Title:Â Obey Me
Developer: Error 404 Game Studios S.A.
Publisher: Blowfish Studios
Genre: Indie, Action/Adventure, Brawler, Couch Co-Op
Available For: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Tested On: PlayStation 4
Official Website: E404 Game Studios/Obey Me
Release Date: April 21st, 2020
Where to Buy: PlayStation Store, Steam, Microsoft Store
Brawler games are usually a pretty straightforward genre of game. But as the genre has grown, so too have the concepts that have gone into it. While some titles are simple plug and play, others require a fair amount of practice. Add a couple of demons to the mix, and you have a large-scale war about to break out between heaven and hell. That’s the deal with Obey Me.
I’ve played a handful of brawler titles and watched the gameplay of others. While a good deal of them are certainly worth the time, some of us just really dig the whole ‘demonic power’ aspect of certain characters. With arcade brawlers, I could execute a couple of moves and throw stuff. Developers give us more than that in this brawler title.
Brawler Gameplay
The perspective for this brawler is your standard top-down 2.5D. While the perspective is not familiar it, it made things a little easier when I was trying to figure out where I was headed. When you first start, you are solo, and your first objective is to meet up with Monty, a hellhound. As Vanessa Held, you must venture into a corrupted human realm at the behest of Ammon, your ‘boss.’
Before gaining access to any powers, players should probably get familiar with the combos. Held is granted a standard three-strike combo, as most brawler titles will give you. These combos are executed using different weapons like Azia, the magic dagger, and Vonpho, the corrupted hammer. While the combos themselves can certainly be powerful, executing them is another story.
Hitting enemies with the dagger take far less time than it does with the hammer. The strikes are quick and decisive, leaving little room for an enemy to interrupt her attacks. Some of the finishing moves summoned a sigil that delivers a powerful final strike. Despite the hammer being a bit slower, every attack was twice as strong with Vonpho. I did appreciate the hammer’s ability to summon minions to fight on my behalf. It made fights against certain bosses a little easier.
Vanessa’s ‘warp ability,’ the first power she’s given, also seems to be effective only when the dagger is equipped. Taking on any enemy with the hammer felt like I was leaving myself open to whatever enemy or projectile was coming my direction. All in all, though, it wasn’t enough to turn me away from the fighting. You’ll also have to make sure you get used to falling down every so often. Some of the enemies explode when they die, throwing back both your avatar and Monty himself.
Oh, The Dialogue in Obey Me…
Any title needs to have a ‘fluid’ dialogue. When any title, let alone a brawler, lacks in the dialogue, the game tends to suffer for it. The banter between Vanessa Held and her companion Monty feels natural. Their exchange of words is what you’d expect from any longtime friends tasked with taking out forces that oppose your boss. Just imagine what a walk down the street would be like if your dog could talk. That is how the conversation between the lesser demon and her companion sounds.
Where the dialogue suffered was during the cutscenes. The artwork itself was exquisite. I loved the colors and the shading, but the dialogue between characters in a cutscene was just weird. When Ammon spoke, the speech was so robotic it didn’t feel like it even belonged despite addressing certain characters directly. I understand that some demons are quiet, but a boss trying to take out his opposition should have a little more emotion to his tone of voice.
The Right Taste in Music
Depending on the enemy and their legions, the player hears a different type of music. Facing off against the creatures that served Ors in Obey Me, they sounded like apocalyptic choir music. It made for a dramatic scene and conveyed a sense of hopelessness if I ended up losing the fight. When I faced off against creatures who took a guise that imitated Satan, I heard rock music playing. Hearing the guitar riffs as I spun through demons on fire got my blood pumping.
Final Verdict:Â Obey Me is a holy punk brawler starring Vanessa Held and Monty the Hellhound. The game pays tribute to old-school brawler games with midi-inspired theme music. Despite the handful of glitchy moments, the adventure through hell’s minions was a delightful ride. If you’re looking to add some more hellfire to your library, check this one out. It is now available for Playstation 4, Microsoft Windows, and Xbox One.
[review]