Parry Nightmare
- March 21, 2024
- KAKUKAKU GAMES
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Parry Nightmare" is an action-packed game where defensive skills are key. Parry attacks to weaken enemies, heal yourself, and fill your special move gauge. Charge up Honno-chan with power-ups from defeated foes and collect light to banish the nightmare. Can you make it through the night and see the dawn?
Reviews
- The game features a charming art style and engaging music, creating an enjoyable atmosphere.
- The core parry mechanic is solid and forgiving, making it accessible for players of varying skill levels while still providing a challenge.
- The story is relatable and presented in a light-hearted manner, effectively addressing themes of trauma and personal struggles.
- The game is quite short, with only four levels, which may leave some players wanting more content.
- There are significant difficulty spikes, particularly in the final stages, which can be frustrating for players trying to complete the game.
- Some design choices, such as a large HUD and audio oversights, detract from the overall experience and could benefit from improvements.
- music12 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for being engaging, fun, and memorable, with standout contributions from artists like Emi Evans and Osamu Kubota. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a significant highlight, complementing the cute art style and enhancing the overall gameplay experience. Overall, the music is described as a key element that adds to the charm and enjoyment of the game.
“The art style is very cute and the music is a bop all around, and the story is simple but relatable for a lot of our generation - that being dealing with both trauma and just not being able to sleep well.”
“The art and the music are amazing and the actual parry mechanic is very forgiving but still a challenge.”
“The highlight for me was the soundtrack, especially with Emi Evans singing the ending theme.”
“I would buy this just for Osamu Kubota's music alone.”
- gameplay11 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a solid core parry mechanic that is both forgiving and challenging, set within a short but enjoyable experience. While the mechanics are simple and engaging, players feel that additional features like a dash button and improved indicators for boss mechanics could enhance the overall experience. The charming art style and music complement the tense, parry-based gameplay, making it a notable debut in the genre.
“The art and the music are amazing, and the actual parry mechanic is very forgiving but still a challenge.”
“A short and sweet debut of the 'buddy' and 'parry heaven' genre fusion, combining a charming art style and snazzy soundtrack with tense, parry-based horde survival gameplay.”
“The core parry mechanic is really solid, so I would've loved to see the gameplay around it get expanded more.”
“It makes gameplay feel a lot slower than it should be.”
“That's true of the simple gameplay as well, though I think it could've benefited from a dash button for just a bit more engagement.”
“Short gameplay but has a solid core mechanic, just parry.”
- story10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The story is engaging and relatable, exploring themes of trauma and sleeplessness with a balance of seriousness and humor. While simple and not deeply complex, it effectively unfolds through flavor text and resonates with players, enhanced by charming art and catchy music. Overall, it provides a satisfying narrative experience that complements the gameplay.
“The story between levels was fun to tease out and it was an interesting way to shed light on the main character little by little.”
“The art style is very cute and the music is a bop all around, and the story is simple but relatable for a lot of our generation - that being dealing with both trauma and just not being able to sleep well.”
“The story and accompanying flavor text is quite relatable and handles the theme with an appropriate balance of seriousness and levity, with a dash of comedy.”
“The story so far is relatable, nothing deep.”
“Not to mention ultra-forgiving for players who aren't good at parrying but want to progress in the story (which is only 4 stages long, but still nice).”
“The story is able to get itself across in the span of a few dozen bits of flavor text, and the writing and premise are earnest to the point of feeling (at least partly) autobiographical.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The graphics are characterized by a charming and cute art style that complements the game's engaging soundtrack, creating an appealing visual and auditory experience. While the visuals serve as a backdrop for the gameplay, they effectively enhance the overall atmosphere, despite some critiques regarding the depth of character development. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's identity within the "buddy" and "parry heaven" genre fusion.
“The art style is very cute and the music is a bop all around, and the story is simple but relatable for a lot of our generation - that being dealing with both trauma and just not being able to sleep well.”
“Loved the art style, great music, semi-simple mechanics.”
“It's not cathartic... it's not really a character study (the main character is such a typical office lady it becomes nonspecific)... it gives the game an excuse for its kooky visuals, and that's about it.”
“The art style is very cute and the music is a bop all around, and the story is simple but relatable for a lot of our generation- that being dealing with both trauma and just not being able to sleep well.”
“A short and sweet debut of the 'buddy' and 'parry heaven' genre fusion, combining a charming art style and snazzy soundtrack with tense, parry-based horde survival gameplay.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express mixed feelings about the emotional impact of the game, noting that while the background music and premise are compelling, certain frustrating gameplay elements, like the school nightmare stage, detract from the overall emotional experience.
“Despite the killer background music and evocative premise, it doesn't reach the emotional highs I expected.”
