Peak Video Game Entertainment for me as of now and I don't say something lightly.
If you look at my bio my requirements for a good game, I said: "if it does have a engaging gameplay with variety and depth, fun characters that I can fell in love and admire, really good at pacing with throwing my face a new content at least in every 20 minute." etc. This game have every one of them.
Before starting this game, I really didn't know what should I expect. I knew it was on the list that shows what games Shu Takumi created and I also saw the cover art of it. I love Shu Takumi's works even at his worst of times but seeing the cover... it looked boring. There is a goofy looking man, his head at the ground... sleeping/thinking/resting? And an aura surrounds him. Only thing I felt from the cover is this game is gonna be about shitty cartoon comedy with how goofy the cover looks. But I am glad I was wrong, very very very wrong.
I still think the cover looks atrocious and think that an aura that connects to multiple characters like a spiderweb in the cover would explain this game better. Also I couldn't find any adverts for this game, did Capcom market this game or not? I don't know but if they didn't they made the greatest disservice for this game.
Story
You wake up, you found yourself as a lamp for some reason. You see your body. Dead at the ground. But for some reason your soul isn't on the other side? Your soul somehow stuck in this lamp. Then you see a suspicious person... WITH A GUN. He runs to a lady with his weapon at his hand, he will shoot her!? And then you use a trick to shield her. The next time you look, the killer is dead with your trick and lady is safe. But you started to wonder, why am I dead? And why there is suspicious people that tries to murder this poor lady?
And you go into an adventure while trying to follow the lady to remember your memories, your loved ones, your experiences while you are alive and solve the mystery about who killed you and why?
And damn... what a mystery that is with lots of lovable characters and emotional moments in it. I can't say no more. Go and play it. Even if you don't like it I guarantee you that at least it's gonna be a unique one and that's something rare in this age.
Gameplay
It a puzzle game that you need to solve part by part to advance and uncover the mystery. You are a ghost that can't explore far away, because you have to stay inside of something to not disappear. But you can impersonate an object to do a "trick" to make a way for you. With doing a "trick" you can create a way to an another object that connects to your way and with that you can carry your "ghost" to that object.
For example you are inside a ball, with using the "trick" button for ball to roll, you can arrive to an umbrella. If they are next to each other, you can carry your "ghost" to that umbrella. After that you become the umbrella and now you can use umbrella's "trick" to advance to the next object. Now it's sounds doesn't interesting that much probably?
Until I say, the "Death" comes in. Killers are everywhere and they are here to KILL EVERY ONE OF YOUR LOVED ONES! And you, being a ghost doesn't mean you can't help them. You HAVE TO help them and that's where things get complicated to what trick to use what objects to impersonate and there is looooots of objects to impersonate so don't worry about the variety I would say.
There is lots of planning to do and strategies to create! I would say, this gameplay is probably the best Shu Takumi did to this date. You are not passively trying to find lies here. You are actively trying to save lives and that's why it does make things more exciting.
My favourite game of all time that I recommend to everyone that still have the childish exploration soul in it to experience unique things
If you look at my bio my requirements for a good game, I said: "if it does have a engaging gameplay with variety and depth, fun characters that I can fell in love and admire, really good at pacing with throwing my face a new content at least in every 20 minute." etc. This game have every one of them.
Before starting this game, I really didn't know what should I expect. I knew it was on the list that shows what games Shu Takumi created and I also saw the cover art of it. I love Shu Takumi's works even at his worst of times but seeing the cover... it looked boring. There is a goofy looking man, his head at the ground... sleeping/thinking/resting? And an aura surrounds him. Only thing I felt from the cover is this game is gonna be about shitty cartoon comedy with how goofy the cover looks. But I am glad I was wrong, very very very wrong.
I still think the cover looks atrocious and think that an aura that connects to multiple characters like a spiderweb in the cover would explain this game better. Also I couldn't find any adverts for this game, did Capcom market this game or not? I don't know but if they didn't they made the greatest disservice for this game.
Story
You wake up, you found yourself as a lamp for some reason. You see your body. Dead at the ground. But for some reason your soul isn't on the other side? Your soul somehow stuck in this lamp. Then you see a suspicious person... WITH A GUN. He runs to a lady with his weapon at his hand, he will shoot her!? And then you use a trick to shield her. The next time you look, the killer is dead with your trick and lady is safe. But you started to wonder, why am I dead? And why there is suspicious people that tries to murder this poor lady?
And you go into an adventure while trying to follow the lady to remember your memories, your loved ones, your experiences while you are alive and solve the mystery about who killed you and why?
And damn... what a mystery that is with lots of lovable characters and emotional moments in it. I can't say no more. Go and play it. Even if you don't like it I guarantee you that at least it's gonna be a unique one and that's something rare in this age.
Gameplay
It a puzzle game that you need to solve part by part to advance and uncover the mystery. You are a ghost that can't explore far away, because you have to stay inside of something to not disappear. But you can impersonate an object to do a "trick" to make a way for you. With doing a "trick" you can create a way to an another object that connects to your way and with that you can carry your "ghost" to that object.
For example you are inside a ball, with using the "trick" button for ball to roll, you can arrive to an umbrella. If they are next to each other, you can carry your "ghost" to that umbrella. After that you become the umbrella and now you can use umbrella's "trick" to advance to the next object. Now it's sounds doesn't interesting that much probably?
Until I say, the "Death" comes in. Killers are everywhere and they are here to KILL EVERY ONE OF YOUR LOVED ONES! And you, being a ghost doesn't mean you can't help them. You HAVE TO help them and that's where things get complicated to what trick to use what objects to impersonate and there is looooots of objects to impersonate so don't worry about the variety I would say.
There is lots of planning to do and strategies to create! I would say, this gameplay is probably the best Shu Takumi did to this date. You are not passively trying to find lies here. You are actively trying to save lives and that's why it does make things more exciting.
My favourite game of all time that I recommend to everyone that still have the childish exploration soul in it to experience unique things