Pigbert

There's games that look to tell you a story. This one goes right out there and does it. And, frankly, I think teenaged me would have really liked this one. Teenaged me also read a lot of Joseph Conrad and George Orwell, both of whom were fond of being really bleak. This game is really bleak. Really, really bleak. Any of the reviews that aren't talking about how bleak this is are not paying attention to the game. It is b-l-e-a-k as profanity. Failing to comment on that is... I don't know, blind or something. Yeah, there's a game there too. But this is a message with the trappings of a game loosely wrapped around it. So yes, this was given to me as a review copy. And, as a curator, you'll get my unvarnished opinion on it. Anybody who thinks otherwise is amusingly silly and deserves a (face!) cheek-pinch. It costs a lot more than a few dollars to get my opinion. Time spent in this game reflects one playthrough. There's at least three other endings I'm aware of, perhaps more, and I really didn't lollygag that much in the game so, well, if you care to chase all the endings and achievements, it'll probably take you three, maybe four hours. Since it automatically lets you …

[h3] F**k the Supreme Leader, all my homies hate the Supreme Leader [/h3] What can an ordinary worker do against an oppressive system? Will you rebel, regardless of the consequences, or will you bow your head and accept things as they are? Pigbert is THAT KIND OF RPG, set in a dictatorship based on labour, where we must confront injustices and ask ourselves what is fair, and what can (or cannot) be overlooked for the common "good". Wasn’t expecting much of it, but it was a nice surprise, enough to replay it several times to unlock all the endings and achievements, which says more than any adjective I might use to praise it. It’s quite short, and in each playthrough, you carry over items and XP, so you get through it faster each time than the last.

We got Final Fantasy: North Korea Edition before a new Elderscrolls game.

The basic premise of Pigbert is that you've been given an award from the Supreme Leader which you must go collect. I won't spoil anything but definitely try and speak to as many people as you can on the way and interact with every object you can see. There's text for pretty much everything and it's astounding how much darkness and solemnity can be felt in Pigbert's short run time. This game is carried heavily by its excellent writing. As an example, I found two children playing with a ball, reciting phrases such as 'I seek no purpose beyond my duty'. I'd share more, but the vibe of this game needs to be felt for yourself. The world feels all-encompassingly bleak. What an enthralling game. I'm not sure how to summarize in words what it means to me, but this is what people talk about when they say games are an art form. I'm glad I stumbled upon it and I hope more people play it too.

This is a more casual approach to role-playing because you won’t be exploring a huge world, and the path forward is pretty much linear, with only the occasional side path leading to a treasure chest or optional interaction. In short, it takes less than one hour to reach the end. The interesting part is that the enemies on your path are regular people who just want to pick a fight with anyone who dares to approach them, either because they’re tired or because of some other reason. From this, you can see that the game’s world isn’t a very nice one, even though the reason for travelling to the palace is a joyous one because you’ll be receiving an award. You can avoid some fights simply by staying away from people, while others are mandatory, and the rest are consequences of your actions. For instance, if you step on a flower or snoop around inside a room, you will find yourself in a fight. Most of these encounters are justifiable, and they’re entirely your fault. Luckily, battles are easy. They’re turn based, and you can choose an attack, heal using your very limited supply of bandages, or run away. Another reason to fight is that you learn new attacks after winning battles. Not ev…

Pigbert is a very short (~1 hour) focused JRPG. What makes Pigbert work is how tight it is. Combat's minimalistic and there's a little exploration - just enough to get a real feel for the gloomy, oppressive world, and the battle between individual freedom vs collective good. Really this is an interactive story that's unusually philosophical exploring authoritarianism vs freedom. For more niche curation, follow me at: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/27440015-CSH-Picone/ Want more honest niche & indie reviews? Check out: https://www.cshpicone.com/gaming