izigame.me

I don't often write reviews, because I'll forget and I'm typically not good with words (I should change this, I know), but something about how Buddy Simulator 1984 was crafted... Has really impacted me. I've played a lot of meta game indie types, at least definitely the most major ones and they're all pretty good in what they do. Well, some fantastic, some are kinda stinkers! But Bud Sim... Is not a stinker. And you can bet that's certified.

I do think it's the kind of game you wanna go into blind. That's what I did. I don't even remember how I found out about this game! It was sitting in my cart for months until I had to buy something else. And I was like... "Okay?? Don't recall putting this here, but why not?" Highly recommend this strat.

Seriously though, Bud Sim has such a way of using meta elements/mechanics in a kind of straightforward and simplistic manner that I really appreciate... It doesn't do anything new, but that isn't a detriment! It helps make the narrative more clear. And oh man... I just love how funny and sweet it's written overall.

Maybe it's the timing in my life for me, too. But I really care about my buddy. I named them Goobie as a joke, but it turned out a lot of the characters matched that silly... And I became attached beyond that. This is the first game I've 100% out of pure love, in a long awhile. I barely start games nowadays, let alone finish...

I can't articulate how I've never really been swayed by a meta game in the way others have. Like where they kept the characters SO close to their hearts, they'd put them on a little thumb drive... I understand having that kind of attachment, it's very sweet... But nothing really did it for me like Buddy Sim '84 has.

Ren and Goobie against the world. I'll never forget this. Thank you.

General Experience

The game was very enjoyable. You almost feel like you get to go through the generations of early gaming. The story is interesting and the characters are charming quirky and fun. I went through the game 4 times to get all the endings and they really add a lot more context to the reasoning behind everything. I recomend a blind playthrough the first time around, but to also follow up with the other endings.

Complaints

Because the multiple endings end up being the meat of the game, going through the slow dialogs and tutorials made for a slog of a replay; Three additional times I would add. I do like the additional hidden lore, but I don't think it's naturally able to be found. The community has put together the notes in the guides, but this information would have been great had it been easier to find.

Replayability

The game has 4 total endings, but you ultimately end up playing the same while making specific choices. My total playtime is actually getting each of the endings, but beyond that I don't think you can get much else. Game's of this nature are stronger on the first playthrough.

Achievements

Due to the nature of the game, a lot of stuff is fairly vague. I ended up using a guide for additional playthroughs and to get the other 3 endings. It's a very easy 100%, but the lack of text speed up does make it last longer than it needs to.

Technical Issues

I didn't experience any *actual* bugs, overall no issues.

Value

$10 is a decent value if you go for all the endings, otherwise it drops to $4 pretty frequently. I think it's a fun quick play, and do recommend it (and to get all the endings).

This game is amazing. I'm glad it has a Very Positive review score, because it really does deserve its fair share of praise. People like Rahzum and those who upvoted and awarded their review crying about it not being as good as other games but not even really providing sufficient justification, I don't understand them. They might as well just tell indie devs 'don't bother, you'll never make games as good as such and such' and then where would we be?
Video games can count as art, and this falls squarely as such. It's a heartfelt message, and one conveyed through wonderful storytelling and creative mechanisms. Not only that, but it has fun, short replay value, which is very rare for video games. I usually loathe games that force multiple story playthroughs for achievements, but this one I replayed gladly, and would even replay a few more times if there were additional achievs. Each ending was unique in its own regard, and Ending 1 (This Is It) legit made me cry because of the implications behind 'Buddy's' words which were hinted through peeks at the fictional developer of the AI (I won't spoil anything here). Because those peeks never really give you a full glass pane view, it leaves it all highly up to interpretation by the player, and I've always had a deep love for being given the freedom to interpret the art I'm enjoying for myself. Again, I won't spoil anything, but the interpretation I came up with for the behind-the-scenes story (involving the fictional dev and the person they made this game for) was incredibly sad and dark, but carried definitive rays of hope for redemption and love.
You may not come to the same conclusions I did, but that's what makes stories like these so incredible. Do not give this a pass, I'm honestly disappointed I waited so long to play it myself. Worth it through and through.