This Is Close To Animal Hell (Animal Well)
You know, with all the memes and jokes that Dunkey gets, he hit the jackpot with this one. It's been a while since a game I played that feels simple, hearkening back to the classics, but also beaming with pure, genuine fun I've had in all my time playing video games.
Animal Farm is a Metroidvania, where you take control of some ball-shaped blob. Navigating in this deep labyrinth, exploring the intricate structures, with the most minimalist design in gameplay around. There's no fighting enemies, or simple tricks of getting them out of the way. It needs the player's sense of imagination, and problem-solving skills.
It is a very challenging game, and an arduous experience, with the reward of amazing discovery, overcoming great challenges, and also, this is a pretty damn good-looking game if I do say so myself. Oozing with so much charm on top of that too.
I played this game a little on my PC, but due to some maintenance work, I had to use my laptop to play the rest of it. This does need a decent GPU to run flawlessly, considering how fast and fluid gameplay from the platforming standpoint alone even.
Gameplay is simple, just jumping, climbing ladders, that's it for the first few minutes. I was starting to become more intrigue by the bright colors and flashy sprites, then my attention was taken to the spots I could never reach. Wonder how I'll reach there.
Trying to make sense and added grounded logic would take away the suspense of disbelief that this labyrinth provides. Take this firecracker for example, it lights up the entire room, with the particles flying over, flashy lights scattered, it becomes handy for a number of reasons like lighting the dark, and scaring off ghosts in the next room.
Some levels are dark, and with limited visibility, I have to pass through carefully. Never know if there's a spike trap somewhere. Firecrackers capacity with upto 3, so fighting my nyctophobia, and marching forward. Only more crazy stuff out there.
Even then, if there's nothing really tangible, supposedly there, I sometimes mess around with things like the hanging lights. My issue with Metroidvanias is usually missing out hidden areas or key spots, this one kind of solves that issue this way.
Saving progress is through checkpoints called Telephones. Which is also a respawn point, it wasn't long till I found a map as well, helping me navigate and figure out where to go next. Some hour later, I found shrines, places I couldn't obviously reach, and had to come back to later, and then there's this spooky area. Guess who shows up here?
There's a tomb with a disc on the mouth, and if I take it, a giant ghostly dog apparition follows me wherever I go. This one is obviously stuck with the disc, and later in the game I had to find a fake one to replace it in the mouth of the tomb.
Our guy here isn't strong, or as fast to run away from his problems. Situations requires taking tactics. But it shouldn't be too much of a problem because resources like the firecrackers are in abundance. Yet, again, the challenges ahead can be testing.
I managed to avoid the ghost dog, and get the disc, which is a Frisbee of sorts. And it becomes useful for a number of things. For example, distracting dogs while I make a run for it. Oh yeah, my guy can die after 4 health points are out. Respawning to checkpoint.
Looking at this monument, it's clear that I'll be facing these creatures one way or another. And my first encounter with the ghost dog was scary enough as it is. But the perils I've faced elsewhere are already tough on me. A good way of finding new paths is to also solve puzzles by finding ways around closed areas, like pressing yellow switches.
There are sections where I had to use the Frisbee to hit levers in order to pass through areas where blocks pop in and out. The Frisbee continues to hit the two levers, helping me cross over. Still wish my laptop ran faster, playing slow really mellowed the fun.
There are single use items to find like keys for locked door areas, and matches to light up lamps in dark areas. These keys did certain times give me the choice of picking which area to unlock. Also helps that the map exists. Moreover, I can ride the Frisbee midair, that is insane.
I mean, timing is key here. So is running away from a poodle. Worst nightmare, having the poodle dig through the small tunnels. I had to come back, and run through that maze multiple times as well. But this was nothing when it came to the next area.
This game has the most visually stunning art design across every 2D inspired Metroidvanias out there, it's even made with a custom-built engine just so it focuses good response time. Even going as far as to uniquely render lighting, particle effects, and fluid simulation in its own particular way. It's why the areas shine so well.
I like how charming and goofy the animals here look, feel, and sometimes sound even, and then they turn out to be menacing later on. It's the perfect combination of intrigue, and deception. Like this Chinchilla that I used to carry my box item through the puzzle.
And the more areas that I found, the challenging things got. I mean, I died way more times I could count. Some areas are far out of reach, but I feel like I didn't do enough to figure a way over there. There are still areas left to explore in order to get around.
Newer means, even tools, are introduced to get around those places. New encounters, like flamingos, and reptiles even. I managed to get around 20% of the game so far, in around 2hrs of time. My mind is already exhausted, and the laptop isn't helping.
This game is so fresh out of the oven, and has so much breadth of content. I honestly think this is true GOTY material we got here. I wish I did a better job of showcasing it. It's not beginner-friendly, though, and that has a lot to do with how it's structured.
Please don't miss out on this one. I really think Dunkey's publishing company found the real jackpot here. Maybe the 23 USD pricing might disinterest you, but there's really like it.
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I have read only good things about this game. Personally, just with the aesthetics it has it has already won my interest.
But this is one of the things that also makes me very attracted to it. It gives me that feeling of being a very rare game as well as original. I will keep it in mind to play it at some point.
I have provided the updated GIFs from my PC, apologies about earlier. I'm currently going through things in life. Furthermore, I'm considering doing revisions on the writing.