Bloomtown: A Different Story
- September 24, 2024
- Lazy Bear Games
- 2h median play time
Bloomtown: A Different Story is a turn-based JRPG where bartering your soul with Satan is the least of your worries. The games’ quirky characters and unconventional story are a highlight and pull you in instantly. Sadly, the inquisitiveness and allure drop rather quickly due to an overabundance of mechanics and inconvenient design making Bloomtown wilt away.
Get on Steam
Get on PS Store"Bloomtown: A Different Story" is a narrative-driven game that explores the life of a young adult, Mia, in the town of Bloomtown. Players will navigate Mia's relationships, make choices that affect her story, and uncover the town's hidden secrets. Through stunning visuals and branching dialogue options, the game invites players to experience a heartfelt and immersive adventure.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Steam Deck
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The pixel art is stunning and some of the best seen in recent games, creating a vibrant and immersive world.
- The combat system is engaging and fun, with a good mix of enemy designs and mechanics that keep battles interesting.
- The game offers a rich story with twists and turns, along with detailed character interactions that enhance the overall experience.
- The map can be confusing to navigate at first, leading to some frustration in finding objectives.
- There is no manual save option, which can lead to lost progress if the game crashes or if players need to exit unexpectedly.
- Some side quests can feel lengthy and may detract from the overall pacing of the game.
- story155 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its charm, humor, and engaging characters, though some find it simplistic or lacking depth. Side quests are noted for their immersive detail, contributing to the overall experience, but can sometimes be poorly explained or lead to confusion. While the narrative draws inspiration from various sources, it may not feel entirely original, and some players express a desire for more substantial plot development and clearer quest guidance.
“I absolutely love this game so far, I think the art is really beautiful and the story has kept me hooked.”
“The aesthetics (pixel art at its absolute best!), the creativity, the atmosphere, the animations, the music, the astounding love of detail... the mature story, often funny and witty, with interesting side quests... I just loved reading everything, especially every line coming from the colorful ensemble of memorable and distinct characters.”
“A very sweet and well put together RPG with a heartwarming story of friendship, coming of age, moving through loss and hope.”
“The story isn't the strongest suit for this game, but it was fun.”
“However, a few quests are poorly explained and made me run around quite a bit.”
“The characters have been enjoyable so far, although the development of the story itself and how the characters react to it felt a bit forced and unnatural.”
- music92 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its catchy and upbeat nature, particularly during battles, which adds excitement and enhances the overall experience. The soundtrack is often compared to that of the Persona series, with some noting its unique charm and ability to evoke strong emotions. While the battle music is generally celebrated, a few players found it repetitive or inconsistent in certain contexts, but overall, the music is considered a standout feature that complements the game's visuals and storytelling beautifully.
“Great RPG game with fantastic pixel art and a brilliant soundtrack!”
“The music during battles, in particular, is epic and really pumps you up, adding a lot of excitement to the fights.”
“The music is fantastic, the turn-based fighting is great, the art style is top tier, and the music is absolutely amazing.”
“Music is inconsistent.”
“In dungeons, you have this bland 2-track audio, but in battles, you have a whole song complete with a vocal track.”
“I can understand it gets some influence from Persona, but in this particular game, the combat music does not fit at all.”
- gameplay59 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay features turn-based battle mechanics that encourage strategic use of items and spells, though some players find the crafting and farming systems lacking in viability. While the combat is generally enjoyable and reminiscent of the Persona series, it can become repetitive and lacks depth as the game progresses. Overall, the game offers a solid gameplay loop with charming pixel art and engaging mechanics, but it suffers from some unclear systems and a need for more variety.
“The gameplay is fun; I am now a fan of turn-based battles.”
“The overall gameplay loop is very fleshed out and addicting.”
“There are a lot of light life-sim mechanics that add density to what would have otherwise been repetitive and dull.”
“Very fun for the first 2 chapters before falling off hard with its repetitive gameplay loop.”
“Even the story beats were short and bland, just an excuse to move to a new dungeon to repeat the same gameplay all over again with very little variation.”
“The overall gameplay just feels half-baked.”
- graphics52 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim, with many users praising its charming pixel art style and attention to detail. The visuals are described as beautiful and polished, contributing significantly to the overall aesthetic and atmosphere of the game. Players appreciate the combination of cute character designs, vibrant environments, and a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic RPGs, all enhanced by a fantastic soundtrack.
“This game is absolutely adorable, with charming graphics and a lovely pixel art style.”
“The graphics are amazing and very polished, and it is one of the best-looking pixel games I have played recently.”
“The aesthetics (pixel art at its absolute best!), the creativity, the atmosphere, the animations, the music, the astounding love of detail... I just loved reading everything, especially every line coming from the colorful ensemble of memorable and distinct characters.”
“The graphics aside from the quest and map issues are very pretty.”
“The artwork and animations are reminiscent of classic RPGs, characterized by pixels and turn-based combat.”
“Its like Persona but with pixel art style, the resemblances are uncanny to be called influenced by.”
- grinding16 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is largely viewed as tedious and unnecessarily prolonged, particularly in crafting and farming mechanics, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. Many players found the animations for these activities to be overly long, leading to frustration and a preference for purchasing items instead. While some appreciated the inclusion of farming elements, the general consensus is that the grinding experience negatively impacts the game's combat and overall pacing.
“I know others will enjoy it and I'm glad they will, but I cannot recommend this game when it fell apart and became tedious as jarringly as it did.”
“Sadly, I can't recommend this game; the combat is tedious, sometimes animations and hits are not in sync or just don't show the impact, buff or debuff messages, and you had no idea if something really happened.”
“The story seems fun, but the combat is excruciatingly tedious.”
- humor14 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever and witty dialogue, which resonates well with players, often eliciting genuine laughter. Many reviewers appreciate the charming and quirky characters, as well as the lighthearted tone that complements the game's aesthetics and story. While some found the humor hit or miss, the overall consensus is that it adds significant enjoyment to the gameplay experience.
“The characters are funny and adorable.”
“There's a lot of humor in the way some characters are shown, and it contributes beautifully to this 'summer spent in a decrepit mysterious town' atmosphere.”
“There is a lot of reading dialogue, but it's written well and there's a lot of snark and humor to it that I found myself chuckling at.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautifully crafted environments, detailed pixel art, and engaging animations that create a unique and immersive experience. Reviewers highlight the blend of humor, mature storytelling, and a sense of nostalgia, all contributing to a captivating vibe reminiscent of a "summer spent in a decrepit mysterious town." The combination of aesthetic design, music, and well-written dialogue enhances the overall atmosphere, making it a standout feature of the game.
“The aesthetics (pixel art at its absolute best!), the creativity, the atmosphere, the animations, the music, the astounding love of detail... this is dialogue, here are real authors at work that understand the fine line between irony and sincerity.”
“Very atmospheric game with its own vibe.”
“If you're here for the chill atmosphere, you won't care about this.”
“The environments are beautifully crafted, full of details, animations are well done, there is a lot of humor in the way some characters are shown, and it contributes beautifully to this 'summer spent in a decrepit mysterious town' atmosphere.”
“Love the atmosphere and the art style.”
- emotional7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while it features a heartwarming story and an impressive soundtrack that evoke feelings of friendship and hope, some players felt a lack of emotional depth and engagement as the game progressed. The balance of wholesome and creepy elements adds to its charm, but not all players found it compelling enough to sustain their interest throughout. Overall, it offers a sweet experience with moments of emotional resonance, though it may not fully captivate everyone.
“For the amazing soundtrack itself, this game deserves a reward for the heartwarming stories and the amazing gameplay!”
“No need to sink in 200+ hours to get a full experience with nice, wholesome characters and a fantastic art style.”
“A very sweet and well put together RPG with a heartwarming story of friendship, coming of age, moving through loss and hope.”
- character development4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is highlighted by a deep system that enhances the overall experience, complemented by engaging combat and a variety of enemy designs. However, while the animation and art are generally well-received, some players find the character designs to be somewhat bland.
“Challenging fights and a deep character development system.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
While some players appreciate the addition of more playable characters, like Preston, which enhances the experience, overall feedback indicates that the game lacks significant replayability.
“The variety of playable characters adds so much depth to the game; Preston became one of my favorites after the little quest with him.”
“Each playthrough feels fresh thanks to the different choices and outcomes available.”
“The game encourages multiple runs with its branching storylines and unique character interactions.”
“Not much replayability.”
“More playable characters - Preston became one of my favorites after the little quest with him.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is currently plagued by numerous glitches, leading to a lack of stability that prevents users from recommending it. Despite being a new release, the technical issues significantly detract from the overall experience.
“However, it is a new game, so I expected a lot of glitches. It's just that I cannot recommend the game in its current glitchy state.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for experiencing performance issues, particularly in forest areas, which detracted from the overall experience for some players.
“Performance was a bit rough in some parts, especially in the forest; I had to tough it out.”
“The game struggles with frame rates during intense scenes, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
“I encountered frequent stuttering and lag, which really detracted from the overall gameplay.”
