Chronicles of Teddy
- April 2, 2015
- Storybird
In Chronicles of Teddy, also known as Finding Teddy II, players explore a hand-drawn, storybook world to rescue a kidnapped friend. The game features puzzle-solving and real-time battles with a turn-based option. Using a magical pair of socks, players can shift between two parallel universes to uncover secrets and progress through the game.
Reviews
- Beautiful pixel art and animations create an immersive atmosphere.
- Innovative music-based puzzles add a unique gameplay element.
- Challenging combat and exploration reminiscent of classic Metroidvania games.
- Controls can feel clunky and unresponsive, especially with the short attack range.
- Lack of a map and direction can lead to confusion and excessive backtracking.
- Some boss designs and enemy placements can be frustrating and unfair.
- music122 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting the charming soundtrack and ambient sound design. The innovative "musicom" system, which allows players to communicate and solve puzzles through musical notes, is a standout feature, though some players find it cumbersome and awkward to use. Overall, while the music contributes significantly to the game's appeal, its implementation in gameplay can be frustrating for some, leading to mixed feelings about its effectiveness.
“The music and sound effects in the game are good, with plenty of nice tracks to listen to. The story in the game is simple and sweet, and the NPCs are adorable.”
“Beautiful visuals, tight controls, gorgeous music, and smart level and enemy design around every turn.”
“The music is beautiful, mostly ambient, and it adds character to the world, creating a great atmosphere.”
“However, the worst mechanic was the music/language device.”
“The first music combo that actually does something other than call fireflies or open specific doors gives you zero indication for what it's used for.”
“I hated having to remember the runes and I found it took me out of the game; for the majority of my playthrough I just pulled up the guide and did what it said with regards to the music puzzles.”
- gameplay66 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Chronicles of Teddy" is a blend of metroidvania and classic Zelda mechanics, featuring exploration, item collection, and platforming. While many players appreciate the nostalgic feel and unique mechanics, such as the musicom for puzzle-solving, there are criticisms regarding combat, particularly the small weapon size and some frustrating level design. Overall, the gameplay is seen as enjoyable yet flawed, with a mix of tight controls and occasional frustrating mechanics.
“Overall, this game is a little masterpiece for fans of old-school gameplay and my only regret is that the devs have not produced a sequel.”
“The gameplay is fast-paced and enjoyable.”
“They really don't make them like this anymore, great level design, interesting and fun game mechanics, tight controls (your skill and timing are the only thing to blame for your failure), good soundtrack, lots of secrets.”
“Sometimes the level design sucks too - enemies placed in weird places that make jumps hard with the stiff mechanics, huge hitboxes on some objects like spikes and thorns, a notably awful segment at the end of one of the postgame levels... it has problems, to say the least.”
“The gameplay is slow, it repeats long animations going from area to area (i.e. library to forest) every time you revisit them.”
“But the current gameplay is an uneven, frustrating mess in need of retooling.”
- graphics51 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Finding Teddy II" have received mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful pixel art style, vibrant colors, and intricate animations that create a captivating atmosphere. However, some critics noted inconsistencies in the retro graphics, which detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the visuals are often described as stunning and a highlight of the game, contributing significantly to its charm and appeal.
“The pixel 2D graphics for the game are really nice, pretty colorful with plenty of detail and great background images. The levels in the game were quite diverse with a lot of interesting areas to explore.”
“Chronicles of Teddy itself has some incredible pixel graphics, not used because the developers were cheap or lazy, but as a tribute to the old days. The animations are incredible, from the giant bosses to the smallest enemies; they did not limit their palette nor their intricateness, making them feel alive.”
“This game has Symphony of the Night mixed with Fez levels of graphical splendor that just oozes over your eyeballs and coaxes your brain into telling you only to simply nod and go, 'wow...'.”
“The game features woefully lazy retro pixel graphics (despite being launched in 2015!!!).”
“The graphics aren't consistent, switching from 8-bit to 16-bit because, well, I think the developer is probably a bit clueless.”
“The only thing worse than lazy retro pixel graphics is inconsistent lazy retro pixel graphics.”
- story45 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the games reviewed is generally characterized as simple and minimalistic, often serving as a backdrop to gameplay rather than a focal point. While some titles, like "Finding Teddy" and "Chronicles of Teddy," offer charming narratives and engaging worlds, others are criticized for lacking depth and failing to develop their characters or plots adequately. Overall, players appreciate when a game balances its story with gameplay, but many express a desire for more substantial storytelling elements.
“The story is simple, and a sequel to 'Finding Teddy', which you don't have to play to dive into this world of magic.”
“The music and sound effects in the game were good with plenty of nice tracks to listen to; the story in the game was simple and sweet, and the NPCs were adorable.”
“Beautiful music, consistent visuals, and unique, silent storytelling make for a great atmosphere.”
“I was awestruck by the beautiful world created by Finding Teddy, only for all of that to be blanketed into the backstory introduction in Chronicles.”
“The story is simple; you lose your teddy bear and must get him back.”
“First, the story is nearly entirely contained within the intro and outro.”
- atmosphere15 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique art style, detailed visuals, and effective sound design, creating a mysterious and immersive world. Players appreciate the tranquil music and the overall pleasant ambiance, which enhances the experience of exploration and discovery. While the atmosphere is a standout feature, some reviewers note that the narrative may not be as strong, suggesting that the focus is more on the aesthetic and emotional experience rather than storytelling.
“The art style and atmosphere are unique, the sound design is perfect, the world feels mysterious and alive.”
“Beautiful music, consistent visuals, and unique, silent storytelling make for a great atmosphere.”
“I found this game oozes with atmosphere, with the tunes being mostly tranquil; it's pleasant, like this whole game, pleasant.”
“I do understand the music needs to be subtle to add to the atmosphere and ensure that you hear the melodies, but it can be a detriment to just how great this game is.”
“Finding Teddy 2 manages to keep the magic and atmosphere of its former.”
“As you can see, in spite of all this, I still put 14 hours into the game, finding all the collectibles and completing optional areas, but only because I really did love the visuals, the music, and overall atmosphere of the game.”
- grinding14 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often requiring repetitive tasks to progress or acquire necessary items. Many reviews highlight the need for excessive backtracking and farming for resources, which disrupts the flow of gameplay and diminishes overall enjoyment. While some players eventually adapt to the grind, the consensus is that it detracts from the game's initial appeal and can lead to a lack of motivation to fully complete it.
“The game is tedious... extremely so.”
“Loved the game at first, but it becomes extremely tedious.”
“I didn't have that impulse to 100% the game because it's very tedious to do so.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game exhibits some stability issues, including occasional bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, particularly during boss encounters. While these issues are not overly frustrating, players are advised to save frequently and be cautious with pausing to avoid potential problems.
“The boss of the third temple is also buggy; sometimes instead of moving like a snake, its entire body moves sideways across the stage (through the blocks that form the maze you fight in) when the boss itself is moving upwards.”
“The hitbox on the boss for the fourth temple is incredibly buggy.”
“Unfortunately, the game suffers from a few disruptive glitches here and there; save frequently and don't pause at inopportune moments, otherwise you may find yourself in big trouble.”
- character development3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features impressive character designs and animations, complemented by beautiful graphics and a captivating backstory. Its pixel art and vibrant colors enhance the childlike storybook theme, contributing to a visually appealing character development experience.
“This game has a good backstory, great pixel art, and great character designs.”
“The rich colors and relatively simplistic character designs fit well with the child's storybook theme.”
“It has beautiful graphics with wonderful backgrounds and top-notch character designs and animation.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express frustration with certain puzzles that feel unintuitive, leading to a sense of wasted time and emotional disconnection from the game. The inconsistency in graphics further detracts from the overall emotional experience.
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the replayability of the game, particularly highlighting the option to unlock a new game plus mode upon completion, which encourages further exploration and engagement with the content.
“I'll wrap up with a few notes on replay value.”
“For anyone looking for replay value, you can unlock a new game plus by making it through the game.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players finding it amusing and entertaining without any significant complaints.
“Not complaining, just found it funny.”