Rocco's Island: Ring to End the Pain Reviews

*TLDR at bottom* Very sweet game, with absolutely *gorgeous* art. It feels very Alice in Wonderland, as your character just experiences a wide array of strange beings, and there's minimal explanations. I was intrigued for sure. My only critique is that the puzzles are repetitive. you play versions of bejeweled, 2048, and answer riddles via multiple choice, though the riddles were pretty interesting. I got a few riddles wrong until the last option, and I lost a few bejeweled games. Otherwise this is a very all ages game that seems skewed to younger ages. I don;t think that is a bad thing, as I think this would be a cute game to play with your kids or nieces/nephews. I did really appreciate being able to go back in to my file after the ending to get the collectibles I missed earlier. Sometimes the items you can click while scanning for collectibles can trigger automatic plot transitions that move you forward, and there isn't really a distinction between them and other collectibles. It wasn't an issue for most of the game as you can return to prior areas to search, but I wasn't able to fully scan the last 2 zones before I was sent to the ending credits. I was feeling frustrated since I had been methodical about combing for the collectibles. I was super relieved after credits that I could click my file and not only get the remaining collectibles, but actually get a bonus cutscene! Very nice quality of life for achievement hunters, so thank you!! Overall, I am interested to see what comes next from the developers, and will probably buy their next game even if it's geared towards younger ages. TLDR: All-ages game where the art style carries the game. Puzzles are repetitive but not mind-numbing or thoughtless. Well-chosen riddles and the character design make this game worth playing.