Bugsnax

[DANGERMAN]

I'm not sure how much people know about what this is, but I've been playing it during the week and I'm a few hours in. It feels like the gameplay loop has been set in stone at this point, for better or worse, I don't think the game is going to change too much

 

Gameplay wise things are fairly simple. You'll be tasked with catching specific Bugsnax, some are really easy to catch, just set a trap and wait for their patrol route to take them in to it then activate it. Others you'll need to coax over with various flavour of sauces. And some you'll have to be a bit more creative about, maybe they're too hot or cold to touch, maybe they're protected in some way, so you'll have to do a bit more than fling a trap down

 

The point of all this is to meet the demands of the islanders (grumpus) to convince them to move back to their village. Once you've done that they'll give you some side quests and you'll be able to interview them, which moves on the larger story of where their leader is. It's here where things get a bit more interesting. It's not, so far, anything especially dark, but there's definitely more going on with these characters than just being wacky muppets

 

It's... alright. I'm finding it hard to play for long periods, having to move back and forth between areas to find specific bugsnax, particularly if there's a time of day requirement to them or your backpack is full, it can be a bit of a grind. One of those games that's not in any way bad, just not necessarily all that much fun

[DisturbedSwan]

Started this last night and I'm not really too sure what to make of it so far.

 

It has a lot of charm to it but the way it plays is severely lacking and I'm not sure it's going to evolve much at all in the hours to come to be honest. I really like the kind of dark mysterious vibe it gives off, something has happened and you don't know how or why it has happened or if they're alive, dead or been killed by something or another, I really dig it. But then the actual catching of Bugsnax is just a bit mundane, it's not bad and I like the Snax's designs and character but there just doesn't really seem a lot to it, you put bait out or put a trap behind them and wait for them to walk into it pretty much. A few have differed from this like the Bunder which was cool but there still isn't really a lot to it. 

 

I like the characters though. Filbo is kind of a Napoleon Dynamite character really, you can't help but feel sorry for him and want to like him, his whole story and demeanour is just a bit sad and depressing, poor dude. Whereas others like Wambus and Buffetta are completely different, the former being a gruff no nonsense farmer type and the latter seeming like she just got off the set of Mean Girls circa 2004. 

 

So a mixed bag really. Tons of charm and lots of cool characters but the way it plays is quite lacking for me so far.

[DisturbedSwan]

Finished this earlier today, took me about 14 hours. I'm going for the Plat so caught all the Snax, did all the side quests and pretty much everything else the game has to offer. 

 

Fair to say my thoughts on it have ended up in pretty much the same place as my initial impressions. It's a really cool game with some charming, unique characters and fantastic voice acting but the way it plays is still a little simple and grows a bit rote after awhile. Each character you meet and have to corral back to the hub town has a distinct unique personality, from the singer to the faux mystic to the gym bro they all feel unique and are just pleasant to talk to and get to know, no one feels ordinary, everyone has a personality and a backstory. 

 

But the way it plays still felt a bit lacking to me at the end of the game. As you go through you unlock more and more ways to capture Bugsnax which means you end up going back to areas and catching previously uncatchable Snax, when you first get introduced to all these new tools it's a nice feeling and it's satisfying learning how to catch new snax in each new region with these tools but after about 7-8 hours you have all these tools so you're just going through the motions after that really, you're not learning anything. I wanted to catch all Snax so this meant going back to all regions and making sure I'd caught them all and they were showing in my Snakodex, it just gets a bit tedious after awhile. 

 

I will say though that the story and side quests really surprised me. The story isn't what you'd expect at all and is darker than I'd imagined, someone's missing at the start of the game and the more people you bring back to the hub town the more clues you unlock as to her fate and possible whereabouts. The clues are handed out just enough to make you want to get the next clue and know more, it's very cleverly handled. The way things escalate towards the end and the conclusion itself is very well done, it ends in a satisfying manner whilst having some terrifying revelations and heartfelt moments. Most side quests aren't more than standard fetch quests but they do reveal a little more about the different characters' personality and bring some secrets to the surface. The ones to collect the legendary Bugsnax are really really cool as well, I actually would've loved to of had more of these in the game. 

 

But yeah, it's ultimately the way the game plays that lets it down. It just needed to take another step somewhere after you get all your tools, throw in some more puzzle elements or legendary Bugsnax or something to keep you guessing. The story, some side quests and the personalities of the people in the game do go some ways in making up for it but it doesn't fully get there. I do recommend it (particularly as it's included with PS+) but just don't expect the actual catching of Bugsnax to wow you at all. 
 

Spoiler

 

[DisturbedSwan]

Picked up the Platinum last night and that's me done with it I think. 

 

 

[mfnick]

Not got much to add from the above posts, but I’m so glad they made this a PS+ game. I probably wouldn’t have tried it otherwise but I’m really quite enjoying it from my time with it so far. The characters, Bugsnax design and the multiple adorable ways they say their names are carrying it well so far. 

Can already tell the time of day and backpack stuff is going to annoy but I’d say it’s definitely still worth playing. I’m pretty sure I’ll see it to the end just to see where the story goes (strangely enough) and to see the rest of the designs.