HIVESWAP: ACT 2
- November 25, 2020
- What Pumpkin Games, Inc.
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"HIVESWAP: ACT 2" is the thrilling sequel to the popular point-and-click adventure game. Join Jude and his friends as they continue to uncover the secrets of Alternia and navigate its unique challenges. With new characters, puzzles, and humor, players will be immersed in this richly detailed universe. Be prepared for unexpected twists and turns in this exciting continuation of the HIVESWAP saga.
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Reviews
- Engaging story with strong character development, particularly for Joey and Xefros.
- Beautiful artwork and a fantastic soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- Humorous and witty dialogue that captures the charm of the Homestuck universe.
- Gameplay feels less interactive and more linear compared to Act 1, with tedious backtracking and fetch quests.
- The Ace Attorney trial segment is overly long and convoluted, detracting from the overall pacing of the game.
- Some characters feel underdeveloped or inconsistent compared to their portrayals in Friendsim, leading to a lack of emotional investment.
- story404 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story of "Hiveswap: Act 2" is generally praised for its engaging characters and humor, with many players appreciating the deeper exploration of troll culture and the emotional arcs of the protagonists, Joey and Xefros. However, the narrative is often criticized for its pacing issues, reliance on tedious fetch quests, and a lack of significant plot progression compared to the first act, leading some to feel that it becomes bogged down by unnecessary dialogue and gameplay mechanics. Overall, while the story has its compelling moments, it may not resonate as strongly with those unfamiliar with the "Homestuck" universe, and the episodic format has left some players feeling frustrated with the slow development of the overarching plot.
“Enjoyable characters, fantastic story, and an amazing soundtrack.”
“The game tells a compelling story that largely stands on its own with great build-up and pacing.”
“The story builds real intrigue about what's in store for our protagonists and whether they can truly trust the people around them.”
“This game (Hiveswap Act 2) does not succeed in investing me in its story, and I played this when I was still into Homestuck.”
“The majority of the game is spent moving back and forth along the exact same set of assets, completing fetch quests and talking to the exact same characters again and again.”
“Act 2 boasts a far longer runtime than Act 1 (probably because people complained that Act 1 ended almost as quickly as it started) and the writing team decided to lengthen the runtime in this game by making the story grind to a screeching halt.”
- music242 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its quality and composition, particularly noting the contributions from renowned composers Toby Fox and James Roach. The soundtrack is described as catchy and immersive, enhancing the overall atmosphere and experience of the game, although some players mentioned a lack of variety due to recurring leitmotifs. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, complementing the game's charming art and engaging story.
“Enjoyable characters, fantastic story and an amazing soundtrack.”
“The music is wonderful as is to be expected, and I love the art, although there are some issues with the art.”
“With a soundtrack created by the talented James Roach and Toby Fox, creator of Undertale, you know you're in for tunes that will get stuck in your head.”
“The music is well composed and very catchy, although lacking in variety due to an overarching leitmotif for most of the game.”
“Because that song and the several remixes of it will be all you hear once you step on that stupid train.”
“Also, the choice in music track for one particular section [spoiler]the gold/olive car[/spoiler] had a classic 8-bit sound that got kinda annoying to hear on loop given how long I spent in that particular area.”
- gameplay202 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Hiveswap: Act 2 has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that it feels less engaging than in Act 1, featuring tedious fetch quests and a lack of meaningful puzzles. While some appreciate the improved character-switching mechanics and creative puzzles, others criticize the extended trial sequence and overall pacing, describing the gameplay as repetitive and lacking polish. Despite its charming characters and story, many agree that the gameplay detracts from the overall experience.
“It's an incredible experience with lovable characters, a fun story, and great mechanics.”
“Unlike the first act, which felt like it was emulating classic point and clicks to a tee, act 2 builds off of those games and their mechanics and improves on them, providing a wholly original experience.”
“This game is filled with catchy music, clever puzzles, diverse characters, and hilarious gameplay scenarios.”
“The gameplay is pitiful and the puzzles/setpieces are just boring.”
“A lot of the 'gameplay' is just wandering around and reading useless flavor text, and this is coming from someone who loves point-and-click adventure games!”
“The trial portion of this game decided to completely ruin the gameplay.”
- humor114 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing, snarky character interactions, and a mix of dark and whimsical elements that keep players laughing throughout. While some players noted a decline in the comedic quality compared to the first act, many found the dialogue and character dynamics to be engaging and memorable, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with emotional depth, appealing particularly to fans of the source material.
“It has lots of funny moments, cute interactions, and the ending had me wanting more. I can tell Act 3 is gonna be fire.”
“This has kept me grinning with its humor, antics, shenanigans, and absurdity.”
“The maturity rating actually helps this game shine even more, when it refuses to back down from the brutality of Alternia, and the jokes they pull off, it literally had me laughing out loud and shouting and doing spit-takes at several points through the whole story.”
- graphics96 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning visuals and charming art style, which many find adorable and engaging. While some users note minor graphical glitches and a change in art style that may detract from the experience, the overall aesthetic and animation are considered top-notch, contributing significantly to the game's appeal. The combination of beautiful artwork and an excellent soundtrack enhances the immersive experience, making it a highlight for players.
“The artwork is top-notch, the soundtrack is iconic, and the little hints to what may or may not be going on just beneath the surface are downright delicious.”
“Truly stunning visuals with an amazing soundtrack.”
“The graphics are gorgeous and the music is amazing.”
“And what makes it even worse is the change in art style.”
“You are supposed to recognize several characters you just met and through UI art style that doesn't even match the in-game style, making it way harder than it needs to be.”
“Even some of the visuals were a step down, no strife intros, and plenty of areas that could have had more animation or better timing.”
- grinding60 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for its tedious fetch quests, repetitive back-and-forth navigation, and trial segments that feel unnecessarily lengthy and frustrating. While some players appreciate the story's payoff, many find the gameplay lacks the charm and humor of similar titles, leading to a sense of monotony and irritation. Overall, the gameplay experience is marred by a lack of intuitive puzzles and excessive trial-and-error, making it less enjoyable for those not already invested in the narrative.
“It's a shame because the characters and dialogue are really fun but getting through the actual gameplay is a bit tedious.”
“The case is so long, tedious, to a point boring and so badly thought out that it takes mere luck or the game guiding you to get past it.”
“Going back and forth on the train was kind of tedious.”
- emotional26 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with players noting its ability to evoke strong feelings ranging from humor to heartbreak. Many describe it as an "emotional tour de force," highlighting the depth of character interactions and impactful storytelling that resonate deeply, often leading to tears. Overall, the game is seen as both wholesome and engaging, making it easy for players to become invested in the characters' struggles.
“Oh man, I think this is like the most emotionally impactful the game has been for me.”
“In my view, Hiveswap Act 2 is nothing short of an emotional tour de force, and I only wish I could experience it for the first time more than once.”
“It’s easy to become invested in these characters, and it’s easy to get emotional over their struggle.”
- stability24 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with many users reporting significant bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience, despite the game's appealing visuals and writing. While some players experienced minimal issues, the consensus suggests that the game feels rushed and unfinished, leading to frustration among fans who anticipated a polished product after a lengthy wait. Overall, stability remains a major concern, overshadowing the game's strengths.
“Fans have had to wait for this game for three years, and to be frank, it is rather buggy at times and feels as if it's been cobbled together and rushed at many points.”
“I'm trying to be as vague as possible to avoid spoilers, but basically it's so awful we had to wait so long for this game and we were so excited to see it come out, only for us to end up with a buggy half-finished product?”
“It's been a little over three years since act 1, which in of itself was a really short game, there is no reason to hype it up as much as the What Pumpkin team has been and then just let it be a buggy mess.”
- character development20 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is highlighted through the engaging interactions and backstories of Joey and Xefros, which are effectively conveyed through exploration. While the character designs and art are praised, some players feel that the pacing of character development could be improved, with a desire for more depth rather than lengthy segments that detract from gameplay. Overall, the game successfully combines visual appeal with meaningful character growth, though some aspects may feel rushed or underdeveloped.
“The music is as great as ever, the background and character designs are a joy to behold, and I just adore nearly all the interactions Joey and Xefros have.”
“As someone who is pretty uninterested in Alternia, this game managed to engage me with beautiful visuals and intriguing character design.”
“I would have rather had that segment either very short or not there at all, and I would've liked it more if instead of spending so long on it, I could've just had more character development and point-and-click/exploration-based gameplay.”
“There's even a bit of character development.”
“The art, music, and writing are just as great as in the first game, and we get some real character development for Joey and Xefros.”
- atmosphere16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its strong reflection of real-world political issues, engaging music, and well-designed characters that enhance the overall experience. While some players noted a lack of consistency in atmospheric depth compared to previous titles, the gradual build-up of ambiance and aesthetic detail, particularly in the early stages, contributes to a captivating and immersive environment. Overall, the combination of compelling writing and character design creates a memorable atmosphere that resonates with players.
“Another thing that kept me going during some of the more difficult parts of the game where I had to walk back and forth, the music really helped with the atmosphere, and I will probably be buying the soundtrack.”
“An incredible experience with fantastic characters and a surprising amount of atmosphere.”
“Better atmosphere, equal if not better writing, but less engaging gameplay.”
“Art-wise, while there isn't quite the sense of atmosphere as offered by the Harley Manor for much of the game, this is made up for by an incredibly strongly designed cast - including dense collages of background trolls in the lowblood carriages.”
“I found myself shuddering whenever the underlying issues of the troll caste society strongly reflected the current and real-world political atmosphere.”
- replayability14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers a mix of replayability, with some players appreciating the multiple paths and consequences of their actions, while others feel that certain scenes detract from the experience. Improvements in length and characterizations enhance replay value for those invested in the story, but those seeking more varied dialogue may find it lacking. The presence of multiple puzzle solutions adds a layer of replayability, though opinions on its overall value vary.
“It really makes me feel like my actions had consequences and gives the game lots of replay value, making me want to explore different paths to see how I can get an ending that satisfies me.”
“Definitely an improvement over Act 1 in terms of length and replayability.”
“The whole scene wasn't even very relevant to the main story and the whole part just felt like it took years and really kills the replay value of the game.”
“Characterizations were the strongest part, overall replay value is sort of low if you don't care for characterizations and wanted more snarky dialogue from flavor text.”
“At least there are multiple ways to complete some puzzles, so there's at least some replayability.”
- optimization8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with users noting significant bugs and performance issues that detract from the overall experience, particularly affecting pacing in the latter stages. Despite a strong story and solid gameplay ratings, the presence of stuttering and other technical problems has been deemed unacceptable for a title that has been in development for years. Overall, while the game scores well in various aspects, its optimization leaves much to be desired.
“Tailing points based on several attributes (story: 10/10, gameplay: 8/10, controls: 7/10, content: 7/10, presentation: 9/10, music: 9/10, performance: 8/10, 58/70 total), this game scores an 83/100.”
“The story itself was super engaging, but the bugs caused performance issues that killed a lot of the pacing, especially near the end.”
“There are a ton of bugs and performance issues that, for a relatively short game that they have been working on for years, are actually unacceptable.”
“The first game did not have the outline problem, and the first game barely had this much stuttering.”
