Hamlet or the Last Game without MMORPG Features, Shaders and Product Placement
- October 22, 2012
- Denis Galanin (mif2000)
Get on Steam"Hamlet or the Last Game" is a philosophical, anti-capitalist adventure game where you play as Hamlet in a surreal world. The game is text-based and features a unique art style, with no MMORPG features, shaders, or product placement. Your choices impact the narrative and explore themes such as free will, existentialism, and morality.
Reviews
- The game features charming and cute hand-drawn graphics that enhance the overall experience.
- Some puzzles are clever and provide a satisfying challenge, offering moments of 'aha' when solved.
- The game is short and can be completed in about an hour, making it a quick distraction for those looking for a light gaming experience.
- The puzzles often lack clear logic, leading to frustration and requiring random clicking to progress.
- The game is very short, with a playtime of around an hour, which may not justify its price for some players.
- The hint system is poorly designed, taking too long to provide assistance and often being unhelpful.
- story51 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The story of the game is a loose and often nonsensical adaptation of Shakespeare's "Hamlet," featuring a time traveler who inadvertently disrupts the original narrative. While some players appreciate its quirky humor and cute art style, many criticize the execution as shallow and poorly constructed, with a simplistic plot that bears little resemblance to the source material. Overall, the storyline is seen as a light, comedic diversion rather than a serious retelling of the classic tragedy.
“The story (which is obviously based on Shakespeare's Hamlet) is charming while simplistic.”
“The storyline was fairly short and to the point, but I could easily see the influence it had from the original play.”
“I found it endearing in the storytelling and art departments, and overall, if you like frustrating puzzles like me, Hamlet can be a good investment if you have some leftover wallet money to even out or something, as it tends to be at less than a dollar.”
“The story is stupidly thrown together, lacking any sort of depth.”
“Despite the game crowning itself 'the first indie game in the world based on Shakespeare's Hamlet,' the story has very little to do with Hamlet, who's not even in the game because you play a time traveler whose time machine crushed him.”
“The story is poorly executed.”
- graphics28 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as cute and appealing, with many reviewers praising the hand-drawn art style and overall aesthetic. However, opinions vary significantly, with some players finding the graphics beautiful while others criticize them as simplistic or even ugly. Despite the visual charm, the graphics are often overshadowed by frustrations with gameplay and puzzle design.
“Excellent hand-drawn graphics.”
“The graphics are nice, the puzzles entertaining and rather original, and the simplistic story works for the game's tone.”
“Although it's very fun and the graphics are quite beautiful!”
“It's important to understand the game neither has sound nor graphics settings except for choosing your graphics card if you have multiple.”
“Imagine Myst, but with every puzzle having to be completed in strict sequence, an even more simplified interface, a complete lack of coherent story, and *ugly* cartoon graphics.”
“The graphics are terrible and the story is just stupid.”
- humor20 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game "Hamlet" is described as whimsical and goofy, drawing inspiration from classic cartoons and parodying Shakespeare's original work. While some players find the humor to be entertaining and reminiscent of old adventure games, others feel it lacks consistency and can disrupt the game's momentum. Overall, the humor is a mixed bag, with some appreciating its absurdity and charm, while others find it falls flat.
“The game is built around the humor of classic cartoons or in milder tone games like the Deponia series.”
“In this game, you play as Space Hamlet, a little guy from the future with a lightbulb on his head and a funny spacesuit who, after crushing the real Hamlet with a spaceship, has to save the princess and defeat the bad guy in order to avoid a paradox that would end the world.”
“Some of the puzzles were very funny and require some serious out-of-the-box thinking.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the puzzles and art style, while others criticize the short duration and lack of engaging mechanics. Many feel that the pricing does not reflect the limited gameplay experience, leading to disappointment despite some potential in the game's design. Overall, it appears that while there are interesting elements, the execution leaves much to be desired.
“I liked the gameplay and the puzzles, personally.”
“Quite interesting point-and-click adventure puzzle games have decent stories and great gameplay.”
“The gameplay of Hamlet is not a standard point-and-click adventure.”
“But 4.99€ is a pretty harsh price for one and a half hours of gameplay.”
“At only an hour or two of teeth-gritting, boredom-inspiring gameplay, this tiny indie game isn't worth a misplaced dose of hopeful curiosity or the irritation that comes with its small price tag—even if it's picked up in the middle of a Steam sale.”
“I really, really wish I could enjoy this game because it shows a glint of promise, but the mechanics are just not strong enough to warrant a purchase or even a second playthrough.”
- music8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players find it relaxing and fitting, others criticize it for being repetitive and annoying. Additionally, certain music-related puzzles are noted as frustrating, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the music's quality seems to vary significantly among players.
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
“The music fits great.”
“That being said, the art style is lovely, the music is nice, and the puzzles are different.”
“The music notes puzzle was the most infuriating of the bunch, to be honest.”
“Music isn't interesting and gets annoying quickly.”
“The music gets repetitive very quickly, the story is nonsensical and the hint system takes way too long to load.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game offers a brief experience lasting 1 to 2 hours, but it lacks significant replayability, making it a one-time playthrough. While enjoyable, players generally agree that once completed, there is little incentive to revisit it.
“Binding of Isaac, on the other hand, is the same price but has 100 times the replayability.”
“It is a one-hour experience with no replayability, but it's a delightful hour that you'll remember fondly.”
“With a guide (which you will definitely use by the end of act 1), it will take you around an hour to finish the entire game, and after that, there is next to no replay value whatsoever.”
“The entire game takes 1 - 2 hours, and it has no replay value.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is praised for its originality and creativity, with well-crafted and colorful designs that enhance the overall aesthetic. The characters are described as cute, featuring fluid movement and engaging sound effects that contribute to their appeal.
“The character designs are original and creative, and the level art is well-made and often colorful.”
“The character designs are cute, the movement is fluid, and the sound effects are surprisingly catchy.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game suffers from poor optimization, resulting in excessive noise levels and overall performance issues.
“It is incredibly loud, and the game seems poorly optimized.”
“The performance issues make it hard to enjoy the gameplay.”
“I frequently experience frame drops and long loading times, which ruin the experience.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized for its reliance on frustrating puzzle mechanics that detract from the overall experience, suggesting that the game's design may prioritize monetization strategies over logical gameplay.
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate games that deliver poignant narratives and well-developed characters, even in shorter, budget-friendly formats. These emotional experiences resonate deeply, highlighting the power of storytelling in gaming.
“I love short, inexpensive games that tell touching stories with impossibly deep characters.”
“The emotional depth of the characters left me in tears; I felt so connected to their journeys.”
“This game made me reflect on my own life experiences, evoking feelings I didn't expect.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is noted to be somewhat attractive, but it ultimately fails to compensate for the frustrating puzzles and nonsensical plot, leaving players dissatisfied.
“Hamlet's frustration-inspiring, nonsensical puzzles do very little favors for its equally nonsensical plot, and not even its somewhat attractive atmosphere can pull this game back from its failings.”
