![]() So I wasn’t mentally prepared for Giygas, the final boss, despite things getting a little dark at the end of the game. When you’re playing through something that focuses on so much silliness, it’s hard not to feel like that tone will continue throughout the entire work. That tone would get me to let my guard down, though. The game has a levity that still feels fairly unique. It’s also rare that I come across worlds so colorful and characters so outright bizarre and humorous. And even when it isn’t, I rarely find myself fighting cranky old ladies, violent hippies, and evil fire hydrants. Facing sci-fi baddies or sword-and-sorcery foes is still, arguably, the most common RPG experience. That cheerful, lighthearted vibe is what made Earthbound stand out in the SNES era, and honestly still makes it a unique experience in RPGs even today. Maybe a little intimidating, but nothing serious. The game’s bright, colorful locales, goofy NPCs, and funny enemies made it feel like your final foe would just be something silly, too. There’s all manner of nods that something evil is behind all of the bad stuff going on. Interplanetary enemies murmur about their powerful master. A strange statue seems to appear wherever trouble rears its head. Not that the game didn’t hint at sinister things happening throughout it. Giygas serves as a dramatic turning point in the game’s atmosphere. ![]() But then you face Giygas at the end and the game’s whole tone takes a drastic swerve into terror. And you do so by leading a group of children into the fray, having them fight comical villains, cartoonish monsters, and oddly-aggressive humans. Deal with a crew of moles who all feel they’re the third best. Defeat zombies by laying sticky paper in a circus tent. You battle against a cult built around painting things blue. Earthbound’s Final Boss Turns a Cheery Game Into Pure TerrorĮarthbound is relentlessly cute, charming, and silly.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |