Well, here is a top-down shooter many of you will enjoy. This is my first PC review, now that I have the joy of finally owning a gaming pc worth playing games on.
Juicy Realm gives you the choice of several players to either hack or shoot your way through the various stages. But before we get to the juice of the game, here is some gameplay for you to feast your eyes on before reading my review.
Contents
- 1 STORY
- 2 GAMEPLAY
- 3 SOUND AND GRAPHICS
- 4 FINAL VERDICT
- 4.0.0.1 Disclaimer: AIR Entertainment received a review copy from the publisher for reviewing purposes. This review is the author’s own opinion and not influenced by the developer in any way, as per our reviewing Code of Ethics.
- 4.0.0.2 Author, Poet, Screenwriter, Gamewriter, Journalist, ….and Elemental Mage Supreme in his spare time
STORY
JUICY FRUITY!
In the world of Juicy Realm, the line between animals and plants is blurred to the extreme. Plants have gained sentience—and limbs—and are now fighting humanity to top the food chain. It’s up to you to lead a team into the mysterious plant kingdom, defeating the foul fruit once and for all! The impressively delicate animation style, gorgeously rendered and distinctive graphics, add to the excitement and vitality of the Juicy Realm.
That description from the Chinese game developer, SpaceCan, is a very apt one for the game. At the start of the game, you are taught the basics of the game. And since it has been a very long time since I have enjoyed PC gaming, I needed it.
The tutorial is very basic, and I had to work some things out for myself which were thankfully not that hard compared to some other indie pc games I have tried this last week.
It is once you are able to select a character that the fun begins. You run around stage to stage, finding new weapons and ammo to deal damage against the sentient plants that have taken over the world. And some of them can be really tough to take down.
Interaction with other characters evolve the tale forward, but the game is more focused on gameplay and action than worrying about a vast in-depth story. So, if you enjoying hacking and slashing more than reading endless screens of script, this game is for you.
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay mechanics are very easy. And this comes from someone having spent my whole life committed to console. Point and click, hack and slash. Opening boxes is as easy as pressing the action button (E), aiming with the mouse (which I am so grateful for) and moving with the normal WASD.
What makes this even more fun is that there are solo and duo modes. I have not tried the duo mode out, but from what I have seen online it looks like it can be incredibly enjoyable.
Simplistic controls are what make this game very enjoyable to play. You move from scene to scene by very specific entrances, and there is no getting lost and wondering where you should go, making even this top-down shooter very linear. Which is great.
Sometimes the monsters come at you in droves and you wonder how the heck you will survive it. It can be incredibly challenging at times, but not enough to bring the game down or drive me away from it.
SOUND AND GRAPHICS
For an indie game, the graphics are extremely crisp and clear. The definition is very beautiful, and I am sure that even on a low-end PC you would be able to enjoy the glorious art presented in this game.
The graphical interface is very user friendly, presenting health bars and ammo counts where you need them. If you stand still for a while, there is a cursor that appears to tell you where the next enemies are. There are some wonderful effects, like truck explosions, that I did not see coming!! The little touches like there are what I believe to be the reason that the game was selected for the Indie Mega Booth at the GDC Showcase 2018.
The sound is just as wonderfully clear, making sure every hack and gun shut is felt throughout the game. It is a great accompaniment to the action in the game, and drives you forward from scene to scene.
FINAL VERDICT
While there isn’t major depth of story, there is enough to keep you going and enjoying what is available. The graphics and gameplay are absolutely wonderul, with sound that serves to compliment the entire ensemble.
A wonderful masterpiece that I will continue to keep playing, even after completing it.
Please note that a PS4 / Switch release is expected in August 2018. If you would like to find out more about the game, feel free to follow these links:
Author, Poet, Screenwriter, Gamewriter, Journalist,
….and Elemental Mage Supreme in his spare time
