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 and graphics are stunning, showcasing a lot of detail and charm.
- The soundtrack is fantastic, with engaging battle music that enhances the gameplay experience.
- The story and writing are enjoyable, with quirky characters and a unique blend of dark themes and humor.
- The combat system is rudimentary and can feel tedious, with a high miss rate and limited strategic options.
- There is no manual save option, which can lead to frustrating loss of progress due to soft locks or unexpected game overs.
- Some quests and mechanics are poorly explained, leading to confusion and unnecessary backtracking.
- story303 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story of "Bloomtown: A Different Story" is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its charm, humor, and engaging characters, while others find it simplistic or lacking depth. The narrative draws inspiration from various sources, including JRPGs and popular media, and features a blend of intriguing concepts and relatable themes, though some feel it lacks originality and coherence. Overall, while the storytelling is competent and enjoyable for many, it may not satisfy those seeking a more complex or original plot.
“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, tackles many serious topics and never shies away from sincere depictions of loss, friendship, education, and youthful attempts at orientation.”
“A very sweet and well put together RPG with a heartwarming story of friendship, coming of age, moving through loss and hope.”
“This game is refreshing to have a story that is sincere and impactful, I won't give too many details, but the mission where it ends with a beautiful daisy interaction.”
“For a game subtitled 'a different story,' this one doesn't actually feel all that original.”
“The story and characters are a bit flimsy, and the portrait pixel art isn’t that good, which is a shame, because the rest of the game has been enjoyable.”
“To put it bluntly, the reason I can't enjoy this game is that its writing lacks humanity while trying to tell a human story.”
- music182 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, particularly for its energetic and engaging battle themes that evoke comparisons to the Persona series. While the soundtrack is generally praised for its quality and ability to enhance the gameplay experience, some players noted inconsistencies in the dungeon music and expressed a desire for more unique compositions. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.
“The music during battles, in particular, is epic and really pumps you up, adding a lot of excitement to the fights.”
“The world feels alive, and the soundtrack totally nails it.”
“This is hands down such a great game, it reminds me of Persona and the music fricking slaps during the fights.”
“Music is inconsistent.”
“In dungeons, you have this bland 2 track audio, but in battles you have a whole-ass song complete with vocal track.”
“I can understand it gets some influence from Persona, but in this particular game, the combat music does not fit at all.”
- gameplay118 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this title draws heavily from the Persona series, incorporating turn-based combat, character development, and life-sim elements, but many players feel it lacks depth and polish, leading to a repetitive experience as the game progresses. While the core mechanics are solid and the overall gameplay loop can be addictive, issues such as unclear mechanics, bugs, and a lack of tutorial guidance detract from the experience. Despite these shortcomings, the charming pixel art and engaging story elements may still appeal to fans of the genre, particularly those looking for a lighter introduction to turn-based RPGs.
“The pixel art is fantastic, the music goes hard for no reason, and mechanics are solid.”
“So first, yeah, gameplay wise it borrows many elements from persona 3-5 (all that you do enriches and develops your character, improving social stats through (many!) various daily activities, friendships that give your team abilities if they are deepened; capturing demons/personas with different elemental affinities and attacks, that build your team and define your strategies; turn based battle; a little gardening, crafting and cooking meals that give you hp/sp, to name only a few) - and that's great, persona 5 is one of the best (and one of my top 3) games of all time and if you love that you'll love this: the formula is, at least to me, perfect.”
“The overall feel is Saturday morning cartoon meets Stranger Things with the gameplay loop of Persona 5 in a fun pixely package.”
“The overall gameplay just feels half-baked.”
“Gameplay is 5/10 and partly broken.”
“Sadly, the inquisitiveness and allure drop rather quickly due to an overabundance of mechanics and inconvenient design making Bloomtown wilt away.”
- graphics103 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning pixel art style, creativity, and attention to detail, making it one of the best-looking pixel games in recent memory. Reviewers highlight the charming and cute character designs, atmospheric environments, and the overall aesthetic that evokes nostalgia for classic RPGs. The combination of beautiful visuals and engaging music significantly enhances the gaming experience, making it a standout feature of the game.
“The graphics are amazing and very polished, and it is one of the best-looking pixel games I have played recently.”
“The art style is great in both worlds with really fun and cute characters and demons.”
“The graphics are, hands down, the standout feature.”
“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.”
“The writing and graphics are straight out of Earthbound, so if you're a kid who grew up playing RPGs in the 90s, this is a real nostalgia trip.”
- grinding30 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that while the game incorporates farming and crafting elements reminiscent of classic life sims, many players find these aspects tedious and unnecessary, particularly criticizing the long animations and lack of meaningful engagement. The combat, although well-balanced, is described as painfully repetitive, leading some to abandon farming altogether in favor of purchasing items. Overall, the grinding elements detract from the enjoyment, making it hard for some players to recommend the game.
“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.”
“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.”
“The farming stuff felt completely unnecessary except for one quest that mandated it.”
- humor26 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. Reviewers appreciate the balance between humor and serious themes, noting that the writing is engaging and filled with snark, making the characters memorable and the story enjoyable. While some found the humor hit-or-miss, the overall consensus is that it enhances the game's charm and atmosphere, contributing to a delightful experience.
“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.”
“The characters have personality and the dialogue is funny.”
“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.”
- atmosphere20 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive pixel art, detailed environments, and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the blend of humor and mature themes within a creatively designed world, contributing to a unique vibe that resonates with players. The attention to detail and engaging storytelling further solidify the game's atmospheric appeal, making it a standout in its genre.
“If you're a fan of pixelated games with great atmosphere and epic music, I totally recommend giving it a shot.”
“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.”
“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 decrepit mysterious town' atmosphere.”
“Love the atmosphere and the art style.”
- emotional14 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its heartwarming story that explores themes of friendship, coming of age, and hope, creating a wholesome atmosphere filled with charming details. However, some players felt a lack of emotional depth and engagement as the game progressed, leading to a mixed reception regarding its overall emotional impact. Despite this, the soundtrack and art style received commendations for enhancing the game's emotional experience.
“A very sweet and well put together RPG with a heartwarming story of friendship, coming of age, moving through loss and hope.”
“There's so many little things on every screen that just feel wholesome.”
“The vibes of this game are immaculate, managing to balance wholesome and creepy really well.”
- character development7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is highlighted as a strong point, featuring a deep system that enhances player engagement. However, while the animation quality is praised, the character designs themselves are often considered bland, which may detract from the overall experience.
“Challenging fights and a deep character development system.”
“Combat is pretty fun; it never really gets boring with a good mix of enemy character designs.”
“Challenging fights and deep character development system.”
“Combat is pretty fun, never really gets boring with a good mix of enemy character designs.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, users indicate that the game has limited replayability, although the introduction of more playable characters, like Preston, adds some appeal for specific quests.
“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 and exciting, thanks to the different character interactions and storylines.”
“The game encourages multiple runs with its branching paths and unique character abilities, making every experience feel unique.”
“Not much replayability.”
“Not much replayability.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is plagued by numerous glitches, leading many users to express disappointment and an inability to recommend it in its current unstable state, despite acknowledging that it is a new release.
“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.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with users noting that performance issues, particularly in forest areas, can detract from the overall experience. Players have reported needing to endure these rough patches to fully enjoy the game.
“Performance was a bit rough in some parts, especially in the forest; I had to tough it out.”
