Cute Things Dying Violently – Review

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Cute Things Dying Violently is an indie puzzler, available on Steam through the Steam Greenlight programme. The Greenlight programme allows the gaming community to show support for titles that they would like to see available on the Steam platform. This title was first developed as an Xbox Live Indie Game in 2011 by developer Apathy Works and has finally made its way to a Steam PC release in 2015.

The gameplay of Cute Things Dying Violently is reminiscent of Angry Birds, with the player flinging little creatures across the levels. The aim of each level is to deliver as many creatures as possible to the exit, avoiding a variety of traps and hazards, including buzzsaws and fire pits.

Unfortunately, the variety of obstacles does little to spice up the bland gameplay. While levels become more challenging, rarely does this translate to a more interesting gaming experience. The core mechanics of the game are played around with to an extent, but it never really feels like the game is offering anything truly new. The boss levels offer a slightly more interesting experience, but this only serves to highlight the weakness of the other levels.

The game attempts to inject some humour into the game through clickable hint signs, but it is a rare moment when these jokes land. This, coupled with a simplistic graphical style and annoyingly chirpy background music, leads to a jarring experience. In particular, the visual style feels wildly underdeveloped, with backgrounds and objects looking more like MS Paint clip art.

While the game’s physics are at least consistent, a number of bugs exist in the game. Many of these can be found in under an hour of gameplay, and while some merely require the restarting of a level, others are completely game-breaking. While the potential for an update exists, the release of a game with so many issues is somewhat disappointing.

Ultimately, Cute Things Dying Violently feels like a good basic concept that has not been fleshed out into a fully fledged game. It could be the case that another year in development, would have seen a much tighter gaming experience and style. Sadly, the game as it stands does not compare well with other games in a similar price range, or indeed, with cheaper titles. Overpriced, unfinished and lacking in depth, this Steam Greenlight title is definitely better off missed.

Cute Things Dying Violently is currently available for PC on Steam.

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