! Shakabula *

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…

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.

! 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.

[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…