LISA: The Joyful | a Review
originally published on 25/08/2020;
Hello everyone, I am the happy-go-lucky G.E.M.Simov, a fellow who did not, by any means, just go through horrible trauma in a fictional world, to bring you a review of “LISA: The Joyful”.
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. Also, I am a gameplay designer and a writer so I got the credentials to talk shit.
Gameplay
“LISA: The Joyful” is a game that is quite similar to “LISA: The Painful”, however there are a few differences. I would advise that the reader takes a look at my review of “LISA: The Painful” prior to reading this review, as that other one will either be referenced or will cover more of the game’s gameplay and presentation than this one, as I’ve already spoken about these two topics at length in it.
“LISA: The Joyful” is, much like its predecessor, a 2D, sidescrolling, JRPG. It has the combat state and the exploration state. Now, unlike “LISA: The Painful”, “LISA: The Joyful” is more fast paced, due to the fact that the player can now hold down shift, while in the exploration state, and run twice as fast, while also being able to jump over gaps, as wide as two units, which is one wider than what the player could jump over in the previous game.
This mechanic is implemented from the beginning of the game, allowing for better navigation around the world and a more immersive experience, as while Brad, the protagonist of the previous game, was out of shape and somewhat old, the protagonist of this game, Buddy, is young, agile and has been training her whole life for physical activities such as these.
On top of that, the addition of this mechanic is something wholly unexpected. It should be noted that “LISA: The Joyful” is technically a DLC for “LISA: The Painful”, and yet it presents the player with more new mechanics than the sequels of some triple A games do, which is, in all honesty, not an achievement, but it should be considered that the total, combined cost of “LISA: The Painful” and “LISA: The Joyful” is a whopping 15 Euro. Compare the amount of innovation and upgrades in those two games to any two triple A games in a series, let’s say, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, which cost a combined 200 Euro, with the mechanical innovation from 2 to 3 being less than the mechanical innovation from the main game to the DLC, when it comes to LISA, and suddenly things stop making sense.
But enough of that, let’s get back to “LISA: The Joyful”. The combo based combat from “LISA: The Painful” is back, but it is no longer the main focus of the combat. Instead, Buddy fights using a sword, and the player needs to time their button presses right to get the most damage out of the attacks they attempt. This gives “LISA: The Joyful” the feeling of a rhythm game, as getting the attacks right as they need to be gotten means an incredible boost in damage, making the fights far easier for a player who either has rhythm or lightning fast reflexes.
The gang aspect of the game is no longer in effect, as the ending of “LISA: The Painful” makes things quite clear on that front, but there is a section in “LISA: The Joyful” where the player has two characters in total on their team, rather than just Buddy. That helps with emphasizing the feeling the player gets of being alone, of the world being out to get them.
That feeling is emphasized even more so by the introduction of the mask mechanic. Some characters react differently to the fact that Buddy appears before them without a mask, or with a mask, or with a specific mask.
All in all, the game has only been made better. 3/3
Presentation
“LISA: The Joyful” looks almost the exact same as “LISA: The Painful”, with the exceptions being the fact that this DLC/sequel has a far more macabre look and feeling about it. The music is, as previously stated in the review for the preceding game, incredible. The sound effects are sublime, always on point and always effective. The visuals are concise and effective.
Read the previous review if you’d like to know more, as I do not want to repeat myself too greatly. 3/3
Story
The story is different, as one would expect. It follows the journey of Buddy to becoming the biggest deal in the world, which means that she is setting off to go kill all the leaders of every faction there is, so that she can claim the top. Throughout the journey Buddy meets plenty of characters, many of whom are interesting, but, due to certain facts about the setting and Buddy’s past, most, if not all of them, are enemies.
There is one character who is a treasure, in every single sense of the word, but he is a single one, while there are many others. This story, unlike the tale in “LISA: The Painful”, has a lot of hope in it. Most of that hope comes from a character that is not Buddy, but Buddy is the reason why said character is hopeful.
The story, however, is about abuse, and the consequences of it, how even if one was not abused during their childhood, if the one who raised them had their issues or had suffered through abuse, things just don’t end up being normal. It’s about acceptance, forgiveness, humanity. It’s about a fellow who did nothing wrong, and also some other dudes who definitely did many wrong things.
The story remains a shining beacon of quality. 3/3
Legendary Point
Does this game get the legendary point, so craved and wanted by all and none at the same time?
Does the game that killed my BOY, the game that MASSACRED MY BOY, MY MAN, MY CHILD, MY HERO, MY LOVE, get the legendary point? Hell no. But actually, is the legendary point not meant for games that touch me, that leave me thinking about them long after I’m done, for games that never really step off my consciousness? Is the legendary point not made for games that make me react as sharply? Make me develop such a love for a character, to then be able to take that character away and have me bawling my eyes out, figuratively, as I have no eyes?
In truth, YES, “LISA: The Joyful” gets the legendary point. It is a great experience. 1/1
Conclusion
10/10. If the reader has taken the time to look through the review for this game’s predecessor, they would have expected such a grade. “LISA: The Joyful” is another masterpiece that truly breaks the mold when it comes to gaming. It is incredible on all fronts, and should be played by everyone who has even the slightest bit of curiosity about the matter at hand, after they play through “LISA: The Painful”. Play this game, folks!
I tuck it under my belt, another shining achievement that I proudly display. Looking at it, its brightness illuminating the darkness of life, I find myself quite… Joyful.