Game Review: Exerience the legend of the Mermaid Swamp
I’m back with another amazing RPG, this time developed by Uri. Uri has created exceptional games throughout the years and I instantly became a huge fan of hers after playing this game. Another noteworthy game of hers, that is not long enough to have its own review, is Paranoiac. Paranoiac was one of her first games and she has improved immensely since then. I plan on reviewing more of her games, and I suggest you play Paranoiac after you try one or two of her more recent games, to make the comparison. But let’s focus on Mermaid Swamp and see what it has to offer.
Plot
When Rin Yamazaki and her college friends have their car break down in the mountains on a trip, a kind old man appears to save the day and offers to let them stay at his house. What the kids don’t know is that there's a legend about the swamp outside the mansion...After some strange occurrences, Rin decides to find the answers to the riddles and save herself and her friends.
Gameplay
Solving puzzles, escaping danger zones and monsters is the main focus of the game. The mansion has many rooms and there are separate building with more rooms to explore, thus offering a fulfilling experience and plenty of gameplay time. The controls are simple; you press Space or Enter to interact or to collect items, and Esc to open your inventory. You can save at any given time by pressing Esc and going to Log.
In many cases you will have to move back and forth and items that held no purpose at first, might be important after you discover a new clue so check everything, even if it sounds boring, and read well every note you come across. Interacting with the other characters is also very important and you shouldn’t expect for them to always come towards you first. The plot itself is very deep and doesn’t rely solely on the fear factor.
There are many different endings too, depending on your choices, and how successfully you protected everyone. If you want the Good/True Ending, you might need to check a walkthrough because it is very easy to miss a few things or do something the wrong way. There are many players who enjoy going through all endings of such games but in my case, I always aim for the Good End because Bad Endings make me sad and I can’t do it on purpose. But I’m sure man of you will want to see all the possibilities out of curiosity.
Graphics & Sounds
Mermaid Swamp is a 2D game with pixalated graphics and retro sound effects. The anime designs are very detailed and because the game takes place near a swamp, the colors are moody and I found that very fitting.
Conclusion
All in all, Mermaid Swamp is a game that will hold your interest form the first minute till the last. There are so many things to be done while playing that it will be hard to exit the game and continue another day. It is definitely a game worth playing with a good amount of horror but prepare for the feels too. Have you played this game? Let us know your thoughts and impressions in the comments below.
Download Mermaid Swamp for PC here.
Mermaid Swamp screenshots
