So I Tried... Lisa

Each edition of So I Tried… I will try a game that I have never tried before. Will I find something new to love? Will I find something new to despise? I'll take a full half hour, no matter how bad it gets or how badly I do, to see if this is the game for me. This time I went for the PC indie title, LISA.

What I thought it was

Upon first seeing the title of the game, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was a videogame adaption of the cult smash film “The Room”. Featuring the cringe-inducing female lead, Lisa, spurting out terribly delivered lines of dialogue. Unfortunately it was not an adaption of one of my favourite terrible films ever, but something totally unexpected.

What it actually is

LISA is a side scrolling RPG Adventure game that is easily comparable to the recent smash hit Undertale. It plays very similarly to Undertale, using basic turn-based combat in order to drive a brilliantly written narrative. LISA goes down a different route though, favoring a much darker flavour of adult humor. The game opens with the protagonist trying to comfort a baby by throwing it up and down a few times, he then drops the child on the floor. That moment perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the game. I didn't think things could get any worse, but then I accidentally set a group of orphan children on fire by grabbing a bucket of gasoline rather than water. There have been a quite few of these really shocking but undeniably funny moments so far, but this isn’t all the game offers.

The characters themselves have been my highlight so far, main protagonist Brad “Nobody” Armstrong is a moody chap that seems to rarely talk, favouring violence over human interaction. Sidekick Nern Orator Guan is a chap that endlessly talks about how much he hates his wife, but also tends to add “But bless her soul” onto the end of his negative statements about her.

Will I keep playing

Absolutely, I have already purchased the DLC that is available for it and I intend to keep playing this game a whole lot. The gameplay is fun and the story, characters and setting are phenomenal. Not only that but the soundtrack is pretty solid as well, further sweetening the deal. If you enjoyed Undertale, you will enjoy this. Even if you didn't enjoy Undertale, you will still enjoy this.