Recent reviews by Slug Party

Aight so I just finished the game, clocking in at almost 11 hours, still missing about half the trophies and I haven't gotten all the costumes. But since I beat the final boss I figured i'd share my thoughts on the game.

So lets start with comparing how the game controls between the demo and the final release with the Day 1 Patch. So the patch made it so movement is a whole lot faster and that jumping isn't very floaty like it was in the demo (aside from certain costumes). From the looks of the patch they at least addressed an issue that players of the demo were most vocal about, that being movement.

Moving on from that lets discuss the content that wasn't in the demo, that being other costumes and stages. I really do feel like the stages that were in the demo were probably the weakest examples to show off the game as the stages that weren't in the demo (Chapters 2, 3, 5, etc) had a lot more going on in them in terms of puzzles and exploration. I honestly had a blast in those specific chapters listed above, I also found it nice how there were times for certain trophies my brain clicked on how the puzzle to get them needed to be solved with a costume from another chapter that i've already used.

Another thing that I liked even back in the demo is how open certain puzzles are, there is a clear way to solve it as intended, but you can also use other costumes to find another way to achieve your goal (I have used the sheep costume to sequence break so many times). Also now that we're on the topic of costumes, lets get into them a bit more. The game boasts having over 80 different powerups but if we're being honest, many of the costumes are just variants of others. (The Pig, the Duck and a robot costumes all do the same thing but having slight variants in behavior, this is best shown in how Air Cat and Frost Fairy are similar in function but behave differently with Air Cat keeping a constant horizontal level while Frost Fairy rises higher in the air with each step.) this is both a downside and an upside. The downside being it makes the costume roster feel bloated with duplicates, but its also helpful since it creates a buffer of a specific skill in case you lose the costume.

One last detail regarding costumes that is a downside is an issue we all know well enough: All buttons being tied to one ability. Not all costumes can jump which means you will be switching between them incredibly often, and with how long it takes to switch its a chore. I get that they wanted to make a simple controlling game like the old days, but there's a reason games aren't made with details like that these days: Its tedious and takes control away from the player which is always a problem. Even with certain costumes adding them, the game lacks general mobility options that are very important for a 3D Platformer (Examples: Mario Odyssey, Hat in Time). You get some extra mobility but it requires having specific costumes with you. If i'm being honest the game would be a lot better if it didn't make you pause so often, and while this drags the game down from what it could be, it doesn't make the game a disaster as many would want you to believe.

As I was typing this up I almost forgot to touch up on a detail, that being the Tims. I feel like their implementation is sorely lacking. You can barely interact with them on the isle of tims, their contribution in stages is pretty minimal, and they're not explained well. One last detail that I want to touch on is the bosses. When it comes down to it, they're pretty easy to beat but at the same time they do something that I love: they encourage you to experiment. Bosses have three Balan trophies tied to them, each one is gained by damaging the boss in a specific manner and that encourages you to experiment with the costumes gained in the chapter and makes you go "Hmm, how can I hit the boss with this?" You can go into the boss and just beat it with the abilities you find easiest to use, but for those who want to experience a little brain teaser, they will be rewarded.

After all is said and done, I decided to give the full game a chance after being very iffy on the demo, and simply put, I was right to give it that chance. It isn't a perfect experience, it isn't a great game, it has it's rough edges, but I still found joy playing it. The game has it's negatives along with it's positives, but I don't truly believe it to be this horrible game that many would claim it to be. When I played the demo I gave it a cautious 6.8/10, but after playing the final release, I can safely say I bump it up to a 7/10. However i'm not sure i'd recommend it as a full $60 purchase. If you're willing to put up the money to play the game after what i've said, go for it, you might find it to be as entertaining and engaging as I did. If not, then its fine to wait til it goes on sale for $40 or lower.

The exploration and open ended puzzles are what kept me hooked and had me see the game to the end and wait til I absorbed the majority of it's content before making this review unlike most that i've seen where players barely played an hour before wanting to demonize or praise it.

Bug Fables was a refreshing and nostalgic experience when it came to not just Indie RPGs, but RPGs in general. What the game set out to do was fill a void that was created with Nintendo's Paper Mario series when the developers decided to step away from the turn based RPG framework they had with Thousand Year Door and build upon it. The land of Bugaria houses a wide variety of unique and charming characters as well as interesting and fun to navigate vistas.

The party is kept rather small with you only ever having control of the protagonists Vi, Kabbu, and Leif as they travel across the land on their mission to find the Everlasting sapping. Despite the party's small size, you are given a wide variety of field and combat abilities with the three team members that makes them more than enough to tackle the foes you encounter. There were at time where I felt that there was a bit of an input delay when playing the game but due to how rare it happens i'm currently chalking it up to a hardware issue on my end.

Battle gameplay manages to tackle the "Micro-Game" method of utilizing abilities to an enjoyable level as I never felt bored having to use them every time I wished to attack an enemy unlike some other games that try and fall flat with this method. (A certain *cough*postmodern*cough* game comes to mind with this). Enemies manage to give you enough experience per each story segment so you never feel the need to grind. Another instance that removes the need for grinding is that the game is entirely skill based. If you can learn when to block enemy attacks at the right moment as well as know how to manage your Team Points and items responsibly you can navigate through most battles with ease. The level up system also refrains from punishing you and allows you to chose to upgrade whatever you want, be it health, Team Points, or Badge Points, without forcing you to reconsider by saying "Oh I bet you wish you had upgraded health instead of TP so much!" Any and all customization options are viable so long as you're willing to put in the work and, dare I say, get good.

As for the story, I have to say that I am fairly impressed. The narrative manages to be lighthearted while also taking itself seriously, you never once feel like the game is babying you or insulting your intelligence all while it tries to entertain you. The main party gets incredibly fleshed out as you progress through the game, thus making them more entertaining as well as helping you develop an attachment to them. One thing that Bug Fables did that most RPGs fail to do is that the game manages to treat the entire party as if they're leading protagonists rather than one being the main character and others are just sidekicks. The game's narrative never forgets about Vi, Kabbu or Leif at any moment and the entire trio manages to remain relevant throughout the main story and the side quests. Aside from the main cast, the supporting characters all manage to lend a substantial part to the overall narrative by playing off of the protagonists naturally all while shining on their own merits.

Overall, Bug Fables was a wonderful experience through and through with engaging gameplay and a charming, heartfelt narrative. Only downside I would have to give is how the resolution for ingame sprites comes off as a bit blury and slightly unprofessional. If I were to give any suggestions for a sequel i'd suggest utilizing Vector Sprites for your characters and items going forward. Other than that, Bug Fables is a must play if you're looking for something to scratch that Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi itch, all while admiring some very cute bugs.