! Shakabula *
Skermunkel · 2023 · Action, RPG, JRPG, Shooter, Bullet Hell
PC
8 user reviews13% · 8
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About ! Shakabula *
Be prepared to take on a terrifying South African legend, in this eerie experimental, horror shooter/exploration/rpg experience. Concocting an amalgamation of FMVs, 2D Art, South African folklore, Metroidvania, JPRG, "Steer" 'n Click and Twin-Stick Bullet Hell to create a rare hybrid game that gives the player a memorable action rpg horror experience they won't find anywhere else.
The Shakabula is a mysterious South Affrican Urban Legend that has taken many forms and is usually used as a character parents used to scare there kids if they were misbehaving. However, it seems that it is real and that not all is well with it, the current state of the world and it's memory of existence fading away it has become confused and corrupted over time, now it seems to be targeting you and it has trapped inside some kind of spirit realm and you can't seem to leave the confines of your house. But you're an adult, not a misbehaving child, why would it be targeting you? Could it perhaps be connected to the guilt and anguish you feel for you past transgressions and terrible decisions. Either way, you will need to find a way out of this situation, otherwise, your soul will wither away and your spirit will be cursed to wander for eternity.
Blending together FMV (Full Motion Video) sequences with 2D Art, ! Shakabula * brings together a unique mix of aesthetics to create a creepy atmosphere and bring to life the players inner demons that will challenge you across your journey.
! Shakabula * is heavily inspired by old school FMV Point-and-Click Adventure games in terms of it's presentation, navigation and item collection, but with a twist, taking more of a "Active-Input" / "Animating Movement" approach to the formula, I call it "Steer" 'n Click.
In terms of the game and world progression ! Shakabula * takes a strong Metroidvania approach rewarding the player with keys and abilities throughout the game that open up pathways in previous areas, requiring the player to backtrack in engaging ways in order to open up the entire map and make it to the end. With each playthrough having randomized placement of items and incorporating non-linear progression design, there is more than enough reason to replay ! Shakabula ¬ multiple times to receive a different experience each time.
The combat also takes a novel approach by combining Turn-based 90s JRPGs for combat management and choices, with light QTEs for raising the risk/reward of conflicts, and intense Twin-Stick Bullet Hell sequences to act as satisfying expressions of the battle between you and your inner demons.
With over 80 different enemies, 7 different enemy types, 5 Power-Ups to collect, multiple different battle arena layouts that get tougher as you progress, ! Shakabula * provides the player with a combat system that feels novel, diverse and engaging.
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Get ready to be taken on a mysterious, creepy and strange little quest. Are you ready for the SHAKABULA?!
What Steam players say
Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.
The execution of the game is what's interesting to me. FMV concepts stand out as it usually signifies that the dev(s) are putting in a large amount of effort of trying to make something that stands out. In the game you press forwards or backwards to walk on pre-recorded tracks (literally) which works kind of like "Pokemon Snap!" except you don't control where the camera looks. Not the most interactive FMV game concept, but I'm still interested in seeing where it eventually goes. The map looks like it could be big, but I didn't make it very far. We'll get to the reason why shortly. I'm not sure about the concept of the game, meaning the supposed urban legend, because when I search "Shakabula" on the internet I can't find anything (other than references to this game). That's not why I'm giving a negative review though: if anything, that peaked my curiosity. Honestly the game is kind of a buggy mess right now, right from the main menu and onwards. [h2]EDIT: The game got an update to fix the bugs so I'm giving it another go. Will update within a few days with my new thoughts! [/h2] [h1] EDIT 2: It still has the bug I ran into before where the dialogue box won't go away when I cli…6 found this helpful
Extremely buggy right now. I think the concept is neat, I love the idea of "walking" through tracks and I think the game has a lot of style but it also needs a lot of work. Controls are... not great and with lots of bugs causing your camera view and buttons to not really line up it feels impossible to get to where you want to go sometimes. There's a persistent issue (which I encountered 5 or 6 times so far) where interacting with a door brings up an empty dialogue which can't be closed and prevents you from interacting with anything so that's fun. Also, what are feathers for? Is there any reason to collect them from killing objects or are the hundreds I keep finding on the map enough? Had a major issue with the first boss fight where I kept killing enemies but they remained in the battle field thing and a couple even eventually reappear in the action screen thing as well.3 found this helpful
! Shakabula * is game where the loading screen isn't just a feature, it's the main attraction. You will often be stuck on the loading screen for anywhere from several minutes to eternity because it's a gamble if the game decides to load at all. However, you do get to listen to some great music and sound design while you wait. When the game does grace you with loading, the FMV graphics stand out as a very different experience from normal Horror RPGs and that would be impressive if you were able to see any more of the map as the game is incredibly buggy and difficult to navigate. This game is a true exercise in digital meditation. If patience-building were an Olympic sport, this game would take home the gold medal. But if you're looking for actual gameplay, you might want to explore a more interactive experience such as watching grass grow. I'd encourage the dev to dedicate a lot more work into getting this game into a stable position before sending out more keys because this does have a unique concept and I wish I could have had a better experience with it.2 found this helpful
[h1]!Shakabula* (2023) by Tiaan Gerber (South African) [/h1] What originally attracted to me to this South African game developer Tiaan Gerber is that in an interview he stated that he was keen to bring the South African culture to the Steam store. I thought this was noble at first and absolutely agreed with him that there was a notable void of many cultural arts from many nations. Since then, though, I have come to appreciate that Tiaan Gerber is really lacking in self-discipline and personal commitment. There is very little on offer here, as most of the game is locked up, plus several of his titles have game breaking bugs that have never been fixed since conception and this one is no different. Back in Feb 2024, he personally promised me, that he would have the whole game made available and polished within a few months, stating that delays were due to being in a financial crisis, covid having wreaked havoc where he lived and having gained the added responsibility of looking after aged parents. He requested some patience among supporters and over the three years he received that. But since then, paying consumers have witnessed him waste over 2,000 play hours on ‘Marvel Rivals’ a…1 found this helpful
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