HopBound Reviews

Frustrating obstacles, overly twitchy movement, poor translation, and a narrative I didn't find engaging, largely because of how much it reminded me of generic creepypasta. By the time I got to an annoying platforming section in the caves level, I had no motivation to keep playing.

The platforming is intentionally difficult, but it is also imperfect. Despite its flaws, the platforming can be fun. The soundtrack is nice. I think it's worth the $3 for the gameplay and the music. The story is very unoriginal, though. [spoiler] Some of the dialogue is lifted almost word-for-word from Silent Hill 2. [/spoiler]

Fun game. I enjoyed the story. Most of the boss battles were fun [spoiler] minus the one where you have to run from the monster in the parking lot...Q_Q[/spoiler]. I enjoyed that there were plenty of checkpoints. When I found this game, I was looking for "horror platformers." Turns out - in what I was looking for - there weren't too many titles that fit that for me. This one did. Gunna play the rest of the AppSir games, now. :)

One of the greatest allegories I've ever seen in game. Just play it, you won't regret the journey, especially if you've played their past games

Great game, with a pretty decent story hidden behind a precise platformer. Getting through this games definitely hard and borderline self abuse but the little bits of story you get fed inbetween difficult sections is pretty damn satisfying.

I enjoyed immensly the psychological horror in this game, solving the mistery and piecing it's plot together. The only plus-minus of it, is you need the knowledge from the previous Appsir games to understand most of the stuff shown to you. But if you didn't need it to enjoy this one, more power to you!

Its not really a bad game, but the clunky mechanics makes some of the game sections much frustrating than it should be

[b] Target Audience: [/b] [I] Anyone [/i] [b] Summary: [/b] Many will look at a game like Hopbound and immediately dismiss it due to it having a different presentation and its very cheap price tag. Those players would be missing out on a very contained yet effective experience that plays with your emotions on all sides of the aisle. An effective horror game that starts to get under your skin without being overly in your face: it pulls each string rather effectively while sprinkling in the gameplay to keep you distracted. With that being said: the precision platforming here is actually rather effective and I admit it took me back at times despite it having some weird scenarios that are created. The pace of the game is perfect as it moves you from one challenge to the next, while never overshadowing the atmosphere and the story that's created. And that's where Hopbound shines. I'll openly admit that by the end of the game, I was emotional. Won't say how: that would spoil the game from you, but needless to say that AppSir games knows how to get in your head and stay there. It's a game that opens its soul to you and lets you reflect on your own life while using lessons that many horror games have used before it: but does it in a way that feels “real”. What I mean by that is, the influence for the game (at least I'm guessing the influence) feels rooted in the experiences of a real world scenario that the developer/publisher went through, but adapted to this media perfectly to get the emotions to come through the screen. Look, see that Target Audience tag up there? It's very rare I put the “Anyone” tag on a game. The fact is, games are very much a targeted experience, and not every game is for everyone: not the Personas of the world, not the Zeldas of the world. And yet, I sit here and look at Hopbound as a contained experience that everyone can get something out of, and really is a shining example of small games leading the way in the indie market. Get it. Now. [b]Gameplay Footage: https://youtu.be/4dwfcKv969s [/b] [u] Lists: [/u] [b]Positives:[/b] [list] [*] An effective atmosphere starts from the first moment as the game lures you and and manipulates your unease. [*] A fantastic story seemingly driven by “real world” events but adapted to the medium in a way that makes the player feel every moment. [*] Sound Design is absolutely superb, making you on edge at the right moments without feeling too gamey. [*] I admit, this game made me emotional at its completion. [*] The game's platforming is actually rather nice: there's good precision here while using that precision and expectation in the horror genre to mess with the player. It's a great vessel for the story to be told here. [*] Pacing is perfect as the game moves you along without staying in one area too long, but doesn't rush through anything. [*] The visuals actually do a good job for convincing you of the story of this universe. [*] A game that you'll keep on thinking about after you're done. Sorta wanna bop the developer on the nose as I didn't get a lot of sleep thinking about the game last night. [/list] [b]Negatives:[/b] [list] [*] The maze area did start to really get on the nerves. [*] The shortness of the game isn't a complaint compared to the price: the game is appropriately priced. It's just....I want more of this world. [*] There's a weird slow down effect that I can't even say is a performance issue: it almost seems purposeful in the world, and the fact that I'm sitting here wondering if it was purposeful means the game was effective in creating its environment. With that said: still annoying. [/list] [b] If you want more reviews/information regarding games I've reviewed, visit my curator. [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/6861768/]Dragnix Curator [/url][/b]

pretty cool little title, simple mechanics and some minor bugs. i didn't care much for the story but at least there is one. game might surprise you but i'd get it on a nice discount.

I don't want to spoil too much, but if you like games that try to get in your head, I think for under $3 the experience is absolutely worth it. However, please note that the game can be kinda difficult and it's very easy to accidentally reset your progress when navigating the menus, it just takes one click. While I was frustrated with platforming, I was also laughing almost the whole way. The main story can be completed around 90 minutes, but you can also play the bonus chapter or do some endless runs in the minigame. Overall I really enjoyed the story, it had some spooky moments, and a rather heartwarming ending. [code]For more Hidden-Gems: http://store.steampowered.com/curator/31294838-Hidden-Gem-Discovery/ [/code]