Bloomtown: A Different Story Review – Bloomin’ Brilliant

thesixthaxis.com:

If Steven Spielberg were to make a video game, then that game would be Bloomtown: A Different Story. Lazy Bear Game’s latest has the same easy charm, thrilling adventure, engaging mystery, and audience-pleasing action that mark the great auteur’s best films. Bloomtown plays like a likeable combo of E.T and The Goonies, or, for those who like their pop-culture reference a little more of the moment, like a combo of Stranger Things and Wednesday. But despite these heavy-weight cultural influences, Bloomtown is still very much its own, utterly brilliant thing.

Played from a top-down perspective, Bloomtown: A Different Story has the old-school retro RPG aesthetic and turn-based combat that gamers of a certain age will absolutely adore. The game wastes no time getting into the adventure, as Emily and her brother Chester have come to spend their summer holidays with their grandpa in the cosy and welcoming 1960’s Americana inspired Bloomtown. Yet, all is not as it appears, this is a community cram-packed with mysteries and conspiracies, hidden just beneath the surface. Including, but not limited to, a host of demons seeking to take over the place and do lots of nasty demony things.

Bloomtown absolutely nails its style from the get-go. Everywhere you go, everyone you meet, you are offered the tantalising tease of secrets to uncover. It’s to the game’s credit that it mostly lets you off the lead and encourages you to go and play in the world.

A big part of the enjoyment comes from messing about with the life-simulation aspects, working out at the gym, watering plants in your garden, reading a book, phoning a friend – it really is up to you what you do with your day. Sure, there’s an overarching narrative and series of main quests that you can always return too, but for the most part you can discover an awful lot just by going for a wander. I don’t want to spoil any of the surprises, but suffice to say, this is a story that you will relish, with mysteries that are well worth the