Juicy Realm
Developed by: SpaceCan Games
Published by: X.D. Network
Genre(s): Roguelike, Bullet Hell
Platform(s): Microsoft Windows, OS X
Availability: Out Now
Synopsis: In Juicy Realm, several years in the future, plants started to sprout arms and legs, and began to develop self-awareness. Humanity did not grasp how much of a threat these creatures posed as they take over the world and top them on the food chain.
You know, I wouldn’t say that Juicy Realm is a long game, in fact I had my fun with it in about a weekend, but it was a fun game that I enjoyed even though I totally had my ass handed to me quite often. What can I say, I am not the best player when it comes to bullet hell games. I love them, but oh man, do I suck at them. I mean, it is the worst gaming experience I have in gaming but I love playing them. Now, add that aspect into a roguelike, procedurally generated level design to the game and I really had to dust off some serious skills to get through the games.
Now, despite not being great at bullet hell games, I did manage to log in about 15 hours in the game and way some pretty decent headway through the game as was generally enjoying the story about how these fruits managed to top humans as the top lifeform on the planet. It was a funny yet serious and quirky story that had me traversing the world trying to upgrade my gear to continually press forward and continue challenging the more and more difficult areas of the game. Oh man, you don’t know how many times I failed just the opening level trying to get my bearings in the game. I found a little more luck once I ditched trying to use the tried and true WASD method to control my character and finally opted for a controller and utilized the twin stick maneuverability, but even then, I had some difficult but fun times with Juicy Realm.
Still, it made it easier for me to get around the game with the twin stick combo, but even after all that, all I could muster for this kind of game, which I do enjoy… but you can only suck so much at a game before it starts to get a bit tiresome. And that is not a knock on the game: to be fair, I think that Juicy Realm is a fun and entertaining game, but after 15 hours of really going slow and nowhere, that was about all I could muster with the game. I am sure that if I was better at these roguelike, bullet hell combo games, I would enjoy this game and play it more. But the knock here is on me as I just let my frustration get the best of me. Hell, I watched my son play the game with better results than I got and he seemed pretty entertained with it.
And it is with that in mind that I believe I could definitely suggest Juicy Realm to other gamers out there. My lack of skill not withstanding Juicy Realm is a fun and quirky game. But for my taste, I think I am done with the game… at least until another weekend when I feel like picking it up again.
