Garbage: Hobo Prophecy
- January 28, 2021
- Homebased
- 5h median play time
Garbage: Hobo Prophecy is an extended demo/prologue for the "Garbage" game. It has all the game features of the game but the story is limited to first boss fight. Garbage is a fighting simulator game with management and building elements. Experience the struggle which a homeless man goes through in a humorous yet non-offensive manner. Primitive elements of contemporary life that we take…
Reviews
- The game offers a unique and humorous take on the life of a homeless person, providing an interesting gameplay experience.
- It features a variety of mechanics, including resource management, skill progression, and combat, which can be engaging and addictive.
- The graphics and art style are appealing, contributing to the overall atmosphere of the game.
- The tutorial is lacking and can leave players confused about how to progress, leading to frustration.
- Resource management is overly punishing, with players often running out of essential supplies too quickly.
- The game suffers from optimization issues, causing performance problems on some systems.
- story39 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, characterized as epic, humorous, and engaging, with interesting characters and solid voice-overs. However, some players find the narrative execution inconsistent, with elements feeling random or lacking depth, and the overall experience can be marred by gameplay mechanics that detract from the storytelling. While many express excitement for the full game, there are calls for improvements in both story coherence and gameplay integration.
“The story is strong, and humorous.”
“A great game with an interesting story and nice voice-overs.”
“Great game with a sweet soundtrack, funny visuals and nice storytelling!”
“If it were open world, it would work like advertised - but it's not, you're locked into tiny locations that give you only enough resources to progress to a handful of missions.”
“Could've been better.. it's a fun concept but the game is kinda bland with a wacky storyline and dumb random fights.”
“Not like the story in general and seems random.”
- gameplay33 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
Overall, the gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing its clumsy mechanics, lack of clear instructions, and dull core loop. While some appreciate the potential in its concepts and find enjoyment in the simplicity, others feel that the execution is lacking, leading to frustration and a lack of immersion. Improvements in mechanics and better tutorials are frequently suggested to enhance the overall experience.
“Great game, love the gameplay.”
“I like the concept and the ideas presented; the basic gameplay loop works well, and the art style in cutscenes adds a lot to the feeling of the game.”
“For a free game, this stuff is great; it's deep enough to keep the player engaged for a long time and has really fun gameplay that mixes survival elements with RPG gameplay.”
“Playing mechanics are so clumsy and awkward.”
“The game has few actual mechanics, and even those feel half-baked and headed toward a life on the streets begging for food.”
“The tutorial really needs some work; it did a poor job of explaining what exactly to do after dropping you into the world and explaining some of the game mechanics.”
- humor30 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with many users finding it entertaining, charming, and filled with funny dialogue and scenarios. While some players enjoyed the comedic elements and unique concept, others felt that the humor alone couldn't compensate for gameplay shortcomings. Overall, the game is described as a humorous experience that adds a lighthearted touch to its themes, making it appealing to a broad audience.
“Well done to the team that developed this game, entertaining and very funny.”
“The game is designed with a hilarious sense of humor, chill soundtrack, and lots of stuff to explore in a hoboful environment haha.”
“Great game with a sweet soundtrack, funny visuals, and nice storytelling!”
- graphics28 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the art style and atmospheric design, while others criticize the visuals as dated or lacking depth. Many players appreciate the game's aesthetic and how it complements the overall vibe, but there are concerns about performance issues and the need for optimization. Overall, while the graphics are considered acceptable by some, they fall short of expectations for others, particularly in comparison to similar titles.
“I really liked the graphics in the game as they are pretty good considering the size of the game.”
“The graphics are very good.”
“The music, graphics, and animations work together to create the exact sort of vibe you'd expect from a game set in shady alleys.”
“Graphics look like the unreal defaults were used with the selection outline and all.”
“They are reminiscent of some Unity asset flip or a failed MMO, and overall I gotta say the game is graphically 'soulless'.”
“The graphics are kind of okay, but I didn't expect it to get my NVIDIA 1070 to 77º; even Cyberpunk doesn't get that much higher heat, so it needs to be optimized, I think.”
- music20 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising the soundtrack as fantastic and fitting the game's vibe, while others find it average or poorly balanced in volume. Some players appreciate the chill and humorous atmosphere created by the music, enhancing their overall experience, while a few note that the music is not essential to gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the game's aesthetic, though there are concerns about its volume levels.
“The soundtrack is fantastic, seriously dope.”
“Great game with a sweet soundtrack, funny visuals and nice storytelling!”
“The music, the vibe, and the design aesthetic hit me just right in the sweet spot.”
“There's a volume slider for music, but all the music is either too quiet to hear or too loud to not turn off immediately.”
“You don't miss much with the music turned off, anyhow.”
“The music, graphics, and animations work together to create the exact sort of vibe you'd expect from a game set in shady alleys.”
- optimization13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 46 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received largely negative feedback, with many users reporting performance issues, high RAM usage, and overheating concerns. While some players find it runs adequately, the consensus is that significant improvements are needed for a smoother experience. Overall, the game is seen as having potential, but its current state is marred by poor optimization.
“There is also good optimization, which I am happy with too.”
“The game has a bit of an optimization problem for sure, but it still runs fine for me. Don't forget it's a demo, so I'm expecting the full release will surely fix that.”
“Overall, the game has a lot of potential; with some minor adjustments and optimization, it can be a fun title to play.”
“Felt unfinished, unoptimized and for some reason it ate 6.6 GB of my RAM even before it even started.”
“The garbage in the title stands for its optimization!”
“Cons: horrible optimization and runs poorly.”
- stability8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 88 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant bugs that hinder gameplay, particularly on Mac systems. However, others report a smoother experience with only minor glitches and occasional UI issues, suggesting that performance may vary based on individual setups. Overall, while there are notable bugs, many players find the game enjoyable despite these challenges.
“I personally never had many issues with optimization; the game ran smoothly for me even though I have an average build. It looked really good considering this is the development team's first game. Regarding bugs, there was one or two that were game changers, but overall, the game seems rather bug-free.”
“The game runs incredibly smoothly, and I haven't encountered any major stability issues. It's impressive for a debut title, and the occasional minor bugs don't detract from the overall experience.”
“Despite being a first-time development team, the game has shown remarkable stability. I experienced very few bugs, and the performance has been consistently smooth throughout my playtime.”
“Buggy mess on Mac.”
“Buggy and a frustrating game, not worth my download.”
“Some players may get lost and discouraged because they feel that the game is buggy or too difficult to figure out.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is frequently praised for its cool and immersive qualities, enhanced by a nice art style, dynamic day/night cycles, and engaging quests. While some users express disappointment in other aspects, they acknowledge the strong potential of the atmosphere as a standout feature.
“Very cool atmospheric survival game.”
“The game has potential (nice art style, day/night rhythms, skill trees, great atmosphere and the quests at different locations are interesting).”
“The art style is fitting and atmospheric.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and heavily reliant on luck, leading to frustration. While some enjoy the gameplay once they understand it, the imbalance in resource collection and unexpected character deaths contribute to a negative experience overall.
“Everything being purely luck-based makes this game supremely tedious and not fun.”
“You have to fight materials, one type per zone, so you end up having too many of one and too little of the others. It takes so much time grinding your strength to unlock another zone, and in the end, my characters died for no reason. Food and heat were okay, hygiene was low but not at zero; my last character woke up and died out of nowhere.”
“The grinding aspect is incredibly repetitive and feels like a chore rather than an engaging part of the game.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users highlight the game's high potential for replayability, suggesting that it offers a variety of experiences that encourage multiple playthroughs, though some note it may not be infinitely replayable.
“High potential for replay value.”
“Replayability is a key feature.”
“Infinitely replayable.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its emotional depth, tackling challenging themes related to homelessness while maintaining a humorous tone, setting it apart from other auto-battler roguelites like Loop Hero. Players are eagerly anticipating the full release, highlighting its potential to resonate on a deeper level.
“Eagerly awaiting the full release, this competes heavily with established auto-battler roguelites such as Loop Hero, while also being funnier and touching on tough subjects related to the hardships homeless people go through.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization model has been criticized, with users suggesting that if the game were not free, it would be considered misleading in its advertising.
“If it wasn't free, it would have to be marked as false advertising.”
“The monetization model feels exploitative and heavily favors players who are willing to spend money.”
“It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game fully without spending.”