September 26th 2024.
Bloomtown is a charming game that combines the best elements of Persona, Stranger Things, and Stardew Valley. It offers a heartwarming story about a demonic invasion and maintaining an allotment. In a world filled with chaos, games like Bloomtown provide a much-needed escape for a few hours. These cozy games often have a nostalgic 16-bit style that takes us back to the good old days of the early 90s. They focus on themes like friendship, farming, and running a café, offering a break from the constant action and violence of regular video games.
The setting and style of Bloomtown are reminiscent of these cozy games, with a top-down view similar to early Zelda games. It follows the story of two siblings, Emily and Chester, who are sent to live with their grandfather in the countryside while their mother focuses on work. Fans of Gravity Falls will instantly recognize the setup, as Emily and Chester embark on a journey of playing detectives.
Emily takes a job at the local grocery store to earn some pocket money, where she meets a group of children who are searching for their missing friend. At first, it seems like a simple game of hide and seek, but it soon becomes clear that their friend has been taken by dark forces, similar to those in Stranger Things. Bloomtown's version of the Upside Down is the Underside, a colorful and demon-filled world that players must navigate through in turn-based battles. These battles are heavily influenced by Persona, although not as complex.
The combination of these different elements creates a unique and intriguing game. It's a 90s-style role-playing game with a modern twist, a sense of humor, and child characters who must take on adult responsibilities when danger strikes their town. During the day, players can do various activities like working at the grocery store, going to the gym to increase Emily's hit points, or visiting the library to gather clues. In the afternoon, they can explore the Underside, battle demons, and rescue innocent townspeople who have been kidnapped.
There's always something to do in Bloomtown, but never enough time to do it all. Players can try their hand at gardening, growing crops that can be used to cook meals and restore health after battles. They can also craft gadgets and lockpicks, read books, solve puzzles, play the lottery, or visit the pawn shop. And of course, there's a fishing mini-game, because what cozy game would be complete without one?
As players complete activities, they can increase their stats for smarts, charm, guts, and proficiency, which affect their problem-solving abilities, charisma, ability to stand up to adults, and success with mechanical tasks. There are also combat stats that determine a character's skills in battle. Each character also has a personal demon that they can use to cast spells, similar to Persona. These demons can be upgraded as players level up and can also be captured and added to the team.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of Bloomtown is spending time with the different characters and unlocking their backstories. This not only adds depth to the story, but also grants new abilities to help in battles. However, players must also balance their time wisely, as days in the game seem to fly by. Sometimes, players may accidentally neglect their gardening duties or miss important clues, resulting in a bit of aimless wandering until they figure out what they missed.
While there are a few typos in the dialogue, overall, the writing is excellent. The game can be a bit finicky at times, with some interactions being a bit difficult to execute with the single action button. Occasionally, party members may get in the way or trigger a conversation instead of completing a task. However, these minor flaws do not detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
Bloomtown is a delightful game that seamlessly combines different influences to create a cohesive story and battle mechanics. It's a modern take on faux 90s role-playing games, with a charming setting that incorporates both cozy and spooky elements. Despite the mature themes in the background, the game remains warm and engaging, with a generous leveling system and a story that is both addictive and cozy.
Overall, Bloomtown receives a score of 7/10. It is available on multiple platforms, including PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, for a price of £19.99. Published by Twin Sails Interactive and developed by Lazy Bear Games, Bloomtown was released on September 24th, 2024. It is rated 16 for strong violence, although the pixel art style may make it difficult to reconcile with this rating.
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