers and homeless people respectively. My wording may be a bit sardonic, but really it’s a... YOU GUESSED IT... tale about a free runner kid in modern japan, who gets roped into dealing with the mob, and gets stalked by entities of cosmic horror, sort of... but here's the thing: ITS ACTUALLY GOOD!!! -the story actually follows a three act structure, with few plot holes (considering), and not only does it make sense, it also doesn't destroy the cannon of a far more deserving game. it's actually most like that of old school RPG's, but while it is a rigid story structure - it is still a giant leap in the right direction -the game play mechanics are similar to that of the way of the pixelated fist. while animation is less fluid, the really stupid press up or down to block randomly generated/ unpredictable attacks "bull****" is gone. fighting actually feels more like a skirmish with single button attack patterns and limited combos. its good! -the environments... well the environments still look like Ninjahtic a bit, -sound track... look smooth jazz in the rain is great, but for some reason it’s really grating here, AND all of the tracks seem to merge together after awhile. And as the game gets more and more tense, the music starts to lul me to sleep, and it just tenses my mind, to the point that I actually had to start listening to classic rock music just to be able to focus... if that makes sense -the main character (and all of the characters for that matter) actually has a personality. Some characters are all harsh and stern and some never really left Woodstock... but that's just fine and sometimes its wholly enjoyable! i just take umbridge with 3 things: 1) game-play doesn't inform your story. out on the street, trying to make a martial arts name for yourself? hey lets have a street gang fight the main character the entire way... instead of steadily getting worse with every poster... an impostor is hounding you? well lets just bring him up out of context among other anime references and drug addled ramblings... instead of running into him, stealing, and then selling your work a few times... 2) the music, for some reason, doesn't sound as good... and 3)this isn't a new game play style. the screens don't scroll, to my knowledge, and the combat and free running elements are back in full swing. sure the pole standing mechanic is a breath of fresh air, and it isn't the same wall jumping, pixel nightmare like the last three, but the whole game is still a 2d/platformer/beat 'em up branch out, do something more zelda ish, or something more metroidvania, or even try to do something like hyperlight drifter to get out of the usual comfort zone. focus on making a HEARTFELT story and make an RPG, or just experiment with something else entirely different. i do, However, enjoy this game, and I choose to see it as both a fresh step, and a massive apology for releasing "the way of the pixelated fist" in a broken and unforgiving state. its good again blaze, just a few minor tweaks and it could really be something... but its all actually starting to feel FLAT. I marveled at "samurai_jazz" and all that was was a zelda dungeon stretched out to a full game all to itself (VERY Broadly speaking, that is) and I liked the sequel, but the sense of immersion has dimmed to less and less with each game; until now, when I see the city in the background as more of a matte painting than the setting of a grand adventure. if you want to move on, and get better: design something from scratch and make it a somewhat enjoyable experience, using what you learned as a guideline if you want to revisit your classics and focus on the past, then let me suggest a script: "The demon lord has been defeated, and the earth has been fixed by Imp-Fiend (who now has no place to go and is stuck in the mortal plane). after doing the whole ghost/'poltergeist' thing around the world he runs into Dag. Then, as Dag, you start to follow the advice of some shadow (that we all know as Imp Fiend) and make your own martial arts street gang steal a bunch of art and old weapons. This gets the attention of 'Ninja'. Ninja starts to notice the drones and cyber punk alien stuff gravitating to one point in the city. 'Ninja' runs about taking out the drones and 'tomb raiding in the catacombs'. Imp Fiend then uses Dag's gathered tech and ancient weapons, to make a new body. the ancient tech goes haywire, and falls into the control of the aliens. Dag and Ninja make a break for it into the jungle and meet Imp Fiend who basically says 'sorry, it’s what I do'. everyone has their backs up against the wall as the aliens approach... so Imp Fiend throws open a portal and calls fourth death incarnate. tons of creatures and ghosts fly out of the portal. they all run again for a short time (all the while cursing this dark ghost (that we all know is Imp Fiend)). at the very end of the path, the 3 are hiding behind cover, from the aliens and malevolent spirits, and the Ronin digs himself from the earth, behind the hoard. As Ronin, you slaughter the alien herd and lead the others to safety. The final levels take place in the neo 40's Tokyo district; and are equal parts poltergeist -ing, Ninja poof jumping through air ducts to hack computers, Dag directing runners/gang members to secure buildings, and Ronin hack & slashing and stealth killing AND dodging/acrobatically jumping over ghosts and aliens. When everyone gets to the end of the district, it turns out that 'Ninja' is still under the control of the aliens, and has actually been relaying info to them the whole time. He is beaten back into a coma by Dag. Imp Fiend, Ronin and Dag find the 3 spirit mobsters in the old building and ask them to banish the aliens and demons. the spirits retaliate, Imp Fiend wins his battle, but gets canceled out, Dag wins but gets thrown out of the building to the arms of his gang, and Ronin wins against his own special boss. The three tell him that the only way to banish the wicked spirits is if he dies (since Ronin is the last thing holding open Imp Fiend's portals). Ronin is assisted in suicide by the ghost of his dead master, as Dag and his gang watches the final honorable rite. cut to a final epilogue with a picture of Dag and his gang carrying Ninja and Ronin's sword back to the mega city all the while, stalked by the alien princess…”
• 

  <Leinz>

  Dec 18, 2016

  The style and tokyo music dragged me in. Even with the (somehow, someway) difficult controls of wallrun and walljump. The fighting parts are separated from the platformer parts. I liked the level design. getting a key and then going thru the same screens, only backwards. If you go for all achievements this game needs time and dedication. The game demands 100% timing and precision. I can recommend because Flying kicks RULE
• 

  Leddy

  Jul 2, 2017

  This game is hard but it doesn't make you angry at all.It has some elements of parkour and some from fighting games.The story isn't anything much interesting but it gives the idea that our character is crazy at the same time that it gives the idea that he is 100% aware of the real world.It was an overall good experience.6/10.
• 

  A0

  Jul 11, 2017

  [h1] Hikikomori No Chuunibyou [/h1] is a little plateformer with combat element that I looked into almost randomly. It has a lot of good ideas but sometimes fails to executes them, making the game very frustrating sometimes. [b] Gameplay [/b]: So. This game is a 2D plateformer where the protagonist have parkour and fighting skills. You basicaly have to go from point A to point B to point A again to point C and so on. Of course your errand won't be without obstacle. You will have to go through lasers, surveillance drones and many other traps that sometimes have no reasons to be here. The run is quite enjoyable, you first feel like you can try to rush all levels because of the character's parkour assets but you will soon realize that is not the case because of the controls. You will eventually get the hang of it but still. They sometimes feel really inaccurate and some level with precise jump can become really frustrating to play. Plus, the condition to trigger the wall run are too specific (the wall which you want to run on have to be close from where you start the jump, too close), making the game more realistic in terms of wall running but in a game where some ennemies can hadoken and others can do Demon fang it feels out of place. Ah, while we are getting on it, there is combat too. The problem is : why. There is absolutly no point to introduce combat mechanism in a game like that, when you enter in a room where you have to fight, you cannot just run past them you have to knock them out and it breaks the rythme of the game, You have to stop and just spam the A button, because battle are very easy. Even boss fight are too easy. [b] Art [/b] : It is minimalistic, there is a lot of recycled sprite from precedent level is used but overall it's ok. It's not bad nor it's very good. However it can feel repetitive because of the abundance of recycled sprite for the background, particulary when you are inside,plus you have to do each level the other way so it doesn't help. thankfully (I guess) the game is very short so this feeling doesn't last. [b] Musics and sounds [/b] : I didn't hear a lot of different musics within the differents levels, actually during some cutscenes there wasn't any music at all. And in terms of sound design it's not very detailled, every sound in the game kind of sound the same, most ennemies doesn't have sound effect at all. Still musics and sounds aren't unpleasant, it just lacks variety, like for the art. [b] Story [/b] : This is the real bad point for me, you are basicly told to go from one point to one another for some stupid reasons, at one point I wanted to skip all the dialogue so bad but still paid a little attention to, it wasn't worth the effort. [b] Summary [/b] : Pros : - Lot's of good ideas - Chalenging levels - High speedrun potential Cons : - Floppy and unprecise controls that can get you angry sometimes (thankfully I was patient) - Useless combat mechanism that will just break the fast paced rythm of some levels - Have to replay most levels in reverse - The story - The lack of variety is compensated by the short life time of the game, I don't know how to feel about that 55/100 It is not bad, nor it is good but I still enjoyed it so I will give a positive mark. It is very short but the low price tag compensate for it (even if I usually don't take price tag in account, 3hour really does feel too short). Also keep in mind that I will give a positive review (above the 50/100 bar) for every game that made me entertained for the good reason but that there is similar game that are far better than this one. Still I won't give a negative review because there are other games that are better than that one. I just say that only if you have already look into most of the games that are similar to Hikikomori and you are bored then you should try it.
• 

  the MONADO BOI

  Aug 7, 2017

  I wish there was a "neutral" thumb because this game COULD be good if they got rid of every cheap mechanic and polished controls a little bit. Every time you die it feels as if the game is purposely screwing with you. Some would say it just requires "skill," but the controls are sometimes just intolerable. Definitely one of the most frustrating games I have ever played, not asking for a refund just because it was one dollar.
• 

  ♡NEED♡4♡DEED♡

  Aug 30, 2017

  (UPDATE) you finally figure out most of the RNG death jumps after 5-6hrs An Imp? A Fiend! was really tight fun platforming so I thought this would be the same, it kinda is but different and slightly worse. Random jumps are 10x harder than others because RNG if your person will grab the ledge or just slide fall to your death level 5 is just sadistic
• 

  I eat hackers for breakfast

  Feb 23, 2018

  I liked jump boxer so I bought this game. This is much better than jump boxer. The main downside is the backtracking. Everything you do, you do backwards too. Other than that, pretty good game with some nice art and mostly good controls
• 

  mansie

  Jun 22, 2018

  Does not accurately depict the life of a hikikomori, 0/10. Story makes no sense, as a hikki would not go outside for some manga. He also has unreal upper body strength - sure, let's say he has a pull-up bar in his room and works out. In that case, his room is still spotless, even to the point where his bed is made. There's not a single trace of manga or figurines in his room??? Anyway, every aspect of the game was subpar. The combat was the worst in my opinion (happened too often, too repetitive). The movement made me want to vomit. It felt so clunky and random. I was pleasantly surprised by the platforming and level design, although there are some cheap deaths here and there.
• 

  Roran

  Oct 20, 2018

  I really want to like and enjoy this game but it has the worst controls in a platformer i've seen in a while, just trying to "parkour" a wall that can't be done in one bound takes forever to pass and you'll be constantly jumping and wall-hugging, and SOMETIMES you are able to get over it. One other thing, sometimes you may get in places where its literally impossible to get out, what makes it worse that if you could just reset your position or refresh the screen, but you have to go back to the beginning of the WHOLE STAGE. Lastly, the plot is like if someone from wattpad or fanfiction.net were hired to make the story, as it has no structure; as if each part was made on a whim, after they finished their homework. TL;DR: Graphics are okay at best, combat is rather pointless, controls are very stiff and clunky, dialogue isn't very well written, story/plot is boring and actually makes no literal sense at all. Take it from me, just dont get this game. My review to the sequal "HIKIBYOU2": https://steamcommunity.com/id/Roran212/recommended/586450