Humour is something that doesn’t come along all that often with the games I have played over the last few years, as many developers take a serious stance with their story telling. However, Zoink Games didn’t get that memo, and have released a trio of games now with their own brand of madcap and downright silly Swedish humour to entertain gamers. Previous titles Stick it to the Man and Zombie Viking’s share the same zany comedic content as well as the paper thin characters and worlds which have become a staple of their game worlds. Not it’s the turn of Flipping Death.
First of all, I have to admit, I am in love with the Zoink Games catalogue thus far and have played Zombie Vikings and Stick it to the Man all while having a darn good chuckle to myself. One of the best Indie developers I’ve had the pleasure to have contact with, and I adore the quirky nature of each and every title. Their unique brand of zany, madcap and random humour is layered on just right in all their games without taking anything too far and turning it into an overused joke. Flipping Death follows this road and brings forth some more crazy antics.
The story revolves around Penny, who has recently just died on her way home. Not fully accepting this as fact, even when she meets the Grim Reaper, who in turn informs her that she’s the new temp worker he’s hired so he can have a vacation. On the moon of all places. Trust me, it’s far funnier when you can audibly hear the delivery from what is always top notch voice acting. Handed his scythe and a black hooded cloak, it’s now up to Penny to deal with the dead and immediately, you will start to unravel the story.
Before you can do anything in terms of interaction with the living, who live on the flip side of the world of the dead, you need to collect a certain type of soul, and a set amount of before you can possess them and subsequently manipulate them to your will. Not only that, but mind reading will open up some quite frankly funny dialogue with them. From a young girl that chews on people, to a costumed man that has an urge to poke anything and everything, the cast of bizarre and wonderful characters that inhabit the world of Flipping Death are all their own unique personalities that bring life to a strange and weird setting.
As already mentioned, voice acting is superb and each actor brings their character to life in believable fashion, with every one being a pleasure to interact with and offering unique puzzles to solve or being a help to solve others as you search for who took your body and why. Each level offers new challenges to partake in and complete. Not a necessity, but it’s a bonus if you wish to unlock the ghost cards in the game for each character and learn some amusing facts about them.
Gameplay is simple to learn, and in no time you’ll soon be wielding your scythe and possessing the mortals to obey your commands. Switching between worlds is as simple as collecting enough souls and holding down a button. Throw in some ear pleasing audio and a fun story, and this is one recipe that will guarantee you’ll be satisfied with.
If I were to call Flipping Death our on any faults, then I’d certainly struggle. In my time playing it, I didn’t find any negatives, and the more I looked for faults, the more frustrated I became as not many games will deserve a perfect ten from me. But there is one minor thing, and that’s direction. At first you may be unsure if which way to go in terms of advancing the story, but in the game’s defence, it’s not all that hard to figure out with a bit of thinking. Some people may not like the artwork, but given the sense of humour that’s infused with each of Zoink’s games, it is a perfect fit and certainly a stand out point.
Verdict
Flipping Death is quite simply fantastic. I love the artwork, the voice acting, Hell, the whole package is superb and I cannot fault the game or developer. Once again, they’ve provided a title worthy of your money and definitely warrant being named as one of the best Indie developers on the ID Xbox program. If you like your Indies, or have a madcap sense of humour, Flipping Death is unmissable.
Developer: Zoink Games
Publisher: Zoink Games
Release Date: 6th August 2018
Price: £15.99
File Size: 3.21GB
Xbox One copy provided for review purpose.
Xbox One copy provided for review purpose.
Available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Steam & Xbox One