i am under strict contractual obligation to play every game that features a deer as a major character in some way shape or form. unfortunately that includes this

look, i get it. it's a silly haha joke game and you're not supposed to take it seriously. i don't mind that part. what's there is fine enough and the ability to switch to a bipedal form and the ability to use your neck as a grappling hook all work just fine and is quite haha funny silly wacky goofy and whatever other synonym for humorous you can think of. what's there is fine, but the big problems are that there's not much to do to begin with, and the game kind of just... ends after a couple of hours, and that's if you go out of your way to do absolutely everything. your play time could be a lot shorter if you aren't trying to actively comb for every minute detail and silly wacky thing you can do. it all feels pretty half assed even for a joke game, which makes the asking price of 15 smackers atrocious for what you actually get in return.

it at least got one thing right, I get to play in traffic and shoot down cars. I can do that in the game too

I wish I could like this game, I really do. unfortunately the game does not reciprocate the same feelings.

the game is best described as a mix of binding of isaac and nuclear throne, but it doesn't seem to do either one of those right. the game is far too slow paced for throne players to hop into gungeon, and the game doesn't give you enough opportunities to build into wacky synergies like isaac, and even when you do get a lucky synergy the bosses take so long that said wackies don't matter in the long run. turbo mode does rectify this a little bit, but it never completely shakes off the feeling that you never feel decently powerful. it sucks that the game doesn't feel good to play at all, because i adore absolutely everything else about the game. the music, the visuals, all the shoutouts to different guns throughout all of media, even all the different wacky characters.

at least you can beat the shit out of a rat? i guess?

a staple of the roguelite/like/whatever scene, and for very good reason. though, despite it falling under the roguewhatever label i find it more apt to simply call this a more modern arcade game, as very few of the unlocks, the golden guns that you can switch out of, actually improve future runs. the other unlocks are either gameplay modifiers (new characters and crowns) or skins for the characters.

it's a damn GOOD arcade game too. always moving, always demanding your attention, everything dies fast including you. (almost) all the weapons feel satisfying and have some sort of use case. especially melee weapons, holy shit melee is necessary if you want to get a high score. every character is unique and require a different playstyle, and despite how cluttered the game can get, you're always able to see which bullets are yours and which ones will hurt you. a gold standard for twin stick shooters.

also there is NO reason for this game to make me tear up what the hell jukio kallio

bar none this is my favorite game, and arguably one of the most influential indie games ever released.

everything about this game feels intentional and done with extreme care. the stylish look of the characters and the scenery, the pc engine-like soundtrack which is filled with banger after banger, the design of each area and how each enemy functions in relation to the area and with the player, how every weapon is specifically designed for different situations and every single weapon you come across gets some time to shine, the development of each character over time, i could gush about this game forever.

my only complaint is that repeat playthroughs are a bit more of a slog since you can't skip text boxes, which is especially annoying if you die and have to read the same lines again. however that's not really enough to hurt my opinion of the game at all.
also the true ending can be pretty bullshit to both reach and get through -500/10