Review for Stranger Things 3: The Game. Game for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 04/07/2019
Perhaps because of the distinctly nerdy young protagonists, or perhaps because we are now facing a series that thanks to the structured plot and the charisma of its protagonists has immediately become a cult, Stranger Things is well suited to the videogame medium. Netflix and BonusXP had already tried to link the two worlds in 2017 with the mobile title Stranger Things: The Game which, following a good success, paved the way for a broader game intended for PC and home consoles. Stranger Things 3: The Game is set in that Hawkins that we've all come to know on Netflix and follows in a linear way the events narrated in the television counterpart. Consequently, if you are planning to see the series or have not yet had the opportunity to watch the very recent third season, playing the BonusXP title will prove to be a big and complete spoiler on the events of Mike, Eleven and associates.
Hawkins, Summer 1985
The Mind-flayer and the Demogorgon now seem to be distant memories, however Hawkins is buzzing with the opening of an impressive shopping center that is slowly ruining the small town shops. As Mike and Eleven are increasingly linked by a that goes far beyond friendship, something unexpected is about to turn their lives upside down again. A Russian base, conspiracies, corruption and a new opening that will allow the return of the Mind-flayer, even if speaking of return may not be entirely correct.
Those who have seen the second season will remember well that a part of the Upside Down creature has remained in our world waiting to stretch its tentacles again on the American town. The stories of the many characters, apparently different and unrelated to each other, will therefore intertwine towards the same goal: to find out what is happening to Hawkins. It goes without saying that for fans of the TV series, this sum of the initial events of the title will be decidedly familiar. And actually it is like this: plot, protagonists, points of view and events are exactly the same as the Netflix counterpart.
This aspect could represent an obstacle not only for those approaching the title out of curiosity, despite not having seen the series - and for those who have not yet had the opportunity to discover the new events - but also for those who have already been able to appreciate the recent third season. . The first type of player will certainly run the risk of not fully appreciating an exciting plot due to some narrative holes related above all to the evolution of the characters, while the second type of player, already knowing the narrative aspect of the story, may not appreciate the already known twists. However, thanks to its peculiar gameplay, Stranger Things 3: The Game manages to ensure that the desire for discovery and wonder is not diminished by this.
The Upside Down again?
The title developed by BonusXP is a hybrid of an isometric Action RPG, (who thought of Chrono Trigger?) but with scrolling fighting elements. Playable alone or in local co-op it will give us on the one hand the possibility of choosing the members of our team, using two characters at a time, personalizing our party thanks to the Tinsel - accessories able to give us different bonuses and combine objects with the crafting of the materials found. On the other hand, we will have a purely action title in which we can lead our hands, parry and explode in deadly special moves, always paying attention to the energy and life bars.
In all this, the role-playing elements, in addition to the aforementioned crafting, mostly concern the care and selection of the party and the carrying out of the main and secondary quests. Stranger Things 3: The Game is divided into 8 chapters like the TV series and can be completed in just 5-6 hours of play but, thanks to the various secondary missions, the unlocking of new characters and the many secrets scattered for Hawkins, the duration of the games will increase in an important way. Furthermore, the general difficulty of the title, optimally balanced and with an effective learning curve, will represent a great challenge even for the most experienced players also thanks to the challenging boss-fights.
Team play
Teamworking is certainly among the most successful aspects of the title necessary to solve puzzles, unlock doors and free yourself from the most difficult situations of boss-fights. Precisely in the puzzles, which can be counted, together with some fights, among the most demanding and difficult aspects of the title, the timely and coordinated exchange between the various characters will be essential. After all, many puzzles concern the simultaneous pressing of buttons or the unlocking of levers in different rooms, playing precisely on the passage from one character to another. It follows that for the success of our quests only on rare occasions will we be able to rely on chance, while in most situations, in addition to finding notes and clues left in a systematic way in order to overcome every obstacle, we will also have to use our partner intelligently.
On a technical level Stranger Things 3: The Game is a 2D title with retro and "pixelated" graphics accompanied by the soundtrack of the series, also revisited in a nostalgic key. These elements bring BonusXP work closer to a Nineties Action RPG while maintaining a variety and complexity that best suits today's games thanks to sub-quests, achievements and so on. The animated sprites, which replace the classic particle effects, are pleasant and well cared for and perfectly cope with the lack of three-dimensional graphics. On the sound side, the nostalgia operation is completed by a retro effect and by the lack of dubbing, which is however compensated by the numerous dialogues and ironic descriptions that characterize the various characters. Everything we can read on the screen has been translated into Spanish, then from the UI to the dialogues, taking up names and idioms used in the television series, giving us a further appeal between the two mediums.
Netflix and BonusXP have left nothing to chance and have created a complete title that compensates for the limits of an already known plot thanks to a fun, challenging and well-structured gameplay. However Stranger Things 3: The Game has a limit that concerns its target: being designed for fans, it is not suitable for those who are not accustomed or fasting to the TV series. All this affects some narrative choices that highlight how the title is more enjoyable for the most part by those who already know the events narrated in it. Despite this, the title is certainly outlined as a "luxury" compendium to the television counterpart and can only make the lovers of the series happy as well as those nostalgic for certain two-dimensional titles.
► Stranger Things 3: The Game is a scrolling Action-Beat 'em up-RPG game for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 04/07/2019
