The Last Show of Mr. Chardish
- November 5, 2020
- Punk Notion
Get on Steam
Get on Epic Games Store"The Last Show of Mr. Chardish" is a narrative-driven game with a special focus on its soundtrack, which is available on streaming platforms and Steam. The game follows Ella's journey into the past as she explores an abandoned theater. It has been praised for its emotional story and touching portrayal of loss. The prologue, "Act I," is available for free on Steam.
Reviews
- The game features a beautiful art style and engaging visuals that create a captivating atmosphere.
- The narrative is emotionally rich, exploring complex relationships and memories, which resonates well with players.
- The gameplay includes a variety of mechanics and perspectives, providing a unique experience that differentiates it from typical walking simulators.
- The gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks depth, with many segments involving simple tasks like running from point A to B.
- Some technical issues, such as bugs and frustrating controls during specific segments, detract from the overall experience.
- The story may come across as predictable and shallow, failing to deliver the emotional impact that players might expect from a narrative-driven game.
- story21 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The story of this short walking simulator revolves around the poignant and emotionally charged relationship between a provincial theater director and his co-founder, exploring themes of love, regret, and the complexities of creative partnerships. While some players found the narrative engaging and moving, others felt it lacked depth and predictability, describing it as a shallow fairy tale. Overall, the game is appreciated for its artistic presentation and the way it unfolds through various levels and narrative elements, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of story-driven games.
“The story was moving and kept my interest as it was conveyed through notes and recordings and as the characters’ thoughts as you move through the game.”
“The story is really poignant and moving and draws you in with its emotion and charm.”
“The last show of Mr. Chardish is a story with multiple layers and is made up of a central framework with 5 very distinct 'mini-adventures.' The soundtrack is enjoyable and the voice acting is well done.”
“I have mixed feelings about this one, though I got it on sale and would only recommend this to someone who really would be impressed by the art style alone and is easily impressed by a shallow sentimental story.”
“Mostly I just found the narrative to be a dry, predictable fairy tale love story with the odd regret.”
“It doesn't get there, or anywhere close, but it is a decent story of a flawed man told through decently clever metaphorical plays, with actually really good art direction and not-bad (but not great) voice acting.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their enchanting and beautiful art styles, featuring a mix of hand-painted watercolor visuals that create an immersive experience reminiscent of being inside a painting. While some players noted minor bugs and mixed feelings about the art style in different gameplay perspectives, the overall aesthetic presentation is considered a highlight, particularly for fans of visually stunning walking simulators. The combination of distinct art styles across various worlds adds to the game's charm, making it appealing despite its gameplay shortcomings.
“Navigating through each of the plays was clever and the colorful visuals are appealing.”
“The art style really made me feel like I was inside a painting.”
“I was absolutely enchanted by this game's visuals, and I can only recommend it to anyone who enjoys beautiful walking sims.”
“It's not gameplay focused, but still tries to have some gameplay, then doesn't deliver on the strong aesthetic presentation something like this would need to work.”
“The art style for the third person part of the game is an acquired taste that I'm not a fan of, but it can be overlooked.”
“I have mixed feelings about this one, though I got it on sale and would only recommend this to someone who really would be impressed by the art style alone and is easily impressed by a shallow sentimental story.”
- gameplay13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a blend of first and third-person perspectives, featuring simple yet varied puzzle mechanics that engage players without relying on traditional walking simulator elements. While the aesthetic presentation falls short of expectations, the game compensates with a touching story and distinct gameplay experiences across different chapters, effectively conveying its themes and moods. Overall, it offers a charming experience that keeps players invested through its diverse mechanics and emotional narrative.
“I liked the combination of two extremely different art styles and from first to third person gameplay.”
“The gameplay changes with the different theater plays you explore in each chapter.”
“On the whole this is a lovely game that keeps your interest with a touching story and variety in gameplay and scenes in each chapter that makes it worth it to play and enjoy.”
“It's not gameplay focused, but still tries to have some gameplay, then doesn't deliver on the strong aesthetic presentation something like this would need to work.”
“The cherry on top is the story just doesn't support the dull gameplay.”
“Evoking emotion with art doesn't require looking painted, it requires composition, color, lighting, and especially the lighting is so flat and uninspired - even in a level that has light as a mechanic - it's truly tragic.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its emotional depth, featuring a touching narrative that explores themes of regret, love, and the complexities of human connections. Its beautiful art style and heartfelt storytelling evoke strong feelings, making it reminiscent of titles like "To the Moon." Players appreciate the blend of exploration and emotional resonance, highlighting the lingering impact of relationships even after separation.
“On the whole, this is a lovely game that keeps your interest with a touching story and variety in gameplay and scenes in each chapter that makes it worth it to play and enjoy.”
“The game is very emotional, full of regret, lost chances, dashed hopes and dreams, joy and love, anger and disappointment.”
“This is not a game about the story; the beats are pretty clear within the first few minutes. Rather, it is an exploration of the complicated emotional connection between two creative people, how they converged and how they came apart, and how even after parting that connection lingers.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its beauty and subtlety, enhancing the narrative without overpowering it. Reviewers highlight the enjoyable soundtrack and commend the quality of the voice acting, contributing to the overall immersive experience.
“This game has absolutely beautiful graphics and music, and the voice acting was very well done.”
“Music was subtle and never drowned out the narrative.”
“The soundtrack is enjoyable and the voice acting is well done.”
“The music was subtle and never drowned out the narrative.”
“The soundtrack felt repetitive and lacked variety.”
“I found the music to be forgettable and uninspired.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game successfully creates a captivating magical atmosphere that lingers long after gameplay, despite its short length. Players immerse themselves in the experience as they navigate a dilapidated theater, uncovering the story through notes and audio logs, which enhances the overall mood and engagement.
“It does deliver the kind of magical atmosphere that is promised.”
“It is rather short, that's true, but it is well worth the entrance fee, and the atmosphere and mood will stay with you for a while after playing through.”
“The framing of the game is you, playing the actress Ella as she wanders through a dilapidated theater, reading notes, listening to audio logs, and soaking up the atmosphere as you learn about the titular playwright.”
“The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired, failing to immerse players in the game's world.”
“Despite the intriguing premise, the overall atmosphere lacks depth and fails to evoke any real emotion.”
“The game's setting is visually appealing, but the atmosphere is undermined by repetitive gameplay and a lack of engaging elements.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, with a significant portion of gameplay consisting of repetitive "vignettes" that detract from the overall experience, despite some visually appealing environments.
“Some of the first-person environments were pretty nice looking, but 75% of this game consists of play 'vignettes,' which I honestly found tedious.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is criticized for having poorly defined boundaries, leading to players getting stuck outside the game world, which causes stuttering and necessitates restarting from the last checkpoint.
“To make matters worse, the boundaries of the game are 'soft', so I continued to fly into spaces outside of the game world, which resulted in a 'stuttering' and stuck bird that required a restart from the last checkpoint.”
