Elephantasy: Flipside
- February 27, 2023
- B. Maksym (Linker)
- 13h median play time
Get on Steam"Elephantasy: Flipside" is a whimsical adventure game where you play as a tiny elephant named Belle. Belle has the ability to shrink and grow, lift heavy objects, and dash quickly. The game is set on a mysterious island that is said to be linked to the land of the dead. As Belle, you can collect gems, magical items, and uncover hidden secrets and treasures.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a unique exploration experience with a vast world and clever puzzle design, reminiscent of titles like Breath of the Wild.
- Players can experiment with various items and their combinations, leading to satisfying discoveries and a sense of accomplishment.
- The charming visuals, quirky character design, and atmospheric music contribute to an engaging and enjoyable gameplay experience.
- The isometric platforming can be frustrating and difficult to navigate, often leading to trial-and-error gameplay that can feel unfair.
- Some crucial items and secrets are hidden in overly obtuse ways, which may lead to player frustration and a sense of being lost.
- The final boss and certain late-game challenges are considered excessively difficult, requiring players to replay lengthy sections if they fail.
- gameplay24 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Elephantasy: Flipside" is a blend of imaginative puzzle-solving and precise platforming, reminiscent of classic titles like Zelda. While the game encourages exploration and experimentation with its item selection and physics mechanics, some players may find the hidden clues and complex mechanics frustrating, potentially hindering progress. Overall, the game offers a rewarding challenge that deepens with each failure, making discovery and mastery of its systems an exciting journey.
“An imaginative and genius puzzle-adventure game, Elephantasy: Flipside is reminiscent of Zelda in how it both constrains you with its 'toybox' item selection mechanic and encourages you with its 'sandbox' physics looseness.”
“There are times when this game's platforming can be tough, fast-paced, and precise, so you really have to figure out how jumping, distance, and height mechanics work.”
“While overall I enjoyed equipping larger and larger combinations of items to explore deeper and deeper into Elephantasy: Flipside's world, a few key issues had eroded my motivation to continue by the time I reached the endgame area after about 6 hours of gameplay.”
“There are a bunch of clues in the world to help you in your adventure, but nothing is ever obvious. Even the very first mandatory find needed to access half of the game world is hidden somewhere. I actually found it in like my first 5 minutes of gameplay by sheer luck, but I really can see how someone else could get stuck for a while at the very beginning because of it.”
“The opaqueness of certain mechanics left me occasionally baffled, but it's also the reason discovering new tricks is so exciting.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics in Elephantasy Flipside are praised for their colorful retro style and unique isometric perspective, enhancing the atmospheric exploration and quirky character design. Players find the visuals deeply satisfying and the intricate map rewarding, contributing to an engaging and charming overall experience.
“Elephantasy Flipside has so many things that I love in a video game: atmospheric exploration, colorful retro graphics, isometric platforming, fun and quirky character design, and tons of secrets to explore!”
“Haven't played a game with this graphical perspective before, much less a platformer - and it's great!”
“The music is charming, the visuals are deeply satisfying, the map is intricate and rewards exploration.”
- music8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as charming and catchy, with some hidden tunes to discover, enhancing the overall experience. While it may not be groundbreaking, it is considered an improvement over the previous installment, complementing the satisfying visuals and intricate map design. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's engaging atmosphere.
“The music is charming, the visuals are deeply satisfying, the map is intricate and rewards exploration.”
“And I didn't mention the music before, but there are some very catchy tunes, and some secret ones if you find a certain item.”
“Great art style and music, and an interesting world.”
- story6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The story is characterized by a charming yet cheesy plot reminiscent of lesser-known SNES games, blending nostalgia with forward-thinking elements. However, players may find it necessary to seek online help to achieve the best ending, indicating some inconsistencies in design compared to similar titles like Cave Story.
“The charming manual, visual style, and the cheesy plot made me think of some no-name SNES game you stumble across on Twitter one day that's somehow distinctly a product of its time while still being very forward-thinking.”
“I would say Cave Story is a little more consistently designed than this game, though.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express strong emotional reactions to the game, with some feeling frustration and anger due to a lack of interaction with the environment, which detracts from the gaming experience. Additionally, the overwhelming number of unsolved secrets contributes to feelings of discouragement and daunt, highlighting the game's potential to evoke negative emotions.
“Obviously this review is somewhat more emotional than 'logical', but in my view, if a game can make me feel this negative in such an absurdly short section and in so many ways, it deserves calling out.”
“It also made me feel a bit daunted by the amount of secrets I was unable to solve, which was discouraging.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of Elephantasy Flipside is highly praised for its engaging exploration, vibrant retro graphics, and whimsical character design, all of which contribute to a rich and immersive gaming experience filled with secrets to discover.
“Elephantasy Flipside has so many things that I love in a video game: atmospheric exploration, colorful retro graphics, isometric platforming, fun and quirky character design, and tons of secrets to explore!”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the reviews highlight the game's engaging atmosphere, vibrant graphics, and quirky character design, they do not specifically address character development, suggesting that this aspect may not be a focal point in "Elephantasy Flipside."
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the early game grinding experience frustrating due to a low item limit, which restricts exploration and makes backtracking tedious. Keeping essential items like the warp whistle can hinder exploration, while not having it leads to repetitive and cumbersome gameplay.
“At game start, your item limit is 1, and in the first few hours of the game, that limit remains low enough that keeping the warp whistle in your inventory significantly hampers how deeply you can explore. Yet going without it makes backtracking frustratingly tedious at times.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as charming and whimsical, with particular praise for clever jokes, such as the amusing notion of green herbs being the rarest type. Overall, the humor complements the game's delightful characters and animations, enhancing the overall experience.
“Everything is incredibly charming: the characters, the animations, the world... not to mention the humor. There's something about green herbs being the rarest type of herb that tickles my funny bone.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that the game's stability is affected by the introduction of various power-ups, such as the herb bag, which can lead to unpredictable gameplay dynamics. Players express concern that these mechanics may disrupt the intended flow and balance of the game, suggesting a need for more consistent and reliable features.
