Oh brother, UIN. My beloved, weird childhood mystery. A game so deliciously obtuse it seemed anything could be in it - and there absolutely was more under its surface than you'd think!
That being said, from today's perspective, I can't in good conscience say that it's a great game. It's a memorable game, and a few of the things it did, it did before anyone else (unperceived by anyone else!) - scribbly art styles, charged attacks, pacifist routes, playing Claire de Lune at significant moments - but
fuck, UIN. You didn't need to be this much of a bitch to your players.
For a long time, I really enjoyed this aspect of TheAnemic's games - that they were openly hostile and frequently either violated or strongly bent the implicit contract of control and forthcoming-ness most games have with their players.
But UIN's a whole piece of work in that regard. "Selfish design", an acquaintance called it once. You're more than likely not going to finish this game without a guide unless you're in your early teens and have enormous amounts of time to burn.
- "Defeat all the spiders in this room until they stop spawning!"
- okay well they seem infinite but sure UIN
- "Use a verb only mentioned in the READ ME, digging, in the right spot to advance from here!"
- uh. okay.
- "This leap of faith is untelegraphed and kills you everywhere else!"
- UIN what. no.
- "PLAY THE WHOLE GAME NOT KILLING ANYTHING TO GET SOMETHING RESEMBLING AN ACTUAL ENDING"
- stop.
What UIN does really well despite this utter parade of slights is style, atmosphere, and tone. That game's got an atmosphere thick as molasses. Great stuff in that way! Thinking about it, the game constantly pushing back against your attempts to press on and gleefully roadblocking you without a care that you're stuck is harmonious with your "brother's" constant berating and insults; the world absolutely does not feel like it's made for you.
But at the same time, there's also an edge, albeit dull, of juvenile, insulting glee to it. The game is visually cohesive, but does not feel well-programmed or good to control - the sense I get is that TheAnemic was young, or at least still fairly new at using Game Maker, when he made UIN.
It's actually considerably challenging to find this game nowadays - I'd say if you can find it, give it a whirl. But absolutely do not make yourself get the "best" ending. It's not worth it.
That being said, from today's perspective, I can't in good conscience say that it's a great game. It's a memorable game, and a few of the things it did, it did before anyone else (unperceived by anyone else!) - scribbly art styles, charged attacks, pacifist routes, playing Claire de Lune at significant moments - but
fuck, UIN. You didn't need to be this much of a bitch to your players.
For a long time, I really enjoyed this aspect of TheAnemic's games - that they were openly hostile and frequently either violated or strongly bent the implicit contract of control and forthcoming-ness most games have with their players.
But UIN's a whole piece of work in that regard. "Selfish design", an acquaintance called it once. You're more than likely not going to finish this game without a guide unless you're in your early teens and have enormous amounts of time to burn.
- "Defeat all the spiders in this room until they stop spawning!"
- okay well they seem infinite but sure UIN
- "Use a verb only mentioned in the READ ME, digging, in the right spot to advance from here!"
- uh. okay.
- "This leap of faith is untelegraphed and kills you everywhere else!"
- UIN what. no.
- "PLAY THE WHOLE GAME NOT KILLING ANYTHING TO GET SOMETHING RESEMBLING AN ACTUAL ENDING"
- stop.
What UIN does really well despite this utter parade of slights is style, atmosphere, and tone. That game's got an atmosphere thick as molasses. Great stuff in that way! Thinking about it, the game constantly pushing back against your attempts to press on and gleefully roadblocking you without a care that you're stuck is harmonious with your "brother's" constant berating and insults; the world absolutely does not feel like it's made for you.
But at the same time, there's also an edge, albeit dull, of juvenile, insulting glee to it. The game is visually cohesive, but does not feel well-programmed or good to control - the sense I get is that TheAnemic was young, or at least still fairly new at using Game Maker, when he made UIN.
It's actually considerably challenging to find this game nowadays - I'd say if you can find it, give it a whirl. But absolutely do not make yourself get the "best" ending. It's not worth it.
2 Comments
@dimessorry Oh hell yeah!! Someone else who's played and likes UIN and theanemic's stuff! Maybe this backloggd account is worth it, after all.
The running theory regarding LaLaLand I've heard was actually that they were based on nightmares he had - which makes sense when you consider elements such as biggt's teeth falling out etc. - but it could well be both what you said and that, especially because I can see the aspect of "art struggles" you're talking about, and indeed feel a closer connection to LaLaLand as a result of that.
Good points on all of that - just to emphasise, I rate things after my personal enjoyment of them; objectivity doesn't exist and as such is implicitly not present in what I say. But genuinely theanemic/biggt's work is incredibly influential on what I do. I recently made a little tribute-game to it, which is decidedly not as good, but felt cathartic to make, like I'd finally talked about this secret cool thing I've always known but nobody else did.
The running theory regarding LaLaLand I've heard was actually that they were based on nightmares he had - which makes sense when you consider elements such as biggt's teeth falling out etc. - but it could well be both what you said and that, especially because I can see the aspect of "art struggles" you're talking about, and indeed feel a closer connection to LaLaLand as a result of that.
Good points on all of that - just to emphasise, I rate things after my personal enjoyment of them; objectivity doesn't exist and as such is implicitly not present in what I say. But genuinely theanemic/biggt's work is incredibly influential on what I do. I recently made a little tribute-game to it, which is decidedly not as good, but felt cathartic to make, like I'd finally talked about this secret cool thing I've always known but nobody else did.
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diymes
5 months ago
i think the 'bang head on the wall' puzzle layout is definitely an intentional part of the feel, yes it makes the pacing a crawl but its hard for me to criticize when it feels like that's the point? and yeah the ending definitely feels a lot more crass, but the game is also less transparently about 'art struggles' which was what for me made lalalands more relatable.
really happy someone has put time to document this game with such a scope! (+++ super cool to see someone carrying on that tonality/legacy in new games as well! theanemic/biggt i feel like is such a 'your favorite devs favorite dev' but gets talked about so infrequently)