Recently, events like the remastered release of Quake have made millennials realise that, yes, it really has been that long since they were young. Something that certainly isn't going to help with this feeling is The Big Con, from developer Mighty Yell.
As recently showcased by publisher Skybound Games in its Steam Next Fest preview, The Big Con is a game about teenage wannabe con artist Ali, who travels across the country on a money-making road trip to try and make enough cash to save her mother's video store. Taking the form of an adventure game, Ali must scam and hustle her way across various areas, meeting the strange denizens of the world along the way.
As a nostalgia piece for the 1990s, The Big Con is extremely successful. Emulating kids cartoons like Pepper Ann and Doug, with a hint of the sardonic, slacker vibes of the likes of Daria, The Big Con has exactly the right tone of offbeat humor to hit the notes that will resonate best with those who remember the pop culture of the era. From its odd and unique characters through to its world-building - such as the ever-present, nebulous foodstuff Horm - The Big Con is wonderful in this regard.
Visually, The Big Con is also strong, with bucket hats, plaid shirts, and pastel patterns aplenty. There's a vibrancy that almost calls back to the likes of the early Toejam and Earl games, helped in part by the not-quite-top-down camera angle, although some of the character animations do feel a little stilted. That said, The Big Con definitely hits the right marks for the time period it is showcasing, supported by a fantastic soundtrack.
The writing is also on point, with lots of knowing humor about the nineties that goes beyond the obvious references to things like the aforementioned video store. The Big Con playfully prods at subjects like anti-drug PSAs thanks to the ever-helpful side character Rad Ghost, who perhaps embodies the 1990s vibe better than anyone else in the game. Meanwhile, this tongue-in-cheek tone carries over into meta commentary about gaming itself, with some whip-smart writing.
When it comes to gameplay, The Big Con is relatively restrictive in its approach. The player will jump into a free roam area with a few quests to complete - generally to earn a specific amount of money - and then move around talking and scamming people, to 'find' useful items around the map in true adventure game fashion. There is also the opportunity to take part in a basic side quest in some areas, by finding unique items to sell to the off-putting owner of a pawn shop.
The limitations here are pretty obvious, although the gameplay is generally a means to an end for the overall nineties pastiche and a chance to chat to more strange characters. It's QTE-heavy, with pickpocketing always controlled via a timed selection bar more at home in a game like Mario Golf, while stealth is a basic one-button system activated in specific locations. It's not the most gripping form of gameplay, although as a direct route to find another mysterious person to gawp at it suits the game just fine.
There are also a few other issues that come up. Alongside the rigid animations NPCs also have the odd pathfinding glitch, walking across buildings or into the middle of fountains, which is at best immersion-breaking and at worst a gameplay hindrance when it happens to a character the player is staking out. Meanwhile, there are also some dialog issues here and there, with characters referencing things that didn't happen due to player choices earlier in the game.
Overall The Big Con is a charming little slice of nineties nostalgia. It's propelled by its strong writing and world-building, a deep understanding of the era it is referencing, and some fantastic characters, and it's certainly a road trip players will enjoy taking. Although its gameplay is limited and there are some technical issues, it's an earnest and compelling journey.
The Big Con releases August 31, 2021 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Screen Rant was provided with a PC download code for the purposes of this review.
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/38Hc57f
https://ift.tt/3gJG6HB
Comments
Post a Comment