What began as a text-based adventure soon became a lot more, intertwining creepiness into an otherwise sweet story. Overall, Buddy Simulator 1984 took me by surprise. It’s a clever use of aesthetics and, coupled with the deliberate glitches, makes for an interesting journey into this virtual world. Your “buddy” just wants to be your friend it constantly improves the experience to be more user-friendly and visually appealing. Graphically, while it seems as though there’s not much to it, the deliberately simple style works well. The momentum is spot on, clocking in at around 6 hours of gameplay. It’s fun not knowing what to expect next, with strange characters to interact with, puzzles to solve, and decisions to make. The intriguing story features alternate endings, enticing multiple playthroughs that keep you guessing the outcome. Your hit points are called “friendship points”, and you compliment your teammates to heal them. Even though you’re fighting, it all seems to be a huge in-game mistake the enemies eventually realize they actually like you or are sorry for upsetting you, leaving in peace. It’s starting to get paranoid by this point, but the combat itself is interesting. You’re also introduced to turn-based combat at this point, a surprise from your buddy who – you’ll remember – really, really hopes you have fun. The third section of your adventure evolves even further, morphing into a better-looking 3D affair. Either way, these abrupt departures provide an excellent way to keep your heart pounding. I love a good horror movie, but scary games are something else entirely maybe because it feels like it’s happening to me, rather than simply watching it happen. These moments are sudden and unexpected, and honestly gave me goosebumps of terror. Occasionally, the game glitches on purpose, sending you to a different area. The creepiness also dials up a notch, and not just because of the odd comments from your best AI friend. You embark on a quest, discovering a town full of odd inhabitants who need your help. Importantly, though, is how much fun this unexpected change of scenery is, and how well it plays. As I said, the AI is trying hard to make you happy. It’s a top-down affair, somewhat akin to a simple, black-and-white version of the original The Legend of Zelda. This time, your buddy has created a visual representation of that same text-based interface you just traversed. As you explore this world and discover its secrets, you unlock a path to the second section. You might type “Go shed” or “Take lantern”, for example. You’re given brief descriptions of an area and simple commands to enter. Firstly, you encounter a text-based journey using the same DOS-like interface. And creepy.įrom here, Buddy Simulator 1984 is divided into three sequential sections that play like an evolution of gaming. It’s even titled “The Adventure of your name ”. Your buddy soon assumes this is too tedious and creates a special new game just for you. You begin by answering a series of simple questions about yourself before competing in a few rounds of hangman and rock-paper-scissors. It’s clear from the beginning that this AI is eager to please. The premise is a software version of a friend. To start playing, you have to actually load the game using the available keyboard commands, further providing the feel of a title from that era. The attention to detail is spot on the screen even appears curved around the corners to emulate an old-school CRT monitor. It boots up as though it’s been loaded straight from a floppy disc, complete with black-and-white color scheme, blinking cursor, and list of commands. And it totally works.īuddy Simulator 1984 acts like a PC game from, well, 1984. No, this one harkens to something even more primitive: the days of DOS. It’s not about those wonderfully pixelated ‘90s graphics it’s not even about the glorious 8-bit era. Buddy Simulator 1984 for the Nintendo Switch is a retro throwback with a difference.
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