PUSS!
- August 2, 2018
- teamcoil
- 20h median play time
TeamCoil's psychedelic arcade game has arrived on consoles, bringing all its quirky absurdity with it.
"PUSS! is a horror arcade game where you, a cat, must escape from another dimension. The game features simple controls, intense boss fights, and unique psychedelic style. Compete on the leaderboard, collect cat skins, and prepare for challenging levels with random sequences and flashing graphics, which could trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy."
Reviews
- graphics121 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and chaotic aesthetic, blending psychedelic visuals with a vaporwave style that creates a visually striking experience. However, many players note that the intense and sometimes glitchy graphics can be overwhelming and may even trigger discomfort or seizures for some. Overall, while the visuals are considered innovative and captivating, they can detract from the gameplay experience due to their complexity and potential for confusion.
“The visuals are very trippy and fun to experience, the concept is absurd and will constantly surprise you, and you will most likely have trouble beating some of the more difficult sections of the game.”
“The psychedelic visuals make it both very cool to look at and add difficulty to the already hard levels, which isn't a bad thing for the theme of this game.”
“A great cursor maze game with puzzle/bullet hell elements and semi-permadeath, with a vaporwave aesthetic that has some of the best visuals I've ever seen in a video game, varied level design, and a fantastic soundtrack.”
“The graphics and audio were obnoxious and wholly unpleasant throughout what I played of the game - before I had had enough getting stomped on.”
“Concept is neat, and I enjoyed what gameplay I could stomach, but a combination of what felt like intentional glitchiness (random split second freezing near long stretches, visual tearing as a damage warning, graphics not accurately representing where any given thing on the screen actually was) meant I didn't even get through the first world before giving up.”
“The only downside of this game's visuals are its epileptic moments and its old-school TV style, which makes it difficult to see.”
- gameplay65 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its simple yet challenging mechanics and unique boss fights, while others criticize it for being tedious, frustrating, and reminiscent of flash games. The psychedelic visuals and creative level designs add an interesting layer, but the overall experience can be marred by excessive difficulty and technical issues. Ultimately, the game appeals to those who enjoy a blend of maze navigation and bullet hell elements, but may not satisfy everyone due to its polarizing mechanics and aesthetic choices.
“I would definitely recommend this game if you like bullet hells (pretty much every boss is just a bullet hell) and if you like the world's hardest game gameplay combined.”
“The gameplay is simple and incredibly challenging at the same time.”
“Combines a bizarre, well-crafted aesthetic with simple yet challenging gameplay.”
“The gameplay loop is not very fun; just play anything else.”
“The visuals are neat and all, but the gameplay runs the gamut between mind-numbingly slow, surgically precise maneuvering of thin hallways to snap-judgment reflexes from obstacles and moving walkways, which makes it more of a chore to play than a joy to look at.”
“The underlying gameplay is just moving your mouse through a maze; honestly, not worth putting up with the retina-piercing and epilepsy-inducing visuals.”
- music48 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its unique and bizarre qualities that enhance the overall aesthetic and gameplay experience. While some players find the soundtrack to be fantastic and fitting, others describe it as overwhelming or annoying, suggesting it may not appeal to everyone. Overall, the music is often highlighted as a standout feature that contributes significantly to the game's creative atmosphere.
“Each map is a beautiful work of art, the soundtrack is fantastic, and it very obviously has had love, blood, sweat, and acid poured into it.”
“The levels themselves are absolutely amazing, each one of them is a separate work of vaporwave art, accompanied by an equally sweet soundtrack composed out of truly bizarre samples, just like vaporwave should be.”
“The music to accompany each entrancing stage ranges from soothing and chillax synthwave soundscapes to some odd electronic tunes with voice samples that are bizarre as heck.”
“The music they’ve chosen is the loudest and most annoying type, causing annoyance and frustration, if not high blood pressure, for players.”
“The music is overhyped and sub-par, not even close to what I came for.”
“Add in a 'soundtrack' that at times really unsettles your mind and mood... and it really sounds like hell, right?”
- humor29 mentions
- 97 % positive mentions
- -7 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as eccentric and colorful, featuring unexpected gags and a mix of funny and challenging elements that keep players engaged. While some find the humor appealing and well-executed, others criticize it as childish or overly random, suggesting that it may not resonate with everyone. Overall, the game combines a quirky art style with a sense of humor that can be both entertaining and disorienting.
“There are also some really unexpected and hilarious gags.”
“This game, however, is hilarious and good.”
“The game has a good sense of humor, a good challenge to keep you interested, and 7 different bosses that will literally blow your socks off.”
“The jokes fall flat and feel forced.”
“I expected more clever humor, but it was mostly cringeworthy.”
“The attempts at comedy just made me roll my eyes.”
- story16 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as simple yet imaginative, centering around a cat on a mission to confront occult kitties and a cult that worships demon dogs. While the narrative is minimal and conveyed through dialogues, it features a blend of humor and psychological horror, complemented by surreal visuals and engaging gameplay elements. Overall, players find the story to be a quirky and entertaining backdrop to the challenging puzzles.
“The story is simple but fantastic.”
“I like the story and characters of the game, and the boss fights are fun.”
“I'm pretty sure the story is about a cat battling a cult that worships demon dogs.”
“The game has very little story, and it's told by dialogues between your cat (by meowing) and the rest of the diverse characters.”
“Only thing I have an issue with is the very simple story (as far as I can tell).”
“That's pretty much all I know about the story so far.”
- stability9 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is notably poor, with numerous users reporting severe bugs, glitches, and freezing issues that significantly impact gameplay. While some minor glitches are tolerable, many players experience frustrating and disruptive problems, including erratic hitboxes and unexpected game behavior. Overall, the game's stability is a major concern, detracting from the overall experience.
“Extremely buggy, game freezes and locks up for no reason.”
“Everything moves, glitches out, the mazes suddenly change in shape, and there are a lot of gimmicks to spice things up.”
“The game even screws with you and glitches out at times in a very strange way where it seems like demons are hijacking your computer.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game evokes a mix of nostalgia and amusement through its quirky cat-themed gameplay and vibrant visuals, despite its simplistic mechanics. Players express a surprising emotional connection, finding joy in the challenge of navigating the maze while avoiding walls, likening it to a carnival attraction. Overall, the experience is described as both entertaining and emotionally engaging, even if the gameplay itself is straightforward.
“The entire game has a focus on cats (which, honestly, what could be a better focus) and you draw your path across each of the stages while not touching the walls.”
“Basically the game is that make it through the maze without touching the sides carnival attraction with cats and seizure-inducing visuals...and for some reason I just loved it.”
“0/10 made me feel emotions”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its captivating and horrifying qualities, creating a unique blend of excitement and dread that keeps players engaged despite its challenging mechanics. Many reviewers highlight the distinctiveness of each level and the immersive sound design, making it a standout experience for fans of atmospheric horror. However, some note that the focus on atmosphere may overshadow gameplay mechanics, which could deter certain players.
“The overall feel of the game and atmosphere is really cool and fun to look at and listen to.”
“This game is a low-key horror title; the atmosphere is amazing. Every level is strange and unique, and the challenges just get harder and harder.”
“It is actually horrifying when you turn up the volume and don't expect what's going to happen in the slightest. This game is cursed, but I still can't wait to continue playing it. It's one of those games where you feel like it'll give you a heart attack and burn your eyes out of your skull, but you still want to keep playing because you love the atmosphere so much!”
“But that's almost the problem; the main draw is the atmosphere, not the mechanics, but the game isn't built that way.”
“As it is, it's probably still a hidden gem and has killer atmosphere, but the design pushes me away.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is characterized by its tedious and repetitive nature, requiring players to practice and master levels to progress. While some enjoy the challenge and find satisfaction in overcoming difficult patterns, others find the experience frustrating, especially when unexpected new levels disrupt their progress. Overall, the game offers a mix of skill-based challenges and luck, leading to a love-hate relationship with its grinding mechanics.
“It's one of those games that are meant to be 'creepy' or 'trippy', but while most of those games have quality gameplay, this is a tedious carnival game that you'll experience the most of within 10 minutes.”
“Even though the bosses aren't that hard once you know their patterns, some of them can be quite luck-based, thus making the boss fight tedious rather than enjoyable.”
“Difficulty-wise, it will get easier with time; you just have to keep on practicing and mastering the levels. However, it can be very frustrating and tedious, especially if you get a perfect run and suddenly encounter a brand new level you've never seen before, which can lead to losing all your lives and having to redo everything from scratch.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while players appreciate the initial challenge and progress during the first playthrough, many feel it lacks long-term replay value. However, some highlight the excellent level design that enhances the arcade experience, making it engaging enough for repeated plays.
“It strikes the perfect balance of short, sweet accessibility and challenging, replayable arcade fixation that works together to engage you on a whole new retro level.”
“Which is okay on your first playthrough, as you can get better at each stage and feel like you're making progress - but it also means terrible replayability.”
“Insanely good level design, both in terms of graphics and replayability.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The optimization in the game is designed to enhance player mastery, as it adjusts the difficulty of boss encounters based on the player's performance in earlier levels, making them more manageable.
“It's a design choice that promotes mastery by making the boss easier depending on your performance in the previous levels.”
“The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during intense moments.”
“I found the loading times to be excessively long, which really disrupts the flow of gameplay.”
“Despite the beautiful graphics, the optimization is so poor that it makes the game nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers express concern over Taco Bell's aggressive advertising tactics, suggesting that the monetization strategy may be overwhelming and intrusive for users.
“The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive and intrusive.”
“I can't enjoy the game without being bombarded by constant ads.”
“It seems like every feature is locked behind a paywall, making it frustrating to progress.”
Critic Reviews
PUSS! (Switch) Review
This must be what it feels like to be on catnip.
70%Puss! (Nintendo Switch)
If challenging games aren’t your thing, it would probably be best to stay away from Puss! However, overall, Puss! is a fairly decent game for those who enjoy a challenge, it certainly won’t disappoint.
70%PUSS! Review
If a mini meander of mind-bending meow-sochistic mouse mazes sounds like a good trip to you, then PUSS! Is undoubtedly a great recommendation. Otherwise, the purposefully stringent controls, disorienting gameplay, and rage-inducing cheap-shots might rub folks the wrong way.
65%