Firstly, I'd like to point out how I've never been compelled to write a review on Steam before, until now.
Unlike most games released in the modern age, this game radiates a sort of passion that I have not seen in a very long time. Everything, from the moment Botley wakes up, until the final moments after the credits roll you can see (and hear) the passion that was lovingly poured into this game. I can see myself continuing to play this game more and more as time goes on because of it.
CAUTION FOR SPOILERS AHEAD
Keeping interest up while playing a game consistently is a tough thing to achieve in the industry for developers, especially for new Indie Developers. Which is why it is so impressive that Than was able to keep my interest high as the game went on. While yes, a big reason for this is that the games length is around an hour long, I mostly attribute it to the steady flow of varied enemies and new gameplay mechanics introduced as the game goes on. It is truly, truly impressive for a new dev to pull something like that off.
You can't really tell at first glance that this game took as long as it did to develop (2 years) but you can really see it once you dive into the gameplay and mechanics this game has to offer. Every sprite, every level and every line of Dialogue (more on that later) has been carefully selected and created with so much care and attention. The length at which you can speak to characters is astonishing. (again, more on that later) AND...!
OH. MY. GOD.
UNBELIEVABLE. This is the only word I can think of to describe the MUSIC in this game. Every single piece of music was wonderful in this game, from the levels, to the menus, to the bosses and the theme for NENA herself. I would find myself stopping to just listen to the mad guitar skills of Jeremy Karem, the man credited with the music in this game.
That brings me to the credits, where just by looking at the amount of names in the credits, you can really see the large number of people that you had consulted with to make this game. It really shows that, and I hate to sound like a broken record, the passion behind this project is mind boggling.
"Hilariously Brilliant" is how I described the dialogue in this game to a friend, because that's what it is. I caught myself chucking to everything CAM said when I found "Howard," the secret area. The amount of little stories and jokes he said where hilarious, from the story about breaking into a building, to Horse Code, It was a genuine joy to find this.
And that's just the thing, the amount of small secrets you can find throughout the game are great, even the hidden achievements feel like they've had care put into them, because they all have small references attached to them, especially the Achievement "I don't trust like that" which, for the sake of spoilers and it being hidden in the first place, I won't say how to get, but I will say that fans of The Eric Andre Show will definitely get a good laugh out this.
Nonetheless, this game is amazing, and I genuinely hope it gets the attention and recognition it deserves. Thank you for creating this work of art.
