Since the world has faced many different challenges lately, developers have been behind the scenes still working on their passion, games. Those that are able, have released their creations to give us all something to do. Hello Puppets! Developed by Otherworld Interactive, is different. Spooky different, but not Five Nights at Freddy’s scary, it is a horror-comedy adventure after all. This VR game will probably have you questioning any toys that might lying around.
Somehow this plot works when you put quite a bit of thought into it. If you were an old puppet that was forgotten, you might be bitter. That’s exactly how this works. The puppets in a popular children’s show were cancelled and put away for what seemed like forever. Now they want to rule people, but your only chance of escape is Scout, a puppet that kind of lives on your hand but also molded to your brain too? You have to navigate around and share thoughts with Scout in order to get through each place.
With the Oculus Rift you’re undoubtedly going to interactive. Nodding and shaking will make a difference. So will what you say. Scout will remember the answers you’ve given and the conversations you’ve had so keep that in mind. Eventually you are going to build a bond with Scout which makes the game a little confusing. I guess people do have a special place emotionally for their toys.
The game has background history of this puppet show and honestly, none of the puppets look friendly. Puzzle solving with be done in tandem with Scout but don’t be too surprised when some creatures show up. I don’t know what they are but they can just kind of show up out of nowhere. When you reach the end, you might need a few moments to process what it all means to you.
The plot is interesting but somehow the story seems shallow in a way. Hello Puppets leaves a lot of questions. Some questions philosophical and other just confusion. The execution was nice though. The art style is goofy with a twinge of crazy, so players are met with a sense of tension. With so many puppets as well, a two hour game might become longer. Can you pick other puppets until they all get out? I don’t know for sure but I think it’s worth looking into. For a 2 hour game, it might be worth exploring this type of thing.
Overall, Hello Puppets! Is creepy but fun. Following the story is interesting as you learn more. And the end is very satisfying in a way. Playing this will small children might not be advised but older kids and adults should give it a try.
8.5/10
Available on Oculus Rift
http://otherworldinteractive.com/project-view/hello-puppets/
