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Insightful reviews in four paragraphs or less. I like it when they make the guns feel good, and when they make the guns feel bad in an interesting way. Please don't be prescriptivist about what games are and can be.

Avery, She/They
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Favorite Games

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty - HD Edition
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty - HD Edition
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Guilty Gear: Strive
Guilty Gear: Strive
Celeste
Celeste
Super Metroid
Super Metroid

309

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000

Played in 2024

016

Games Backloggd


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Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Nov 10

Alan Wake II
Alan Wake II

Nov 03

The Darkness II
The Darkness II

Oct 29

The Darkness
The Darkness

Oct 26

Venba
Venba

Sep 21

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This review contains spoilers

Taking aim at the carceral state and boldly declaring that all Lobster Cops Are Bastards, Frog Tec 3 emerges as a masterwork of an anarchist polemic. Well, not quite; anybody who thinks that anarchism is naive and idealistic will not be swayed by any evidence presented in this game, because it's smart enough to not stray far from the silly sensibilities of the series to deliver its message. It's simply a way to interrogate some of the ingrained assumptions of the genre that were seemingly taken for granted in the first entry and more gently mocked in the second. It also helps justify the Wild West setting, which at first seemed to be a tad too specific of a genre for the grand finale, but it works because such a setting is known in the popular imagination for exploring the intersection of the law and lawlessness. It's also a perfect fit for one of the series’ running gags, which is the Detective’s insecurity over his oddly shaped head that cannot host a hat. Of course, the fact that I had to spoiler tag this review thanks to the plot twists attached to its politics is a big indication of how much more ambitious these games have gotten, which is quite welcome. In addition to a new scooter (and accompanying sweeping music track) to traverse the larger space, the game pulls off a gag I'd have previously assumed to be outside the scope of these microgames, and then does another just a few minutes later. What a delight that Frog Tec went out on such a high note!

A benefit to the detective mystery subgenre is that if you have a compelling lead, you can squeeze a great deal of juice from a simple formula, at least as far as entertainment is concerned. While it would be quite hard for me to find novel things to write in reviews had Frog Tec become a long running I am quite glad that Grace Bruxner has the chance to expand on the template that the first entry set before wrapping things up. Frog Tec 2 does add slightly more to keep track of, hence the addition of a journal where you can accurately label everyone, including yourself as suspicious, but the true benefit of the larger scope is the improved sense of place that is provided by Warlock Woods. It's a setting that allows for an exploration of the theme of community, and expanding on the first game’s theme of communication by focusing on how a shy new resident should introduce herself after making a mistake. It remains good-natured lighthearted fun - now if only someone would bring the dastardly Evil Guy to justice!

Narratively simple and mechanically even simpler, there isn't much for Frog Detective (or Frog Tec if you're a Batman fan) to justify it’s forty five minute length beyond its charm. Fortunately, its charm is irresistible; it's lounge jazz soundtrack, clever camera work, and cleanly minimalist 3D art style all supporting the beating heart of Frog Tec, its gently awkward humor. Characters descend into lengthy detours over semantics, bring up their special interests unprompted, and blurt our their insecurities, and it's all presented with sharp wit to make it hilarious.

The gameplay consists entirely of talking to a character and fulfilling their needs or wants, usually by talking to another character or picking up an object lying around not far from them, to solve a mystery that could have been solved if any other character has bothered to do so. As such, Frog Tec conceptualizes detective work as communication, and the interesting thing about that is that our titular Detective isn't that great at communicating either! It's his willingness to push through the awkwardness that distinguishes him, and brings a purpose to the hijinks, as enjoyable as they are on their sake.