The Company Man
- August 27, 2022
- Forust
The Company Man is a fun action platformer, but with some balance issues and checkpoints miles apart it's hard to recommend over its peers.
In "The Company Man," become Jim, an average salaryman on a mission to climb the corporate ladder and overthrow his boss. Jump, dash, and use emails as weapons to navigate seven departments filled with hazards and quirky coworkers. With hand-painted environments and relatable issues delivered with wit, this action platformer offers humor and challenge for players.
Reviews
- The game features beautiful artwork and animations, creating a visually appealing experience.
- The concept of using corporate themes and humor throughout the gameplay is engaging and relatable.
- Boss fights and enemy designs are creative and add a fun challenge to the game.
- The game is very short, with many players completing it in under 5 hours, leading to a feeling of insufficient content.
- Gameplay mechanics, such as hit detection and level design, are often criticized for being unpolished and lacking depth.
- The music and sound design are generally considered lackluster, failing to enhance the overall experience.
- graphics26 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning artwork and animations, with many reviewers praising the unique art style and attention to detail. While the game is limited to a maximum resolution of 1080p and lacks extensive graphical options, the overall aesthetic and visual presentation are considered top-notch and contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
“The artwork and animations are fabulous, and the game runs really well.”
“The graphics and details are really top notch.”
“It is a very good game, made professionally with stunning visuals and unique character scenes.”
“Came into this hoping for Yuppie Psycho aesthetics applied to a 2D platformer, but unfortunately:”
“No resolution beyond 1080p and no graphical options.”
“Surprisingly, the graphics of the game are solid, but the lack of options is disappointing.”
- story22 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The story has received mixed reviews, with some praising its humor and entertaining premise, while others criticize it for being rushed and unfulfilling, particularly in its conclusion. Many reviewers noted that the narrative feels disjointed and fails to fully develop its themes or character backstories, leaving players wanting more depth and coherence. Overall, while the story has its fun moments, it struggles to maintain engagement and satisfaction throughout.
“The story is fun with great humor all the way through.”
“The story is funny and entertaining, and so is the gameplay!”
“It's a goofy storyline, and challenging gameplay does make it worth the time!”
“Even Jim's backstory feels utterly unfulfilled, as the ending is just a still image.”
“Honestly, quite a disappointment; you tolerate bad gameplay for a non-story if you get this, so don't.”
“I feel like it is too rushed and the story ends immaturely.”
- music16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players describing it as forgettable or akin to "elevator music." While some appreciate the catchy and original tracks, others find the overall sound design lackluster and even unbearable at times, with only a few standout pieces like the end credits theme being noted positively. Overall, the music seems to lack the depth and engagement expected in a game soundtrack.
“The music is carefree and vibrant, like you’re stealing company time.”
“Love the sound design, especially the intro music!”
“Music and sound effects are really good!”
“I've never heard that in my entire life; I don't know who validated that and who thought it would be a good idea to use that awful music for every single moment.”
“I wanted to take a break multiple times in that very short game because the music was so atrocious that I couldn't handle it.”
“The less said about the banal music the better; save for the end credits theme, which was given more thought than the entire OST.”
- gameplay16 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and poorly designed, lacking essential mechanics common in platformers, such as a duck feature. While some appreciate the quirky humor and artistic elements, the repetitive level design and frustrating save mechanics detract from the overall experience, making it feel like a chore at times. Despite these criticisms, the game offers accessible yet challenging gameplay that some players still find enjoyable.
“It's goofy storyline and challenging gameplay does make it worth the time!”
“+accessible gameplay - challenging and frustrating but not impossible.”
“The story is funny and entertaining and so is the gameplay!”
“But the gameplay is exceedingly tedious.”
“- They didn't even implement a 'duck' mechanic, something you find in 99% of platformers.”
“The save mechanic through the coffee machines was interesting, but it made the game a chore to play when the hardest parts of the stages are often right behind a coffee machine (i.e. save point), which means you have to run through a large segment of the game that you already cleared to get back to where you died.”
- humor15 mentions
- 93 % positive mentions
- -13 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's humor is primarily rooted in a satirical take on corporate culture, offering a mix of clever puns and caricatures that resonate with players. While some aspects of the humor may not land perfectly, many reviewers appreciate the amusing character designs and the comedic elements woven into gameplay, such as health checkpoints being coffee breaks. Overall, the humor adds a lighthearted touch to the experience, making it enjoyable for those who appreciate workplace satire.
“Still, I'd recommend this game to someone who likes platformers and wants a funny perspective on workplace life.”
“I spent 20 minutes listening to him (because I opened his closet), laughing at his corny puns and insanely stupid yet profound wisdom.”
“It's so hilarious when the checkpoint to replenish health is a coffee break!”
“The game is only saved by the funny side of the satire; it's not funny in a traditional sense, more like a chuckle through the nose and a nod of appreciation for a good idea. The most amusing part is actually the 'certifications' you receive after firing employees, rather than the actual gameplay.”
“The humor feels forced and often falls flat, leaving me more confused than entertained.”
“While the game attempts to be humorous, most of the jokes miss the mark and feel outdated.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is criticized for significant bugs, particularly during the final boss fight, which can disrupt gameplay and necessitate restarts. While there are minor issues like controller mapping resets and animation glitches, some players found the overall experience enjoyable enough to overlook these problems.
“The final boss was completely buggy, not panning the camera properly in several areas which forced me to basically restart again, made even worse by the fact that the final boss is 2 phases long.”
“- unacceptably buggy for a game at this price point.”
“There are some minor bugs with controller mapping resetting sometimes as well as animation glitches when you move to an elevator and jump at the same frame or something but the game was pretty fun.”
- character development3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is highlighted by impressive animations and detailed character designs, which enhance the overall experience. However, the depth of character growth is overshadowed by the humor found in the game's satire, particularly in the amusing "certifications" received for firing employees, rather than through traditional gameplay elements.
“The animations, environments, and character designs are all top-notch.”
“The game is saved by the funny side of the satire, and the character designs are impressive.”
“Beautiful animations and details in character design and the background.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
“I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired, leaving me wanting more complexity.”
“The game fails to provide meaningful choices that impact character growth, resulting in a static experience.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect to be excessive and tedious, often feeling like it serves merely as padding rather than enhancing the gameplay experience.
“Grinding is just more padding.”
“The gameplay is exceedingly tedious.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews on replayability are mixed; while some players express a desire for additional difficulty levels to enhance replay value, others feel the game offers no replayability at all.
“Oh, I almost forgot, there is also zero, and I do mean zero, replayability.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed the game, but it would be really great to have a couple of difficulty levels added to the game, giving extra replayability.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized, with users suggesting that its performance does not justify the $20 price tag, recommending potential players to wait for a sale before purchasing.
“All in all, if you want to play this, I recommend waiting for a sale, as it's just not worth the hefty $20 price tag, both in terms of the content it offers and its performance.”
Critic Reviews
The Company Man (Nintendo Switch)
The Company Man is a competent platformer with beautifully hand-drawn artwork. The character designs are impressive. The boss battles are genuine, and each boss is unique in its design. However, the game suffers from some design flaws, mainly around the inability to aim projectiles and duck. This will require you to rethink how you may handle some of the more challenging bosses. In addition, the story isn’t intriguing, and it’s disappointing that the story didn’t match the beauty of the game’s art.
70%The Company Man review
The Company Man is a fun action platformer, but with some balance issues and checkpoints miles apart it's hard to recommend over its peers.
70%The Company Man Review – Climbing the Corporate Ladder
72%