Game 134 - Ballistick - Week X - May 24

allistick is a game I almost put down for good. Initially I tried playing it on the Steam deck and even though everything seemed configured correctly the inputs just would not work. It feels very awkward and amateur like a student game. The inspiration however is clear, an old school stick figure game reminiscent of those from Miniclip and New Grounds. However some how this ends up being far less kinetic then those games were. 

You play a stick figure who scrolls from left to right, can jump and climb, or crouch behind cover. Using various guns or a knife for the stealthy approach, you dispatch enemies as you navigate you way to the objective. The game has some cool stealth moments, that feeling when you successfully clear a room without sounding the alarm. Or get through a no alarms level. In many levels you can choose your load out and entry point. This boils down to the "front door" with shotgun and Kevlar; the "back door" with a silenced pistol and an item that lets you peer under doors. Or a balanced approach that includes an M4 and a clippy thing to bait and distract enemies. Even though I liked the back door approach I tended to choose the front door, wanting to power on and see it through. Somehow the art style has all the trappings of a flash game with none of the charm. What could have been a modernized version of flash art ended up being lacklustre paint assets. One thing I did like was the option for an advanced reload mechanic. This had you pulling off various key combinations to reload a weapon, similar to Helldivers stratagems. This can really add to the stress in the moment and create enjoyable tense encounters that you barely make it away from. The ending is interesting.... turns out you're a clone killing clones for "someone" else's amusement and the target you're to assassinate is no different to you and its either him or you. It's a clever meta way to nod to the player, and how we use to brutalize these stick figures for hours on end for our own amusement, irrespective of their "feelings". It's figure on figure and whoever reloads quicker takes all. Of course it was I, the real clone. This was actually a cool scene with the reload mechanic and slow mo. In the end it was a mediocre but somewhat enjoyable nostalgia trip.