Leaf Blower Revolution - Idle Game | a Review
originally published on 10/10/2023;
Hello everyone, I am the sustainable farming freak, G.E.M.Simov, a mulch monster that wants nature to thrive, here to tell you about "Leaf Blower Revolution - Idle Game".
Simple review details - I rank games on an out of 10 basis, granting up to 3 points in 3 categories, as well as a last, single point from my own self, depending on my experience with it.
In addition to that, this is an IDLE game. Those are barely proper games and so I will put in less effort with reviewing them than I would otherwise.
Gameplay
This game features a Player Character and a plain upon which the Player Character can be moved. Movement is done via movement of the mouse (no clicking or other inputs are required).
In addition to that, there are Leaves that appear on the plain. By moving the Player Character through them, the Leaves are forced aside. If a Leaf is moved outside of the plain (beyond the border of the screen, in case the game is being run in Full screen, or the border of the game window) it is collected.
Through Leaf collection, the Player can purchase Upgrades - ordinary green Leaves are the first currency the Player is treated to - and those Upgrades feature automatic leaf blowers that move through the plain and knock Leaves aside, increased rate of Leaf appearance, increased Leaf value, increased power (making the Player Character push Leaves further away) as well as new Leaf types.
Every Leaf allows for the purchase and unlocking of a new Leaf type, which is a new Currency type, and features a shop related to it, allowing for the unlocking of Upgrades that increase the value of that particular type of Leaf, its rate of appearance and more, as well as the next type of Leaf.
The number of Currencies in this game is caricaturesquely obtuse - there are more than 20 varieties of Leaves, there is a premium currency, a "reset" currency and even more, other Currencies.
So, these Currencies are used for other things, beyond just improving automatic leaf blowers and Leaf value. They can be used for the purchase of items - leaf blowers, swords, shovels and fish. Each comes with its own mechanic, some of which appear more tacked on than others, and each has varying levels of complexity, associated with other upgrades related to it.
There are also Enemies that appear, but the way of dealing with them is very unusual. The Player can use a fish to do some damage to them, but the real way of handling an enemy is by having one's Automatic Leaf Blowers bump into it and by having leaves forced against the Enemy.
There are many, many mechanics in this game. About as many as there are Currencies, frankly, and that’s an obtuse amount. The Player can convert Leaves of one variety into Leaves of another variety, they can automatically produce Leaves, they can grow plants and reap rewards off of that, they can fight bosses, they can partake in the Season Pass (there is a Season Pass in this idle game), there’s… There’s a lot of stuff to do.
That’s actually good, considering what kind of game this is. The more stuff there is that will keep the Player engaged and interested in playing the game is good, especially when it comes to an idle game that grows tedious at an alarming rate. Due to the fact that this one revolves around the Player just moving their mouse and waiting for things to happen, the rate at which tedium accumulates in Leaf Blower Revolution (LBR) is unnervingly high.
Naturally, there are premium currencies that cost real money, and those currencies allow the Player to really beef themselves up and avoid the tedium otherwise presented by the game - as is the business model of idle games in general - but this one allows the Player to earn one of the premium currencies - Gems - without having to pay. The way that occurs is via redeeming a “bundle” in the store that gives the Player 10 Gems per day, and also by completing achievements, as every achievement provides 1 Gem.
It’s not the “end-all be-all” of free stuff, but at least it is present. Another thing that is present, but isn’t anything special, is the reset mechanic. It resets things, making the Player forfeit progress, and, based on that, awards them with the “reset” currency. That currency can be used to gain access to some mechanics, the most important of which is the Converter mechanic, which takes a currency and turns it into another.
Through that mechanic, the Player gains access to most of the rest of the game, as well as an obtuse amount of Currencies, extra levels, and extra content. Thing is, it starts dragging itself down. The Player needs 100 of that to get 1 of this, and then 100 of this to get 1 of those, and then 100 of those to get 1 of these, and so on and so forth, with the options to alleviate the obtusity, but alas, it is overwhelming.
It contributes to the monstrous tedium generated by this game, leading the Player to not wanting to play it, as the gameplay loop is not pleasant - it’s just waving one’s hand around while holding onto the mouse.
Thus, even though the sheer quantity of systems and mechanics that permeate the game is incredibly intriguing and capable of provoking curiosity, the Gameplay itself is so lackluster that I can't give this game more than just one point. 1/3
Presentation
This idle game breaks the convention of having a neat appearance that captivates the Player. LBR is a very minimalist, almost ugly, bunch of pixels, at which the Player looks from the top down. There's a dude's head, there are leaves and some vaguely tree-crown shaped things on the sides of the screen.
That said, the way it looks, in regards to its menus, is simultaneously neat and messy. On the one hand, the minimalist look gives them the appearance of "no-nonsense, business only" menus that want the Player to spend as little time in them as possible, because what's important is beyond them. On the other hand, a lot of work seems to have gone into writing the stuff that's in the menus.
Unlike most idle games, LBR has a dedicated tutorial tab, which is full of written explanations of concepts that might appear in the game. That's quite great, but it's very contradictory - the menus, visually, indicate that I should not be in them, but the content in them draws me in.
That contradiction is present in the game's audio, too. On the one hand, the music is wonderfully relaxed, not very loud and almost ambient, but then the Sound Effects for stuff like collecting a fruit are so loud and obnoxious it feels as though they're not meant to be paired up with those nice tunes that are present.
Another issue occurs whenever the game automatically saves. Normally, this would also affect the Gameplay, but since it's an idle game, it doesn't really do much about that. However, when the game automatically saves, it freezes for a moment, which is quite jarring when juxtaposed with the immense smoothness the game's visuals and movements otherwise present.
Overall? A game of many opposites, visually. It's neat, but it's also a bit ugly, it sounds well, but it also makes you not want to hear it, and so on. A tentatively, contradictorily decent appearance does not manage to stand up to scrutiny, but still does some things not done by other idle games, which should be done by said games, as a result of which it is passable. 2/3
Story
There is a story in this idle game about blowing leaves. The Player Character gets to work - as it is the appropriate, for leaf blowing, season. However, there are way more leaves than usual. In fact, it’s weird. Not only that, but the Player Character is enchanted by the act of blowing the leaves… And winds up on a fantastical journey, supported by his crazy neighbor, Bob.
Now, the story is interesting, if and only because it’s so outlandish. The Player Character winds up reaching Space, the Void and a plethora of realms beyond imagination. I have to reiterate that it is interesting, but it can be treated as a bit of an afterthought, even if it’s the most enticing part of this game.
Alas, that means it is not as fleshed out as I would have wanted it to be, or, rather, as it should have been. It had the potential to examine some interesting concepts, such as addiction, but it did not quite do that. Still, it is a lot more than what other idle games do. 2/3
Legendary Point
Does this idle game get the legendary point, so craved and wanted by all and none at the same time? Well, I’d almost like to say yes, because of the phenomenal concept and story, but everything else drags that down to a resounding no. It’s an idle game, and it’s a standard idle game - in essence, not a fun one to play. 0/1
Conclusion
5/10. I'd say this is a game of mediocre quality. For an idle game, it is better than the standard schlock presented by the genre, but it is not exceptional at all. In essence, it's a good option for people who like idle games, and not so much for anyone else.
In the bag of mediocrity it goes. A funny idea, coupled with a very interesting, albeit flawed story, it will remain in the dust, waylaid by better things.