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Preview: Little Ghost
While it’s a cliché, I am inclined to think there are two types of gamers. The first is the one who likes hitting their head endlessly against virtual puzzles until it bleeds. The second is the type who likes to actually enjoy the games they play – to immerse themselves in virtual environments with luxurious art design, glorious music, and intricate plots, all while having their minds expanded to new, magnificent horizons.
Since I know many loathe spoilers, I’m not going to say which category I fall under. Only to note that fans of the first form of gaming will, more likely than not, appreciate “Little Ghost” a lot more than the second type.
Preview: Little Ghost
“Little Ghost” – A visually and auditorily creative game
Let’s start with the positives. “Little Ghost” (or its demo, anyway) is gorgeous. Although maybe “gorgeous” isn’t the right word. It reminds me, a lot, of the ‘90s punk-goth scene, with collages that incorporate Victorian lithographs, modern cartoons, and, um, office supplies. But if that isn’t punk goth, what is? (Laugh all you want. I was part of that scene, and there were dozens of girls in Victorian corsets with paper clips holding their sleeves on, safety pins through their ears, and “Sailor Moon” pins attached to the outside of their corset. Fight me if you want to, I’m down for it, but that’s a very fair description of the aesthetic, which isn’t maybe ‘gorgeous’, but is interesting and cool and unique.)
Which is to say that the art is awesome. The music is also great. It’s fun, you can change it up, I love it. The world is one that I’m happy to be immersed in. Which is a good thing as I was about to spend a lot of time in this world.
…that will also challenge anyone with less than speedy reflexes
Yet this is where the frustration lies. Even when my brain said, “oh, yes, I’ve got it, jump to that platform, then that one, then THAT one” my fingers were regularly unable to process these commands. Some of this may be due to me being a PC gamer. (The game does warn that it is best experienced on a Gamepad. Which is great, if you’re used to playing on one. I am not. And the PC commands were interesting. Just saying that needing to regularly use the E key while also using the WASD to move is a challenge for those of us who are not masters of dexterity.)
Which is to say, “Little Ghost” often feels like a test of bizarrely peculiar reflexes. Am I capable of hitting the jump button at the right time, then, miliseconds later (but not simultaneously, as I have learned to my dismay), hitting the float button? Theoretically, yes I am. In practicality, it turns out that while I am sometimes capable of doing such a thing, I’m only capable of doing it often enough to give me the false hope that I’ll eventually clear the level. (Spoiler alert: I will not. At least not in a short period of time.)
A rewarding platformer for those who like a challenge, frustrating for those who prefer a more relaxing experience
There are people who love this kind of thing. Somewhere out there, even now, is someone scrolling past “story mode” and instead clicking “nightmare” for reasons incomprehensible to any human who has not gazed into the void and had it stare back at them. For these people, “Little Ghost” will be a transcendent experience. A challenging puzzler with great visuals and music? Sign them up!
But while I hardly claim sanity, I’m not there yet. So while I think “Little Ghost” is great for someone, it’s not for me. Instead I’m going to play something simple and non-taxing. The kind of game I can turn off my brain to and enjoy. Like, IDK, “Kerbel Space Program”. I’m sure that has an easy learning curve. How could it not, with all those cute little kerbals??? Time to turn my brain off and get kerbling.
Spoiler Alert: “Kerbal Space Program”, like so many of my ambitions, did not go as well as planned.
Preview: Little Ghost
This preview was based on the demo version for PC available on Steam.
Developer: Alan Abadessa-Green and team
Country of Origin: NA
Publisher: Sync Book Games
Release Date: TBC 2023
For more indie game previews, check-out the Into Indie Games preview page.