Thomas was Alone | a Review
originally published on 05/08/2020;
Hello there, everyone, I am the borderline disabled G.E.M.Simov, and today I’ll be talking about: “Thomas Was Alone”. The reason is that it was the first game I played on a YouTube channel of mine, and I had made a small review on it. As I still remember the entirety of the game, I figure why not go for it?
First things first, I need to point out how I will be rating the games I review.
The reviews themselves will be split into three parts, namely, the Gameplay, which is self explanatory, the Presentation, which is the combination of audio and visual elements of the game, such as graphics, music and sound effects, and, last but not least, the Story, which is also self explanatory. These three categories will each have the opportunity to bring the game 3 points each, for a total of nine points. The last point, which could make a game a 10 out of 10, is the point given by myself IF the game has tickled my anus the right way. It could be the thematic, the gameplay, the way it looked, sounded - anything, if I liked it enough, I’ll give it a bonus point, the wild factor point, the legendary point.
Also, I am a gameplay designer and a writer so I got the credentials to talk shit.
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s jump into this review, like I jumped in your mum’s pus– Nah, that’s too easy.
After that tasteless, but tasty joke, I’ll get on with the review.
GAMEPLAY
Thomas Was Alone has some very simple gameplay. All you do is move around, which is not inherently a bad thing. Seeing as the game, itself, is a puzzle platformer, I don’t think that having only one way of interacting with the environment is too bad. A bonus to this whole thing is the fact that the control is very smooth - it feels as if you are directing every one of the characters just as you intended, with the exceptions of some purposefully implemented mechanics which make everything unsteady.
The player, which is you, has the task to get some rectangular shapes to a certain set of outlines. Most of those outlines are through some walls or on top of hard to reach places, so the player has to move the shapes and align them in such a way that they can jump on top of each other and reach the outlines. A simple enough premise, with a decent execution, but due to the fact that it is so simple, I feel as if it would be wrong to give this game an excellent rating in this field, and so my rating, for the Gameplay, is a: 2/3
PRESENTATION
The way the game looks is very pleasant for the eyes. It is smooth, gentle, somewhat stylized and very, very appropriate for the 2D platformer that it is. The characters pop out of the drab backgrounds, thanks to their bright colors, yet they are not too bright so as to make one’s eyes hurt if they stare at them too long. The enemies, or rather the malicious forces, are all dark colors, allowing the player to easily make the distinction, which is very good.
As simple as the graphical presentation is, due to the fact that everything is a square, it manages to look really good, and, for a game as old as Thomas Was Alone, this is quite the compliment.
On the other side, the sound effects are few and far between, as there isn’t much happening. Whenever the player jumps, the rectangular shapes make a nice little noise, and that’s the most memorable thing about the sound effects. This is acceptable, for I don’t think a sound effect, in a game, has ever been especially memorable to me, or has changed my opinion of the game, even though some examples of AMAZING sound effects come to mind, they do not really affect my rating of the game.
However, if the lackluster sound effects are coupled with a score, musical score, that is, then we have a problem. I’m afraid none of the musical pieces in the game were really memorable for me, safe for the main theme, which plays when the player is observing the main menu. I don’t think that really helps the game, so I’ll keep that into account.
As a whole, the presentation of Thomas Was Alone is great, but it could have been better. Thus, I am giving it a: 2/3
STORY
Now, this is where things get interesting. All throughout the game there is one voice, a narrator, who keeps going on about things, telling the story of the game. It is a little disconnected at first, safe for certain moments in the game itself, after something is completed, but whenever a new character is introduced, that being another rectangular shape, the narrator is there to talk all about it.
Interestingly enough, the narrator goes on to describe complex relationships between the rectangular shapes, details their own thoughts, in levels which have the player exclusively controlling one or two characters, and makes the player care for those rectangles.
However, the main plot of the story is a bit forgettable. There is some system that starts spawning entities, those being the rectangular shapes, then it keeps going and anomalous shapes keep appearing, and then it starts deleting everything. The ending is a little drab and saddening, but I would not say it was unexpected.
The story is rich in philosophical themes and I can appreciate that. I dare say it is the best thing about Thomas Was Alone, and so I am giving it the rating: 3/3
LEGENDARY POINT
Does this tiny puzzle platformer warrant the legendary point? No.
Even though I enjoyed Thomas Was Alone, it didn’t spark something within me. I clearly remember the visuals, so maybe they stuck, but I wouldn’t say that’s something to brag about, seeing as they were so simple, I’d be hard pressed not to be able to remember them. The game is fun, and I would recommend it, as it isn’t too difficult, but I would not go on to brag about its greatness. 0/1
CONCLUSION
7/10. We have come to the point where I rate the game and do some maths for those who are too lazy.
It is good, better than average, and that’s what I want to see from games. Make them actually good, make them enjoyable, and let them have a bit of an influence on the player through their message and meaning.
I will now tuck it under my belt, along with your mother’s panties, and fly away.
Thank you for reading, be sure to check in next time to have me depreciate your maternal figure even more!