Thirsty Suitors Review

ign.com:

I never thought I’d experience the comedically over-the-top drama of Indian serials through characters in a rural American town. Burned bridges abound and tensions run high as mountains in Timber Hills, but Thirsty Suitors cleverly uses familiar turn-based battle mechanics to let its lovable characters creatively reconcile through self-reflection. Rather than making matters worse, fighting gives them space to share their deepest feelings, smartly showing how we often need to look back in order to move forward in life. While Thirsty Suitors does try to say and do too much through its battles, leaving me wanting more out of other parts of the story, who knew therapeutically throwing hands could be this fun.

You play as Jala, a local skating legend who left Timber Hills on bad terms with both her family and more than a few exes, which puts her in a tough spot when she suddenly moves back home after a bad breakup. From there you’ll skate around town, unraveling the mystery behind a hilarious skate punk cult in an abandoned theme park while reconnecting with the important people from your past. Jala’s talks with these characters carry most of the weight in Thirsty Suitors, with cathartic conversations clearing up misunderstandings and acknowledging past mistakes in the form of fights. The turn-based RPG combat always kept me engaged thanks to how it weaves precise timing into each encounter, whether that's spamming a button to dodge or rotating the stick in just the right way for an attack.

Thirsty Suitors dives into real and serious issues, but it’s lively and over-the-top too. That could be Jala’s dad wobbling in joy after he takes a bite of food prepared by his daughter, or thirst-trapping suitors who thrust roses toward you