Wednesday, 27 September 2017 07:00

Slap Village: Reality Slap Review

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Only 90’s Kids Will Remember

With the feeling of nostalgia running rampant, and meme’s like Only 90’s Kids Will Rememberspanning across the internet, it’s safe to say that we ALL wish time travel was a thing of the present to take us to our beloved past. But fret not, the days spent dreaming of your favorite point-and-click adventure games is a thing of the past. With MonkToons S.L newest title Slap Village Chapter 1: Reality Slap, you can instantly leap into the past (Actually, it may be more of a leisurely walk, depending on the speed in which your computer downloads and installs it).

Slap Village presents itself as the quirky, “I’m not like most girls” title, and it rightfully does so. You, Lurditas, and your adorable and sentient mouse friend, Rasta, set out to spend time with Grandma, who lives in the slap happy Slap Village. Your story takes place in a western world (not to be confused with HBOs West World), complete with Wi-Fi, aliens, foot wrestling, native american film makers, and the most helpful piece of paper, reminiscent of the Psychic paper from Doctor Who.

In the first few minutes of gameplay, it becomes abundantly apparent that Slap Village is one of those wacky games that pulls you in with its strange yet charming characters, and equally as strange and enthralling story.

The Good, The Bad, and the Moderately Alright

What sets aside a point & click apart from its brothers and sisters is its ability to tell a story that, at its core, compensates for its very basic gameplay. MonkeyToons S.L does an excellent job bringing the game to life with its cartoonish art style, again conjuring feelings of nostalgia. While some may find it off putting, I see no reason for them to try and reinvent the wheel. Their story is presented in a sort of “matter of fact” dry humor that will have you laughing or maybe a little confused (as to if the joke was intended to be that of adult humor or just a strange line).

The previously mentioned Wi-fi-equipped-western-world is filled with memorable characters and brought to life through your interactions. It feels very fleshed out in every aspect, riddles with jokes and details that do not forward the story but rather make you feel like you are a part of Slap Village. Throughout the world you will run into kooky characters who are far from your run of the mill side characters, as well as do a couple mini games like chasing down train riding a race pig, or wrestling with your feet, all while solving the classic puzzles of a point & click, it’s a little strange, right? But that is a part of its uniqueness.

Without going into detail and spoiling anything, Slap Village follows you — a girl with a pet mouse, a spirit of adventure, books of the following topic: conspiracy theories, quantum physics, and family memories, as well as having a “very exotic crystal” that has magical powers that you have yet to figure out. Which, even though we are one (out of three) episode in, hint at the direction of the game.

While this game does have full voice acting, furthering its immersion, the voice acting isn’t top of the shelf. MonkeyToons S.L is a Spanish company, based in, you guessed it, Spain. So that does give them a little bit of leeway when it comes to weird spelling, pronunciation, and awkward and plain voice acting, which at moments does send me off laughing, breaking a bit of immersion. But other than that, the title is smooth, nostalgically beautiful, and well its quirky self.

6

The Verdict: Good

At the end of the episode you are left wanting more, ready for episode 2, and left contemplating any conspiracies your local tinfoil hat-wearing friend has been ranting on about. The uniqueness of this title carries it to the end, and is ready to go for a couple episodes more, leaving you intrigued about the conspiracies and ground-breaking truths you have discovered: a solid couple hours invested in a protagonist you care about, wanting to see it to its end, and then twice over.

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Alexander Esperanza

A.W. Esperanza is self-proclaimed coffee addict, with nothing but coffee, adrenaline, and the hope of a new, life-consuming MMORPG to keep him going. You'll frequently find him at his desk with a breakfast burrito and cup of lukewarm coffee within arms length. As a born again nerd, he enjoys competitive gaming, Magic the Gathering, and being immersed in the gaming community.