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.
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Reviews
- The game features charming and cute graphics that enhance the overall experience.
- Some puzzles are clever and provide a satisfying challenge, offering moments of 'aha' when solved.
- It's a short game that can be completed in about an hour, making it a quick and light-hearted distraction.
- The puzzles often lack clear logic, leading to frustration and reliance on trial and error.
- The game is very short, with many players feeling it doesn't justify its price, especially at full price.
- There is a poor hint system that can be unhelpful and takes too long to provide assistance when players are stuck.
- story102 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 plot. While some players appreciate its quirky humor and art style, many criticize the execution as shallow and poorly constructed, with a linear narrative that lacks depth and coherence. Overall, the game is seen as a light, comedic take on a classic, but it may only appeal to those looking for a quick, entertaining experience rather than a faithful retelling of the original story.
“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.”
- graphics56 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as cute and charming, with many praising the hand-drawn art style and overall aesthetic appeal. However, some reviews note that while the visuals are pleasant, they do not compensate for frustrating gameplay and poorly designed puzzles. Overall, the graphics receive mixed feedback, being appreciated for their artistic quality but criticized for not enhancing the gaming experience.
“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.”
- humor40 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in "Hamlet" is described as whimsical and cartoonish, drawing inspiration from classic animations and parodying Shakespeare's original work. While some players find the humor to be entertaining and reminiscent of old adventure games, others criticize it for being inconsistent and at times detracting from the gameplay experience. Overall, the game offers a mix of funny puzzles and absurd scenarios, though opinions on its effectiveness vary widely.
“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.”
- gameplay18 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the reviewed game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the puzzles and art style, while others criticize the short duration (around 42 minutes to two hours) and lackluster mechanics that lead to boredom. Despite its potential, many feel the pricing is unjustified for the limited content, making it hard to recommend. Overall, the game shows promise but fails to deliver a compelling experience.
“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.”
- music16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players find it relaxing and fitting for the atmosphere, others criticize it for being repetitive and annoying. Additionally, certain music-related puzzles are noted as particularly frustrating, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the music is described as nice but lacking in variety.
“The music fits great.”
“That being said, the art style is lovely, music is nice and the puzzles are different.”
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
“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.”
- replayability14 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game offers a brief experience lasting 1 to 2 hours, but it lacks replayability, making it a one-time playthrough. While players may enjoy the journey, there is little incentive to revisit the game afterward. Overall, it is considered a delightful but short experience with no significant replay value.
“Binding of Isaac, on the other hand, is the same price but has 100x the replayability.”
“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.”
“The only downsides are that it's rather short and there's no real replayability.”
- character development4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character development is praised for its originality and creativity, with cute designs and fluid movement that enhance the overall experience. The vibrant and well-crafted level art complements the characters, while catchy sound effects add 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.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is reported to be poorly optimized, with users noting excessive loudness as a significant issue.
“It is incredibly loud and the game seems poorly optimized.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized for relying on frustrating puzzle mechanics that detract from the overall experience, leading to dissatisfaction among players.
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate short, affordable games that deliver poignant narratives and feature complex, well-developed characters, highlighting the emotional depth these games can achieve despite their brevity and low cost.
“I love short, cheap games that tell touching stories with impossibly deep characters.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is noted to be somewhat attractive, but it ultimately fails to compensate for the frustrating and nonsensical puzzles and 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.”
