Carlos the Taco
- January 9, 2023
- VICTORIA Games
"Carlos the Taco" is a sunny 2D platformer set in Mexico, where you play as a taco named Carlos on a mission to rescue your kidnapped bride from a devious Gringo. Fight enemies with elemental elixirs, and enjoy hand-drawn graphics, original music, and a captivating plot in this classic adventure. With 120 hand-drawn animations, immerse yourself in this exciting game for 1-2 hours of fun. Characteristics: 2D platformer, hand-drawn graphics, original music, captivating plot, elemental elixirs, 120 hand-drawn animations.
Reviews
- The game features a fun and engaging soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- Players appreciate the nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic NES platformers, with nice art and character animations.
- The game is enjoyable when played with a gamepad, providing a more comfortable control experience.
- The game suffers from poor graphics and technical issues, including a lack of resolution options and unresponsive controls.
- It is criticized for being an asset flip, lacking originality and depth, with generic mechanics and bland level design.
- There are significant concerns about review manipulation, with many positive reviews suspected to be fake, undermining the game's credibility.
- graphics7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been criticized for their low quality, featuring simplistic, cartoony 2D visuals reminiscent of low-effort mobile apps, with no options for resolution or customization. While some players appreciated the character animations and atmospheric elements, the overall presentation falls short of the high standards expected from PC games, reflecting a lack of skill and budget in 3D graphics development.
“A fun and cool game, I was pleased with the juicy graphics and atmospheric music, and also the animation of the characters at the highest level.”
“Considering this is being evaluated as a PC game, having the graphics phoned in like this isn't going to result in a high quality, visually impressive game that PC gamers are used to seeing.”
“3D graphics programming does require a degree of skill and competence, and unfortunately not all developers have the budget or talent to deliver this, despite 3D graphics cards hitting the mainstream in the 1990s.”
“There's no option to change the resolution for the game or customize the graphics settings.”
“There's no way for gamers to try to improve the low-quality graphics.”
“Considering this is being evaluated as a PC game, having the graphics phoned in like this isn't going to result in a high-quality, visually impressive game that PC gamers are used to seeing.”
- music5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its energetic and atmospheric qualities, described as "incendiary" and "fire." Players appreciate the interesting soundtrack that complements the game's visuals and character animations, enhancing the overall experience.
“On the plus side, the music is nice.”
“The music is fire though.”
“A fun and cool game, I was pleased with the juicy graphics and atmospheric music, and also the animation of the characters at the highest level.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The gameplay is criticized for being a poorly executed platformer with generic mechanics reminiscent of basic tutorials, lacking originality and depth. While it includes a double jump feature, the overall experience feels derivative and unpolished, failing to capture the engaging qualities of classic retro games.
“A good game with interesting gameplay; it reminds me of the retro games of the past. I think many will appreciate this approach.”
“The gameplay mechanics are engaging and provide a fresh experience that keeps players coming back for more.”
“The controls are intuitive and responsive, making it easy to dive into the action and enjoy the game.”
“This is a painfully bad platformer with generic mechanics (straight off the YoYo Games 'How do I make a platformer' tutorials/guides), but at least you can double jump.”
“They seriously think that the only assets that comprise a game are visual, and don't understand their construction kit/engine template copy and paste job, using someone else's game mechanics and core engine without crediting the actual designers isn't effectively the same as flipping visual game assets or stealing audio tracks.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of games developed with Gamemaker Studio is criticized for being dominated by retro pixel shovelware and cash grabs, often featuring poorly translated content and coordinated fake reviews to promote these low-quality titles shortly after their Steam launch.
“Gamemaker Studio is most commonly used to make retro pixel shovelware and cash grabs.”
“They're all written in either Russian or broken English, appear at almost exactly the same time, very shortly after the game launched on Steam, all have a direct Steam purchase of the game, and the accounts are used consistently to write fake reviews for asset flips and other cash grabs/scams.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is reminiscent of classic NES platformers, featuring a lighthearted and silly storyline that sets a playful tone. Players appreciate the combination of charming art and comedic elements, particularly in the game's amusing introduction.
“A hilarious platformer that brings back memories of NES classics, featuring charming art and a delightfully absurd beginning to the story.”
“The humor is spot-on, with witty dialogue and silly scenarios that keep you laughing throughout the game.”
“I love the quirky characters and their ridiculous antics; the humor really elevates the overall experience!”
- story1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The story of the game is characterized as humorous and reminiscent of classic NES platformers, featuring appealing art but starting off with a somewhat silly premise.
“The story is engaging and filled with unexpected twists that keep you on your toes.”
“I loved how the narrative intertwined with the gameplay, making every level feel meaningful.”
“The characters are well-developed, and their backstories add depth to the overall experience.”
“The story starts off with a silly premise that feels more like a joke than a serious narrative.”
“While the game has a charming art style, the story is underwhelming and lacks depth.”
“The narrative feels disjointed and fails to engage the player throughout the experience.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its vibrant graphics, engaging music, and top-notch character animations, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience.
“A fun and cool game; I was pleased with the vibrant graphics and atmospheric music, along with the character animations at the highest level.”