Deathbulge: Battle of the Bands

“Absolute gem of a game, all the charisma, passion and fun that the devs put into the game is palpable, hilarious dialogue straight out of Earthbound.”

“From the hilarious dialogue, to the quirky and colorful cast, to the unique and highly customizable battle system, to the catchy music, and to the violent door kicking, I've spent every second of this game smiling.”

“The humor, the unique gameplay, the door kicking... everything is perfect.”

“Mechanically speaking it is very innovative in how it combines the ATB style with buffs, debuffs and statuses directly interacting with it and an item system that is absurdly freeform, also with an equip system that is extremely and deeply customizable, allowing for a ton of player expression, problem solving 'puzzle' setups, and many interesting ways to tackle the hard postgame bosses.”

“The turn-based gameplay is awesomely unique, the story is decent but somehow the dev put a good or even dirty joke on it which made me laugh all the time each cutscene appeared.”

“The simple change of making status effects work in the nature of the turn bar is genius and makes all combat feel amazing to play around, and endlessly deep with the ways one can use the mechanics.”

“I went into this expecting a 2 hour story that's just barely too long to refund, but as I was beating the final boss after about 16 hours, fully invested in these losers and their stupid little band, I realized how great this game really is.”

“The story is compelling and original, really made me feel for the characters.”

“With its uproarious humor, charming storylines, innovative musical mechanics, and flawless execution of RPG elements, it delivers an unforgettable gaming experience that will undoubtedly resonate with players of all backgrounds.”

“The artstyle is an acquired taste but it is extremely well crafted with deep attention to details, including every class having its visual represented by all animations and portraits.”

“Seriously, the level of effort in the hand-drawn graphics is mind-blowing, with incredible animations and expressive visuals that perfectly match the quirky personality of the game.”

“So much work was put into having multiple portraits in dialogue that change visuals with the class you have equipped, along with expressive animations, making the artwork amazing and immersive.”

“Of course, I was going for 100% completion and it took me roughly 30 hours of gameplay to get every achievement; no tedious side quests - I enjoyed them all.”

“I hate to compare yet another indie RPG to Undertale, but I think Deathbulge genuinely earns it because you'd be hard pressed to find just as strong a combo of brilliant jokes and literally every single character--player, NPC, and in combat--being memorable, complete with a badass character design.”

“The character design is top notch with a cohesive art style and clearly distinguishable designs.”

“The story line is well written with bounding character development.”

“Runs smoothly with no bugs encountered.”

“Later parts of the game have your moves slowly build up towards a 'performance,' which is a temporary power boost that absolutely turns the tide of battle in your favor with an awesome musical track backing it.”

“There are 9 character classes based on different performance styles and band roles, and those personalities are reflected in the movesets - headbangers are great at dealing damage, but usually hurt themselves a little in the process, while goths' downer attitude is great for clearing positive effects on the enemy bar, often affecting the players' as well.”

“There is something absurdly special in a game that takes itself so unseriously and makes jokes and puns everywhere, consistently subverting emotional expectations with even more unseriousness while also making you care about the characters, world, and interactions.”

“I got the game since I like the comics, but damn... the fights are complex and satisfying, the characters are goofy (how they should be), and the story has a surprising emotional depth to it.”

“There are some really heartfelt moments in here and the fact that Deathbulge doesn't shy away from being sincere with its absolutely absurd world makes for some memorable plot beats.”

“The art style is cartoonish in its look and really fits the light-hearted atmosphere and silly jokes that the game is going for.”

“Each track also fits its region to a T, from 'demon' zones that have a more rock and roll style, to 'fishy' zones sporting an upbeat and 'bubbly' atmosphere.”

“The characters, dialog and story are fun with a focus on maintaining the atmosphere.”