LISA: The Painful

I'll start by saying that I really wanted to like LISA. Before playing, I read all the raving recommendations. As of writing this review, I haven't played the "Definitive Version," but seeing how people who love this game hate the changes, I'm sure it won't change my views. Overall, I didn't enjoy LISA, not in a "this game will break you! And ruin you day!" but rather, I didn't enjoy the half-baked experience. You could say it's because I had crushingly high expectations, so take that as you will. LISA proudly wants to uses that pretentious label of "Anti-game", as in the game can flip flop on being bad on purpose to justify stupid bad execution as a "way to tell a story", all the praise this game gets for the "front page features" make me think most people just watch essays and don't play the actual games, as most of the features like the "high difficulty", character variety and "life or death choices" are utterly undermined by the half baked design, this game loves giving you boring stretches of nothing so it can waste you time and then gloat that it wasted your time or contra-intuitive design that makes you waste even more time. The combat is usual RPG Maker fare, for a game that wants to tell a story about an unforgiving world, the combat is easy even on Hard, the character variety doesn't mean much bc most of they are just terrible. The best part of the game is its plot. It has a powerful opening and an interesting premise. However, it quickly goes downhill. The tone is inconsistent. Sometimes the game wants to be quirky like EarthBound, but then it goes full bleak edgelord. Then it becomes jokey edgelord. Finally, it becomes a creepypasta simulator with "disturbing" visuals and sounds that would probably scare a 12-year-old. Finally, it becomes a "trauma dump" game, where the game says, "Man, the world is so messed up!" Geez, game. I didn't know. Glad you told me! As for the characters, based on how this game is discussed online, you'd think Brad is one of the deepest characters in video game history. But after the beginning, I never felt like I understood what he was doing to accomplish his objectives beyond the first section, where the objective is clearly to infiltrate a place. All he does is random things that have nothing to do with his goal, and yet the game magically lets you progress in the quest. He barely reacts or comments afterwards. Why is he murdering a bunch of construction workers? Why did he burn a bunch of children? Why is he going into a Yakuza cavern? Why is he going to an out-of-the-way island with a cringe YouTuber cameo? Then, two crucial character moments in the game happened so suddenly that they took me right out of the game. SPOILERS [spoiler] 1. Brad freaks out and brutally kills one of his best friends who helped with the kidnapping, which he even had to kill their mutual best friend over it. However, this character has zero development after the introduction, aside from some cryptic dialogue and the freakish illusions that the game loves so much. Therefore, Brad killing him didn't evoke any emotion from me as the game takes control and forces you to kill him in order to progress the story. 2. Brad reunites with his abusive father, that is being nice with Buddy, the girl Brad wants to save. In a rage, Brad has to hurt Buddy to kill him. However, Brad's father has no development after the introduction. All of their backstory is cryptic and connected to his sister, the titular Lisa, who only appears in hallucinations. This backstory is never elaborated on in the game. You have to play another game that is a Yume Nikki clone to learn more (something I will never touch). It adds needless, cryptic layers to a story that could be a deep take about trauma and grief. Again, the game takes control and forces you to kill him. My dumb-self spent some turns doing nothing because of Buddy's crying. However, I was supposed to continue the RPG Maker battle, or else the game couldn't continue. [/spoiler] Unlike the marketing material suggests, Buddy is probably the most annoying character. She has no complex emotional attachment to Brad and is a one-note "contrarian character" who wants to save the world by running away from Brad's protection on a whim. She never reaches the logical and horrible conclusion of what "saving the world" would entail. You could say that's because she is a child who can't comprehend those things, but then the DLC totally vindicates her. Your party suffers from "Chrono Cross Syndrome" because the game has so many party members and little plot, so they can't play major roles in the story. Most of them are one-note jokes. They can suffer permanent death in battle and during events, but who cares? There's no emotional attachment beyond liking their one joke. The villains are also one-note; all of them are red herrings, and the relationship with Brad is not well-explored. The main villain actually had an interesting backstory with Brad, but the game shafts him in its need to "subvert the expectations" and not give the player a satisfactory final challenge. In conclusion, I don't like LISA. Every interesting idea for the gameplay is undermined by the need of subverting the genre. It's as if the developer gave up on balancing the elements to make a better game because it would be too much of a bother."But it's a deep narrative game that isn't supposed to be fun, as if those things are diametrically opposed to each other. Does anyone care about the gameplay?" The music and graphics didn't impress me. Some say the score is one of the best in recent years, but I don't remember any good music, and the ones I remember are because they're extremely repetitive and annoying. The writing is all over the place. The humor is the worst combination of childishness, pretentiousness, and edgylordness, as all attempts at seriousness are undermined by the tone shifts. But for something positive, LISA probably turned me off trauma dump games forever, nice!

This game hates you. It will hurt you, it will insult you, it will punch you in the teeth, and you'll never be able to stop thinking about it for the rest of your life.

This game makes me so miserable but I can't help but play it. It has such fantastic random humor that feels like the light at the end of the tunnel and then it smashes your kneecaps in with a crowbar. Any time I have to make a decision I feel like the images of the kid with a gun in his hands, covering his eyes before he shoots something off camera. I just want everyone to be happy man. Why can't they all just be happy.

Lisa: The Painful es, sin duda, un juego maravilloso. En serio, no importa qué hagas, el juego siempre logra evocar exactamente el sentimiento que se propone: ya sea tristeza, alegría o cualquier otra emoción. Cuando digo TODO, me refiero a que todo en Lisa: The Painful es excelente. Para mí, es una experiencia superior a Undertale y Deltarune.

Going into LISA, I never expected to be so profoundly affected as I was. Painful combines one of the most soul-destroying sincere stories, grounded in themes surrounding abuse and addiction, with one of the most enjoyable turn-based RPG systems I've ever had the pleasure of using. Ever since I beat it, it's all I've been able to think about. It's musically bizarre, visually weird, and somehow manages to oscillate between somber story moments and ridiculously funny slapstick humor without either being compromised. Play it. Don't look up anything about it. Go in and suffer like I did. This is the definitive life-ruining experience you've been looking for.

I played the first hour of this at an old friend's house back in 2019 and it hooked me pretty quickly, I ended up buying it for myself during the pandemic and 100%ing the whole thing. LISA The Painful has one of the best ludo-narratives I've seen, the gameplay and how it makes you feel is connected to the game's world and story incredibly well - Olathe is a disgusting, ludicrous, and dangerous place, and all the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ the game throws at you reflects that in a way that feels genuine somehow. Only negative aspect for me is the Joyful DLC, it feels quite half-baked compared to Painful, both in its gameplay and plot. At the same time, I don't think the game would feel complete without it, so idk.

[b]I was expecting this game to be absolute garbage[/b], and DiNGALiNG [u]proved me wrong[/u]. [b]LISA[/b] is [u]one of the best indie games[/u] I have ever played. The praise it gets is well deserved (╯˘ -˘ )╯ [b]LISA[/b] is split into three titles: [b]LISA: The First[/b] (available for [u]free[/u] on Steam), [b]LISA: The Painful[/b], and its DLC, [b]LISA: The Joyful[/b]. Despite the [b]absurd jokes and gags[/b], you can't ignore the [b]dark backdrop[/b] of [b]Olathe[/b]: If you explore every corner and pay attention to details, you will uncover a mature, [b]brilliantly crafted story[/b] that almost [u]feels frustrating to praise this much[/u]. Btw, you don't need to play them all, but [b]if the story engages you[/b], it's absolutely worth it! [h1]Story[/h1] It all begins in a [b]post apocalyptic[/b] world where [b]women have gone extinct[/b] and [u]only men[/u] remain: [b]Olathe[/b]. With [b]no chance of survival for humankind[/b], society has collapsed into despair. [b]Cruelty is the rule.[/b] A [b]drug[/b] known as [i]Joy[/i] has become [u]incredibly popular[/u], it numbs the pain and makes people [b]temporarily[/b] forget their misery. Our protagonist, [b]Brad Armstrong[/b], carries a dark and tragic past. Like the [b]vast majority of people[/b] in Olathe, he is addicted to [i]Joy[/i]. During one of his drug hazes, [b]Brad finds an abandoned baby[/b] (something thought impossible in this world). Against all odds, [b]the baby is a girl[/b], a rarity that could [b]doom her[/b] as much as it [b]could save humanity[/b]. Brad chooses to [b]raise her as his daughter[/b], protecting her in a world where [b]being the only woman alive[/b] is both a [b]miracle[/b] and a [b]terrifying danger[/b]. [h1]Gameplay[/h1] [b]LISA[/b] is a turn based RPG. Instead of the usual [b]isometric[/b] perspective, it's played as a [b]side scroller[/b]. The [b]combat system[/b] is surprisingly [u]tactical[/u] and fun, with [b]status effects[/b] playing a crucial role in the most intense fights. You can [b]build your party[/b] (up to 4 members) by choosing from [b]more than 30 unique characters[/b], each with their [b]own mechanics, abilities, and personality[/b]. [b]LISA[/b]'s core message is clear: [b]your choices matter[/b]. Depending on your actions, everything can change. Even [b]something as trivial[/b] as camping without a lookout can have a [u]huge impact[/u] on your run. Oh, and by the way, [b]falling off a cliff[/b] means an insta [b]Game Over[/b]. [h1]Do I recommend it?[/h1] I know the [b]graphics and controls[/b] might turn some people off, but if you enjoy [b]JRPGs[/b], dark stories, and dark humor, this game is [b]absolutely worth it[/b]. [b]The price might also be a drawback[/b], but it is often available [b][u]dirt cheap[/u][/b] in official bundle sites. If you enjoyed games like [b]Mother[/b], [b]Undertale[/b], [b]OFF[/b], or [b]Hylics[/b], you should definitely give this one a chance. [i][b]PS.[/b] I can't finish this review without mentioning [b]Rando[/b]. In a world this bleak, his presence alone leaves a [b]lasting impression[/b][/i]