Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass

78%
Game Brain Score Based on 410 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • gameplay
Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass Game Cover
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"Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass" is a Japanese-style RPG influenced by SNES-era jRPGs and Yume Nikki. Players explore the dream of an 8-year-old boy, Jimmy, as he confronts an alien entity threatening his family and the dream world. Jimmy's empathetic abilities allow him to transform into monsters and interact with the world in new ways. The game features turn-based combat and extensive exploration.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

78%
Audience ScoreBased on 410 reviews
story57 positive mentions
grinding76 negative mentions
  • The game features a heartfelt narrative that balances humor and dark themes, making it emotionally engaging.
  • The combat system is in-depth and allows for a variety of strategies through the use of different forms and abilities.
  • The art style and soundtrack are charming and enhance the overall atmosphere of the game.
  • The game can be grindy, especially on Normal mode, which may frustrate some players.
  • Some players may find the pacing slow, particularly in the early stages of the game.
  • There are occasional technical issues, such as frame rate drops and crashes, which can detract from the experience.
  • story279 mentions

    The story of "Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass" is widely praised for its emotional depth and clever delivery, exploring complex themes through the perspective of an eight-year-old boy. While many players find the narrative engaging and filled with memorable characters, some criticize its fragmented structure and the necessity of grinding, which can detract from immersion. Overall, the game is recommended for those who appreciate rich storytelling, though players are advised to consider using easy mode to fully enjoy the narrative without the hindrance of challenging gameplay.

    • “The story in 'Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass' is phenomenal, expertly crafted to present a story from the perspective of a child while also handling serious subjects amazingly.”
    • “The story is whimsical and fun, the game goes from 0 to 100 in an instant, and you'll feel a large variety of different feelings throughout the game.”
    • “Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass has a deeply creative and meaningful story, juxtaposing childhood innocence with frightening horror.”
    • “The story is heavily fragmented.”
    • “The story drags on and on, and it's okay to have cushioning between important moments, but the cushioning is usually filled with boring characters and scenarios.”
    • “The amount of actual story here is for a game half its length.”
  • music162 mentions

    The music in "Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass" has received widespread acclaim for its variety and quality, with many reviewers praising the soundtrack as a standout feature that enhances the game's atmosphere and emotional depth. While some tracks may feel repetitive or less engaging, the overall composition is described as catchy, fitting, and memorable, contributing significantly to the game's charm and immersive experience. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the best aspects of the game, with a diverse range of themes that complement the gameplay and narrative effectively.

    • “The music is so varied, catchy, and suits the situations/areas so well; the unspeakable horrors are inspiringly eerie and so damn mysterious and interesting.”
    • “The soundtrack is amazing, with a wide variation, and there's no moment where I got bored of hearing the same soundtrack multiple times.”
    • “The music is incredible and is half of the reason the nightmare areas have such good atmosphere.”
    • “The music starts out pretty bad, but as the game progresses, I can tell the developers got better at composing since the later songs are good (they don't loop properly though).”
    • “In a few places, the music can be pretty repetitive, especially if you're grinding.”
    • “It's a little disappointing that bosses don't all have their own themes.”
  • gameplay151 mentions

    The gameplay of "Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass" is praised for its innovative mechanics, particularly the "imagination" system that allows for character transformation and strategic combat, providing a unique twist on traditional RPG elements. Players appreciate the game's depth, variety of content, and engaging battle mechanics, although some find the difficulty level and grindy aspects to be frustrating at times. Overall, the gameplay is considered solid and enjoyable, with a blend of humor, charm, and emotional storytelling that enhances the experience.

    • “The 'imagination' mechanic of the game is awesome; it adds so much variety to the already interesting fights and helps to reward late-game exploration.”
    • “The gameplay has a crazy amount of detail; the game isn't easy, so it does require a good amount of strategy to be able to get past some bosses.”
    • “With a massive amount of ability to customize your kit through both abilities and equipment, this game does an amazing job of giving you a wide array of tools while still providing rich, challenging gameplay.”
    • “Things got a bit tedious as the game’s actual gameplay is fairly generic in terms of RPG Maker games.”
    • “Unfortunately, the game is not very fun for the majority of its gameplay.”
    • “This and the bland and slow overworld sections make gameplay a chore.”
  • grinding78 mentions

    The reviews indicate that grinding is a significant aspect of the game, often described as tedious and time-consuming, particularly on normal difficulty. Many players found it necessary to switch to easy mode to reduce the grinding required for boss encounters, which helped improve their overall enjoyment. While some appreciated the challenge and depth of the combat, the consensus suggests that excessive grinding detracts from the game's pacing and immersion, with calls for a more balanced approach to difficulty and experience gain.

    • “The game features incredibly well-designed JRPG combat with good customization, transparency about what skills do, challenging bosses, and very little to no grinding as long as you're engaging in side content.”
    • “It could be an amazing game if it had a 'story mode' difficulty that requires little to no grinding, better pacing, and improved level design to minimize the chances of missing optional areas.”
    • “The sheer amount of time I spent grinding ruined a good portion of the experience for me.”
    • “I didn't enjoy the whole grinding aspect of it and had to 'run' from battle to enjoy the pace (after changing the difficulty).”
    • “Grinding is needlessly time-consuming.”
  • graphics72 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising its unique art style and vibrant visuals that evoke nostalgia for titles like Earthbound. While some players appreciate the charming and imaginative aesthetics, others criticize the simplicity and limitations of the RPG Maker engine, noting that the graphics may not appeal to everyone. Overall, the visuals are seen as a fitting complement to the game's deep storytelling and varied gameplay, enhancing the overall experience despite some technical shortcomings.

    • “With an emphasis on exploration, you get to visit various locations with distinct and unique art styles.”
    • “The earthbound-inspired artwork is a treat for the eyes, and Jimmy's empathy mechanic allows for a wide array of varied playstyles and strategies.”
    • “Everything about this game is wonderful; the graphics and music are fantastic, creating a dreamlike and surreal atmosphere that I immediately fell in love with.”
    • “The art style is flat and lifeless.”
    • “Graphics aren't great; I understand the creator is going for that Earthbound look, but there's a lot of simple colors and structures that don't really look great, and I feel this will hurt the game sales a lot more than he thinks.”
    • “I feel the game's weakest point is its graphics.”
  • emotional64 mentions

    "Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass" is praised for its deeply emotional narrative that blends humor, warmth, and darker themes, creating a compelling emotional rollercoaster. Players report being profoundly affected, often crying during key moments, while the game's clever storytelling and character development resonate on a personal level. The balance of comedy and horror enhances the emotional impact, making it a standout experience for those who appreciate heartfelt storytelling in games.

    • “God, I love this game so much; it absolutely destroyed me emotionally.”
    • “It's heartbreaking, beautiful, and even funny at times.”
    • “This is an emotional rollercoaster and one of the best games I have ever played.”
  • humor55 mentions

    The humor in "Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass" is a standout feature, blending dark, whimsical, and heartfelt elements that evoke a wide range of emotions. Players appreciate the game's ability to balance lighthearted moments with deeper, often unsettling themes, resulting in a unique emotional rollercoaster. While many jokes land effectively, some dialogue may feel forced, but overall, the humor is described as charming, engaging, and reminiscent of classic RPGs like Earthbound.

    • “The characters are fun and lovable, and the story pulls off an appropriate blend of bleak nihilism, magical adventure, and zany humor.”
    • “This game is also freakin' hilarious, with tons of jokes and small gags that made me grin ear to ear and laugh extremely loud at points.”
    • “Jimmy and the pulsating mass does a great job of pulling you in with humor and charm and shocking you out of it with stabs of the macabre.”
  • atmosphere31 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its top-notch design, featuring a variety of well-crafted areas and dungeons that enhance the overall experience. The soundtrack plays a crucial role, with intense and atmospheric music that complements both the eerie and whimsical elements of the game. While many players appreciate the immersive world and engaging exploration, some express frustration with frequent battles that can detract from the sense of wonder and fear the atmosphere aims to evoke.

    • “The areas and dungeons are really cool in design and atmosphere, and there are so many of them, including tons of optional dungeons with secret boss fights which adds so much to the game.”
    • “The music is incredible, and is half of the reason the nightmare areas have such good atmosphere.”
    • “Everything about this game is wonderful; the graphics and music are fantastic, creating a dreamlike and surreal atmosphere that I immediately fell in love with.”
    • “Jimmy wishes he had more time to appreciate the game's atmosphere, especially in some of the more frightening areas, but being thrown into battles so much would often detract from his sense of wonder and fear, and just made him annoyed.”
    • “It's got interesting mechanics and a bizarre atmosphere, but some glaring issues may ruin the experience for most players.”
    • “When the atmosphere is dark, the themes tend to be very eerie.”
  • character development11 mentions

    Character development in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the creative storytelling and the gradual fleshing out of main characters, others find certain characters lack memorability and depth. The main cast, particularly family members and key figures, are noted for their distinct personalities, though some characters feel underdeveloped and could benefit from more depth. Overall, the character design is praised, but expectations for deeper development remain.

    • “I was impressed by the creative storytelling in this game and the character development.”
    • “The main characters being your family members and Punch Tanaka are quite fleshed out; more are better fleshed out than others, and this character development steadily progresses throughout the game.”
    • “There is excellent character development right now; every character of the main team has their own defined personality, and the way the game tells you this is fantastic.”
    • “However, outside of this part of the game, she has little to no character development, and if I took her out of the game, the story would not suffer that much.”
    • “Maybe the only negative thing I can say is that I expected a deeper character development, but hey, I'm just 8 hours in, and the characters I meet in the world are pretty interesting.”
    • “However, his actual character design is just a big cat-thing with an evil smile.”
  • optimization6 mentions

    The game's optimization is notably poor, with frequent lag, stuttering, and frame rate drops, particularly in larger areas. Users have reported issues such as lack of PS4 controller support and occasional crashes, although a beta build is available that may improve performance. Overall, these technical shortcomings can detract from the gaming experience.

    • “The game also has performance issues and can get very laggy, especially when recording.”
    • “The game in its standard state, as an RPG Maker game, is kind of a mess - massive amounts of stuttering and slowdown, doesn't have PS4 controller support, the font had to be changed to a much more generic looking one, and, I'd imagine, some occasional crashes here and there.”
    • “The game does have some stuttering in larger areas.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability due to its numerous optional dungeons and hidden secrets that encourage exploration. While some players find it highly replayable, others rate it as low in this aspect, indicating a mixed reception. Overall, it remains a favorite for many, even years after its release.

    • “The game has tons of optional dungeons and secrets to discover, which both rewards exploration and increases replayability.”
    • “Five years later, it's definitely still the best game I've ever played. Outer Wilds came close to beating it, but this has better replay value.”
    • “5 years later, definitely still the best game I've ever played (Outer Wilds came close to beating it, but this has better replay value).”
    • “Replayability: [b][low][/b]”
  • stability2 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent bugs, noticeable frame rate drops, and crashes when accessing certain areas, particularly after the first act. Visual glitches also occur, impacting menu usage, though these may be resolved with future patches.

    • “Occasionally, the FPS will drop and things will run sluggishly, especially noticeable in the areas immediately following the end of the first act (such as in Legato's bank and in most of the river area). I've noticed crashes while accessing the game's many banks, and a few visual glitches that usually dissipate upon entry and exit from the overworld (although they do prohibit use of the menu while active). As mentioned prior, these issues are technical in nature and could be ironed out with patches.”
    • “The game is buggy.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

90% average critic score

Buy Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass

Play time

50hMedian play time
52hAverage play time
40-78hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 10 analyzed playthroughs

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