Somebody Saved the World

I've spent a bit of time playing through my most recent Steam sale purchase, Nobody Saves the World, and I've managed to save the world.  Shocking, I know!  Now it's time to report on the experience for the benefit of others who are hoping to also do their part to save a fictional world in a video game.

What is it?

Nobody Saves the World  is an open-ish world ARPG-lite type of game.  The story follows a mysterious character (who takes the form of a blobby, humanoid figure with no defining features) who wakes up in a garden shed only to find that they don't remember anything about who they are (amnesia is a classic) and that the world is currently being afflicted by some kind of arch-baddy called "the calamity."  As Nobody, you must join forces with a cast of goofy characters to unlock your own identity and in the process, defeat the calamity.

The gameplay is in an ARPG style but features the ability to change "forms" mostly at will.  Each form has its own special set of abilities and fighting style.  Part of the game involves exploring the map and discovering new locations, quests, challenges, and dungeons.  The other part is, of course, following the main storyline.

How long does a playthrough last?

I finished the entire thing in 30 hours.  It can definitely be finished much faster--I (stupidly) decided to grind out an achievement and that tacked on a good chunk of extra time.  Playtime is dependent on how much time and effort you want to dedicate to completing side content.

Slug form is one of my favorites.

Pros:

+ Ran like a charm and has low specs.  It would run on a potato!  Plus, I bought it for $9.99 on sale, so it can be found for a nice, low price.

+ Goofy sense of humor that brings a lightness to the game.  It's silly without being stupid.

+ SO MANY FORMS!  The most unique aspect of the game is the fact that you unlock forms and can (mostly) switch them at almost any time.  Forms range from the more traditional--the melee-heavy guard or the ranged-arrow flinging ranger--to the whacky; horse and slug forms come immediately to mind.  Each form has its own playstyle that is fun to experiment with and figure out.  Aspects of exploration and gameplay lean on switching forms--narrow passages can only be navigated by small forms (rat or slug); water can be navigated in turtle or mermaid form (you'll get a kick out of mermaid form--it's more Barnum & Bailey than The Little Mermaid).  Finding a favorite is part of the fun.

+ Tons of customization.  Besides being able to swap forms, you can also swap out abilities between classes.  Yes, you can be a horse that also fires arrows (does it make sense?  No, but who cares!).  You can also equip up to four passive abilities that can be shared between forms.  It's a bit mind-numbing, but allows for experimentation to find the best build for a situation or just for blasting baddies.

+ Co-op play.  I'm pretty sure it's only local, but Nobody would be a great game to play with kids.  The gameplay is easy to pick up and the game is very G/PG-rating-esque.

+ Optional side content.  The base game offers up the "impossible dungeon" which is a procedurally generated timed challenge.  It's one of those "complete X levels" type of deals. It's very challenging--I only made it to the 9th level (and there are 18 total!).  The major perk of completing the challenge is unlocking another form...dinosaur form!  There are also side quests and optional dungeons to complete, so there's plenty to do.

+ Music nicely complements the gameplay.  It's no Guacamelee, but it's not bad.

+ A large map to explore with hidden nooks and crannies.  Gotta find all those mana fairies!

Cons:

- Controller recommended (and honestly, I was glad because all the clicking with a mouse in ARPG-style games gives me carpal tunnel).  If you're not a fan of ye olde controller, you can play with mouse and keyboard, but the game STRONGLY advises a controller.  (Amazon Basics XBOX 360 controller!)

- Dungeons feel pretty same-y.  There are some unique bosses in the dungeons that are part of the main storyline, but the rest of them have basically the same vibe.  They're procedurally generated, so they are different every time you go in, but I think they could've made them a bit more interesting and unique.  I expected more boss fights.

- This might seem a bit flaky since I listed the many forms as a PRO, but they're also a bit of a CON.  There's a ranking system attached to forms and levelling up the skills in a form unlocks new abilities and upgrades to your abilities.  I would barely settle into a form before I unlocked a new one and then felt like I should switch over to level up the new form.  The switching is kind of fun, but at the same time, it's hard to fully get a grasp on one form before you feel like you should switch to a different one.  

- The main story is pretty meh.  

Recommendation:

Nobody Saves the World isn't as good as Guacamelee, but the gameplay did keep me entertained.  It's not a hardcore ARPG, so if you're looking for something that's ARPG-lite or a fun co-op game to play with a kid/partner, it would be a good choice.  Buy it on sale though (I paid $10 and it seems to go on sale frequently).

Those Sweet Deals

I spent my gaming time this week doing a bit more advancing in Against the Storm.  I'm officially in the "prestige" levels--ooh la la, the elite!  Things get a bit different when you hit prestige--you start off at level 0 and can advance to the next level once you've successfully completed a settlement.  Each new level throws a new set of difficulties at you--a longer storm season (by 100%....yuck), greater reputation requirements, and others that I haven't discovered yet.  I played through P3 and decided to take a break to check out my one purchase from the recent Steam Spring Sale.  Although it was tempting to take the plunge into Diablo IV, I decided that I didn't want to spend $35.  Instead, I opted for the indie ARPG-like Nobody Saves the World.

Nobody Saves the World is made by the developers of the fabulous Guacamelee (which I greatly enjoyed, even though I sort of suck at it).  I've spend a few hours tooling around with it and I've mostly enjoyed what I've played so far.  There's the same goofy sense of humor that was present in Guacamelee and a number of different "forms" to play.  Rather than having "classes" like in other ARPG style games, you can change forms--and some of the forms are wild!  You have your more traditional forms--the warrior/knight-like guard or the bow & arrow ranged attacks of the ranger; but you also can turn into a horse, a slug, or a very hideous mermaid.  Each form has its own unique playstyle and abilities and one of the best parts of the mechanics is that you can combine passive and active abilities from other classes.  I can be a slug that also fires arrows!  It's fantastic!

It's spring break here in real life, and I plan to spend some quality time with Nobody Saves the World.  I haven't quite mastered quickly switching forms and still feel awkward with some of the forms.  Slug form has weirdly become one of my favorites--its playstyle involves an ability to quickly sprint away, leaving behind a giant layer of slime that slows enemies while you fire damaging tears from a distance (and the slug has an awesome crit bonus for status effected enemies).

Happy spring (and spring break if you're lucky enough to be having it) to everyone!