This review contains spoilers
’m not one for writing scripts. Or for playing visual novels. And this kind of response has been done several times over in videos, posts, ect. And I would like to make a video myself, but I lack the talent to do so I'm afraid. But I feel so compelled to share my thoughts on something I was quite fortunate to see.
I found “I wani hug that gator” by chance when I was browsing TikTok while on break, and feeling left out and alone in an environment that was less than home. From the videos I knew it was a visual novel, or a story of some kind. But I brushed it aside, thinking it was some kind of mistake by the Tik Tok algorithm. Then it keept on popping up again and again and again. See, I come from a trades background. And I remember this one piece of advice an old timer gave me “If you need to ask for a tool more than three times, you should buy it!” Thinking back I mush have seen the game pop up a half dozen times before I decided to see what it was all about. Hell I didn’t even know there was a demo. And even if I saw the button for it, I'm not sure I would care. Part of me had to know what this game was about. Because, outside of "I wani hug that gator", the only other visual novel I played (or that I'll admit to playing) was Katawa Shojo. And that, was by my estimation, one of the more complete versions of what a visual novel could be. Branching stories, multiple love interests, more endings that than you can poke a stick at.
But "I wani hug that gator" is....different. It is a visual novel in every aspect. And from a technical perspective it has way less than most games in this in this category. Hell, its more of a “Chose your own adventure” book, with its minimalist approach. But.....at the same time, the story, the characters, the endings. They all do so much more with so much less.
And I think that's a good thing.
See stories, much like art, are not meant to be made up of every single part that can make a story GOOD. They just need enough to make THEIR story good. They need enough to make you feel something, feel connected to the characters, their motivations, their dreams, their aspirations. And I think Cavemanon, and his or her team made something truly special. What started as a shit post on 4 chan that was, by all accounts a shitpost about Snoot game, which in itself was a shit post of Goodbye Volcano High, turned into a beautiful story about finding love in a strange place. A place no one expected it to be fount from a singular person who was just trying to find herself in the world.
Olivia (the gator in question) lived her life in self-isolation, being bitter about the hand she was dealt, trying to prove to everyone and herself that she was more than “A poor unfortunate cripple in a wheelchair”. But though the help of her friends, and Inco (the character you play as) her world is broken into a a million pieces, and put back together again with the love and care of those close, and the love of the one most closet to her. Much in the same way that Inco helped Olivia, she to helped Inco grow from rich kid to realizing the would could be so much more that just himself. He finds value in the company of others, he learns about who he really is, and what it is he wants to do in life, and he saw through Olivia's bullshit to find someone he could truly care for. And I think that this could not have been possible if it were not for their Teacher, Mr.Iadakan, who took a chance, and went out of his way to bring Inco and Olivia together in a way that no other character in the game could have.
But I'm giving too much of the story away. Like a great scientist once said “l'll leave you with something to think about.”
And that's what you should do. Think about it.
This game is not like most visual novels out there. It crossed age barriers, language, and I think that it has something for everyone out there. So If you have a moment, take it now to consider this opportunity to play a game that was probably the best $20 I've ever spent.
Also, fuck you Cavemanon. You made me feel all the feelings. And I thank you for it. This was truly something special. My only regret is that I wont get to experience this game again for the first time.
My name is Poptart, Thank you for Reading
Also, by "I wani hug that gator"
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1895350/I_Wani_Hug_that_Gator/
P.S. Get ready for a feels trip.
I found “I wani hug that gator” by chance when I was browsing TikTok while on break, and feeling left out and alone in an environment that was less than home. From the videos I knew it was a visual novel, or a story of some kind. But I brushed it aside, thinking it was some kind of mistake by the Tik Tok algorithm. Then it keept on popping up again and again and again. See, I come from a trades background. And I remember this one piece of advice an old timer gave me “If you need to ask for a tool more than three times, you should buy it!” Thinking back I mush have seen the game pop up a half dozen times before I decided to see what it was all about. Hell I didn’t even know there was a demo. And even if I saw the button for it, I'm not sure I would care. Part of me had to know what this game was about. Because, outside of "I wani hug that gator", the only other visual novel I played (or that I'll admit to playing) was Katawa Shojo. And that, was by my estimation, one of the more complete versions of what a visual novel could be. Branching stories, multiple love interests, more endings that than you can poke a stick at.
But "I wani hug that gator" is....different. It is a visual novel in every aspect. And from a technical perspective it has way less than most games in this in this category. Hell, its more of a “Chose your own adventure” book, with its minimalist approach. But.....at the same time, the story, the characters, the endings. They all do so much more with so much less.
And I think that's a good thing.
See stories, much like art, are not meant to be made up of every single part that can make a story GOOD. They just need enough to make THEIR story good. They need enough to make you feel something, feel connected to the characters, their motivations, their dreams, their aspirations. And I think Cavemanon, and his or her team made something truly special. What started as a shit post on 4 chan that was, by all accounts a shitpost about Snoot game, which in itself was a shit post of Goodbye Volcano High, turned into a beautiful story about finding love in a strange place. A place no one expected it to be fount from a singular person who was just trying to find herself in the world.
Olivia (the gator in question) lived her life in self-isolation, being bitter about the hand she was dealt, trying to prove to everyone and herself that she was more than “A poor unfortunate cripple in a wheelchair”. But though the help of her friends, and Inco (the character you play as) her world is broken into a a million pieces, and put back together again with the love and care of those close, and the love of the one most closet to her. Much in the same way that Inco helped Olivia, she to helped Inco grow from rich kid to realizing the would could be so much more that just himself. He finds value in the company of others, he learns about who he really is, and what it is he wants to do in life, and he saw through Olivia's bullshit to find someone he could truly care for. And I think that this could not have been possible if it were not for their Teacher, Mr.Iadakan, who took a chance, and went out of his way to bring Inco and Olivia together in a way that no other character in the game could have.
But I'm giving too much of the story away. Like a great scientist once said “l'll leave you with something to think about.”
And that's what you should do. Think about it.
This game is not like most visual novels out there. It crossed age barriers, language, and I think that it has something for everyone out there. So If you have a moment, take it now to consider this opportunity to play a game that was probably the best $20 I've ever spent.
Also, fuck you Cavemanon. You made me feel all the feelings. And I thank you for it. This was truly something special. My only regret is that I wont get to experience this game again for the first time.
My name is Poptart, Thank you for Reading
Also, by "I wani hug that gator"
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1895350/I_Wani_Hug_that_Gator/
P.S. Get ready for a feels trip.