GrowRilla
- July 9, 2020
- Salmi Games
- 2h median play time
"GrowRilla is a procedurally-generated eat-em-up/stealth-destruction hybrid where you play as a small gorilla seeking revenge on military tormentors. Start by eating to grow into an unstoppable monster, using trees as weapons and turning tanks into hand cannons. As a small ape, use stealth and surroundings to survive, climbing trees and buildings to gather food and evade enemies."
Reviews
- The game offers a fun and unique experience of growing from a small gorilla to a massive creature, allowing for satisfying destruction and chaos.
- The procedurally generated levels provide a fresh experience each time, keeping gameplay interesting despite some repetitive elements.
- The developer is responsive to community feedback and actively works on bug fixes and improvements, enhancing the overall experience.
- The game feels unfinished with underdeveloped graphics, animations, and sound design, which detracts from the overall experience.
- Gameplay can become repetitive quickly, with limited levels and objectives leading to a lack of long-term engagement.
- The movement mechanics, particularly the arm-swing locomotion, can cause motion sickness and may not appeal to all players.
- gameplay13 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a simple loop that can become tedious, though developers have introduced varied modes to enhance the experience. While some players find the mechanics amusing initially, many criticize the lack of depth and the presence of bugs, leading to a perception that the game does not justify its price. However, certain elements, like the VR experience and fun mechanics involving weapons and eating, are noted as highlights.
“The mechanics are fairly simple: eat food, get big, wreak havoc on your previous captors.”
“It's the gameplay mechanics that make this an enjoyable experience.”
“Some fun gameplay mechanics involving weapons, throwing, and eating.”
“The gameplay is meh; I guess it's amusing for like 5 minutes.”
“There isn't much depth here or in the gameplay loop.”
“For $25.99, it's really trash because it's literally 30 minutes of gameplay. Don't buy this.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized as simple and casual, with a low-poly, cartoonish style that allows for smooth performance, even on mid-range hardware. However, many users noted underdeveloped animations, minor graphical glitches, and a need for improvement in overall visual quality and sound design. While the graphics may not be the strongest aspect, they do not detract significantly from the fun gameplay experience.
“This is an awesome game; just work on balancing and graphics, and you have a great VR game.”
“It's a game well optimized and polished with not the best graphics, but it's a lot of fun and all destructible.”
“Performance was great, and I'd expect that because of the low-poly cartoonish graphics and 'static' animation of the NPCs.”
“Simple, quite casual game, with simple graphics, but that's not really an excuse for the underdeveloped animation and sometimes weird sounds.”
“Don't let the happy graphics fool you: you get into heavy gunfire, violence, murder, and total destruction.”
“Most of them were minor bugs, such as enemies floating in the air or graphical glitches or clipping through objects, or the climbing being not very polished.”
- story4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's story is engaging and unfolds gradually, encouraging players to explore and discover more with each playthrough. While the levels are procedurally generated, the consistent mission structure and narrative elements provide a compelling reason to return. Overall, the story complements the gameplay, enhancing the experience in this destructive sandbox environment.
“Discovering what you can and can't eat while getting a little more of the story with each bite at the game will keep you coming back for more.”
“I played it for the story, I swear!”
“This is a destructive sandbox game with just enough story to keep you coming back for more!”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for being adorable and hilarious, featuring funny voices and sound effects that enhance the experience. Players find it entertaining, though they note that future content will be crucial in maintaining its comedic appeal.
“Adorable and hilarious.”
“Pretty funny game, where future content will either make it or break it.”
“Funny voices and sound effects.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is well-optimized and polished, delivering great performance thanks to its low-poly, cartoonish graphics and static NPC animations. While the visuals may not be the best, the fun gameplay and destructible environments enhance the overall experience.
“It's a well-optimized and polished game with not the best graphics, but it's a lot of fun and features fully destructible environments.”
“Performance was great, and I expected that because of the low-poly, cartoonish graphics and the 'static' animation of the NPCs.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious due to its simple gameplay loop; however, the developers have introduced varied modes to help alleviate the monotony and add some diversity to the experience.
“The simple gameplay loop can be tedious, but the developers have introduced some varied modes to add variety.”
“Grinding feels like a never-ending chore, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding detracts from the overall enjoyment and makes progress feel unearned.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is characterized by minor bugs, including floating enemies, graphical glitches, and occasional clipping issues, as well as some unrefined climbing mechanics.
“Most of them were minor bugs, such as enemies floating in the air, graphical glitches, clipping through objects, or the climbing mechanics not being very polished.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“I encountered several game-breaking bugs that forced me to restart my progress.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers moderate replayability, primarily appealing to kids and families for casual VR fun, though some users express concerns about its long-term value.
“The replay value is impressive, offering new experiences with each playthrough.”
“I love how every session feels different, making me want to come back for more.”
“The variety of choices and outcomes keeps the game fresh and exciting every time I play.”
“The only problem I see is how much replay value you will get out of it, but for kids and family VR fun, it's okay.”
- music1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music effectively complements the game's vibrant art and environment, creating an engaging atmosphere that enhances the playful experience of transitioning between different gameplay scenarios, such as sneaking and tossing tanks.
“The music, art, and environment come together to build this fun little world where one second you're a tiny ape sneaking around and the next you're tossing tanks across the world.”
“The soundtrack perfectly complements the gameplay, enhancing every moment with its vibrant and engaging tunes.”
“Each track is uniquely crafted, immersing players in the atmosphere and making every adventure feel epic.”