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Space Funeral gives somethings to think about
calunio- 09/22/2010 05:27 PM
- 17437 views
Wow... how do I even begin to speak of this game.
I've always enjoyed catmitts's games because of their uniqueness, interesting and funny dialogs, peculiar graphical style and bizarre internal consistency. I always tried not appreciate his games not in a gaming perspective, but as gaming experiences (if that makes any sense).
None of this is different with Space Funeral.
What IS different is that this is an RPG, and it's made in RPG Maker 2003. I knew that catmitts had been working with rm2k3... but it surprised me that he pulled off a fairly decent RPG according to traditional RPG standards while still managing to maintain his style throughout.
Story-wise, I don't really know what this game is about. There is no intro whatsoever. You just start as a bulky guy named Phillip, and you talk to people. Most people say things that don't make any sense. Some of that is funny, some of that is just random. Other people say things that are directly related to what you have to do, and about the world you live in. Even considering the random stuff, all of the dialog do a good job in giving shape to this strange and unique universe. After some time, none if the writing seems random, they do their part in defining a very solid setting.
What can be told of the story is that you're looking, for reasons unknown, for a place named the City of Forms, where all original forms and concepts come from. Along the way you find people that will tell you how to get there, and even a guy that will join your party and come with you. Things start to make sense as you follow the game's linear path. There is an actual POINT behind everything, and it's a very good one. But don't expect motives.
He can't be any clearer.
What struck me the most about this game is that, at the same time it seems to use a very random selection of songs, "poorly"-drawn sprites and senseless dialog, everything is very well-tied together, and there's a strong sense of consistency that ultimately culminates in a world that feels alive, sad, disturbing and painful. Doing something like this without following common formulas is a real accomplishment.
The soundtrack of this game is really something else. Some of the songs are average, some are delightful, some caught me off-guard (Pokémon???), but none of it is unfitting.
Graphics are a bit messy, but quite charming. Some areas were really creepy, especially the Blood Cavern... creepiness that rivals some of The Longing Ribbon's scariest moments.
Yes, there is.
This game is a traditional RPG, so there are battles, skills and items. Overall I would consider this to be a good, or at least smooth part of this game, but I couldn't say they were really well designed. There were types of monsters, and specific items that dealt extra damage to specific types of monsters. There was also a wide skill selection, and many different restorative items. There was even a good variety of equipment. But none of this really made sense, because battles were far too easy. At the very beginning of the game there was a house were some muscle guys would tell you all about the rules of such battle mechanics. But understanding them isn't really important, because you don't need them to win any battle with just a few strikes without taking serious damage, including boss battles. But I'm not someone who complains about not being frustrated by battles, so it didn't bother me much.
You don't really need to know that.
At a given part of the game there was a handful of traditional puzzles. They were simple and fun enough, and I saw them as catmitts saying "hey, I can make normal game challenges too!". Yes, you can.
So, besides the thanfully unbalanced battles, my main complaints about this game would be... maps not having clear way outs, excessive amount of unnecessary NPCs in some areas (especially the town of Malice), and maybe a lack of better story direction... randomness WAS good, but maybe just a bit too much. My opinion.
What needs to be said about this game is that it's got one of the (if not the one) best ending I've ever seen in a videogame. Also, Space Funeral is exactly what you need to play if you're looking for inspiration on creating unorthodox and interesting RPGs without making it a mess.
Best catmitts's game yet by far, and definitely one of the best games in RMN.
I've always enjoyed catmitts's games because of their uniqueness, interesting and funny dialogs, peculiar graphical style and bizarre internal consistency. I always tried not appreciate his games not in a gaming perspective, but as gaming experiences (if that makes any sense).
None of this is different with Space Funeral.
What IS different is that this is an RPG, and it's made in RPG Maker 2003. I knew that catmitts had been working with rm2k3... but it surprised me that he pulled off a fairly decent RPG according to traditional RPG standards while still managing to maintain his style throughout.
Story-wise, I don't really know what this game is about. There is no intro whatsoever. You just start as a bulky guy named Phillip, and you talk to people. Most people say things that don't make any sense. Some of that is funny, some of that is just random. Other people say things that are directly related to what you have to do, and about the world you live in. Even considering the random stuff, all of the dialog do a good job in giving shape to this strange and unique universe. After some time, none if the writing seems random, they do their part in defining a very solid setting.
What can be told of the story is that you're looking, for reasons unknown, for a place named the City of Forms, where all original forms and concepts come from. Along the way you find people that will tell you how to get there, and even a guy that will join your party and come with you. Things start to make sense as you follow the game's linear path. There is an actual POINT behind everything, and it's a very good one. But don't expect motives.
He can't be any clearer.
What struck me the most about this game is that, at the same time it seems to use a very random selection of songs, "poorly"-drawn sprites and senseless dialog, everything is very well-tied together, and there's a strong sense of consistency that ultimately culminates in a world that feels alive, sad, disturbing and painful. Doing something like this without following common formulas is a real accomplishment.
The soundtrack of this game is really something else. Some of the songs are average, some are delightful, some caught me off-guard (Pokémon???), but none of it is unfitting.
Graphics are a bit messy, but quite charming. Some areas were really creepy, especially the Blood Cavern... creepiness that rivals some of The Longing Ribbon's scariest moments.
Yes, there is.
This game is a traditional RPG, so there are battles, skills and items. Overall I would consider this to be a good, or at least smooth part of this game, but I couldn't say they were really well designed. There were types of monsters, and specific items that dealt extra damage to specific types of monsters. There was also a wide skill selection, and many different restorative items. There was even a good variety of equipment. But none of this really made sense, because battles were far too easy. At the very beginning of the game there was a house were some muscle guys would tell you all about the rules of such battle mechanics. But understanding them isn't really important, because you don't need them to win any battle with just a few strikes without taking serious damage, including boss battles. But I'm not someone who complains about not being frustrated by battles, so it didn't bother me much.
You don't really need to know that.
At a given part of the game there was a handful of traditional puzzles. They were simple and fun enough, and I saw them as catmitts saying "hey, I can make normal game challenges too!". Yes, you can.
So, besides the thanfully unbalanced battles, my main complaints about this game would be... maps not having clear way outs, excessive amount of unnecessary NPCs in some areas (especially the town of Malice), and maybe a lack of better story direction... randomness WAS good, but maybe just a bit too much. My opinion.
What needs to be said about this game is that it's got one of the (if not the one) best ending I've ever seen in a videogame. Also, Space Funeral is exactly what you need to play if you're looking for inspiration on creating unorthodox and interesting RPGs without making it a mess.
Best catmitts's game yet by far, and definitely one of the best games in RMN.
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Jericho
52
well you can like games that have x and y and not like games that have y but not x and also not like games that have x but not y. alternately he is a jerk. craze are you a jerk. craze if you don't respond to this post in the next 24 hours i am going to label you a jerk on my excel spreadsheet.
My original rating was 4, but I changed to 4.5 because the good things about this game overshadow the bad ones. And I don't regret it, cause this game is very memorable. Not a common thing with rm games.
post=204700So, besides the thanfully unbalanced battles, my main complaints about this game would be... maps not having clear way outs, excessive amount of unnecessary NPCs in some areas (especially the town of Malice), and maybe a lack of better story direction... randomness WAS good, but maybe just a bit too much. My opinion.Okay, you can enjoy the scribbly graphics (they do, I admit, have some charm), and atmosphere is of course important... but how can you justify 4.5/5 stars for an RPG with a shitty main RPG mechanic (battles) and shitty ease-of-use ("clear way outs")?
It's perfectly fine that you enjoy the game, but how the hell is this is TOP-NOTCH, BETTER THAN ANYTHING ELSE game when it's not even balanced or set up well? That's just a "fuck you" to games that might not be involved with as many drugs but still work on being decent games.
Oh right, you made that hard-to-navigate and for-the-shits-and-giggles torture game. Sorry, I forgot.
please add more "buffs and debuffs" to this post.
post=204863
I think what amuses me the most is how obviously this game is catmitts parodying and satirizing certain things he hates about the RM community. The community's response to what was meant to be at least partially a slap in the face is to embrace it as a stroke of brilliance.
Sometimes real life is funnier than anything you can make up.
This is exactly how I felt after playing.
Review coming soon...though I might have to replay.
I had to take a break from this game to listen to some Beatles - I Am the Walrus and Frank Zappa and Ween, to give my mind a break from how trippy this game is.
Lucy is probably the most monstrous fictional character ever created. She should have been the final boss. That would have completed the experience.
Edit: No kentona you are not a bad person.
Edit: No kentona you are not a bad person.
catmitts
4862
ahahaha
Phillip was actually kind of inspired by Charlie Brown because I was reading one of those Complete Peanuts books at the time (also explaining presence of Lucy (Lucy owns)). There was a little of that though (a..v..e..n...g..e......m..e....) but you guys can take it right *punches arm a little too hard* RIGHT
Phillip was actually kind of inspired by Charlie Brown because I was reading one of those Complete Peanuts books at the time (also explaining presence of Lucy (Lucy owns)). There was a little of that though (a..v..e..n...g..e......m..e....) but you guys can take it right *punches arm a little too hard* RIGHT
I must be a little dense because I don't feel offended playing this.
But I am only on the boat on the way to the BLOOD CAVERNS. So far I am liking it.
(does that make me a bad person)
But I am only on the boat on the way to the BLOOD CAVERNS. So far I am liking it.
(does that make me a bad person)
Are you really going to tell me that the Blood Caverns weren't a jab at people who construct meticulous lighting effects for their RM games? Or the perpetually crying protagonist wasn't an unsubtle caricature of most JRPG heroes? Because I wouldn't believe you if you did!
Maybe your subconscious was rebelling and you didn't even realize it! It's always cool when that happens...
Maybe your subconscious was rebelling and you didn't even realize it! It's always cool when that happens...
catmitts
4862
how obviously this game is catmitts parodying and satirizing certain things he hates about the RM community.
I actually kinda intended it as a pretty earnest attempt to win people over to my ideas of what more RM games should be like :(
perhaps. . . perhaps like kid icarus i flew too high and was lost . . . . . . .
post=204863
how obviously this game is catmitts parodying and satirizing certain things he hates about the RM community. The community's response to what was meant to be at least partially a slap in the face is to embrace it as a stroke of brilliance.
Exactly that. It's done in a brilliant way.
I think what amuses me the most is how obviously this game is catmitts parodying and satirizing certain things he hates about the RM community. The community's response to what was meant to be at least partially a slap in the face is to embrace it as a stroke of brilliance.
Sometimes real life is funnier than anything you can make up.
Sometimes real life is funnier than anything you can make up.
sunshinesan
534
Balance(lack there of) is only a problem when it impedes or annoy the player. It is only a flaw when it is favorable towards the player, i.e. your character's are significantly more powerful than your foes. This is a flaw that is overcome with the sheer number of good things that exist in this game.
