
Garten of Banban 7 Review
I am coming to this game with trepidation. All I know is that my kids are familiar with the Garten of Banban series; and since this is the seventh entry in said series, there must be a reason for this many games. Developed by Euphoric Brothers, the title begins with a warning that there may be disturbing imagery shown. What exactly have I gotten myself into? In the main menu, we see graffiti on the menu background featuring a bunch of colourful monsters; they aren’t scary-looking, so that’s a good sign, right?
In Garten of Banban 7, it seems that you are a parent of a child who has gone missing, and you know that time is incredibly important. You start playing and are holding something that looks like a remote or controller; it has a big red button on the front and a red antenna on the top. Looking at the controls for the game, this seems to be a remote to use with a drone. You are exploring a place that looks like a school for young children, with motivational text on the floor and walls which says that you are one step closer to greatness. There is also a line painted on the ground leading you to the staircase. The door at the top of the stairs was locked, so I head to the main floor and called the drone. It’s a bit tricky to control; move the dot on the display screen with what you want it to interact with, I had to make it crash into the two large red buttons on the wall. At one point, because of clipping, the drone had driven right through the wall itself, so it was trapped behind it. I couldn’t see it, but I could still hear the beeping.
Once the buttons are pressed, I hit the panel beside the large display screen. I see that this place is the home of Banban’s Kindergarten and there is an important announcement to view. An emergency BREACH code has been issued; we are then shown the Employee Survival Guide. It starts from Case 8: “Spider” stating that keeping your limbs intact is their first priority, but this will only be achievable if you know what to do if it breaches containment. This may have been good information to know before this crazy creature got loose; I'm already dreading this, as I’m not a huge spider fan. It then goes through all the steps you need to follow to survive, like Step One: Don’t Be a Hero, as Case 8 is bigger, faster, and stronger than you could ever hope to be. They will do anything to save this monster, so if you happen to use lethal force, even in self-defence, you will have to compensate the company, as this is in your contract. Once the informational video is done, you will get your keycard that will grant you access to the other areas of this building.
With this card, you can go through doors that were locked before, I see a hallway that is infested with cockroaches; they are everywhere you look! There are also creepy messages written on the floor like, “Go and you will see...” with an arrow pointing to another room, guaranteed it won’t be something cute and happy waiting for me in that poorly lit area. You find yourself in what looks like a hospital examination room, with weird-looking creatures that look like they are from another planet; they are disgusted by the limitations of the human body. You know it’s bad when one tells the other to grab the scissors. I don’t want to ruin more of the story, but this will give you an idea of the events that occur at this “kindergarten”.
The visuals in Garten of Banban 7 aren’t amazing and won’t win any awards. At times it feels like it’s an original PlayStation game. The part that did look neat was the monsters; they looked like they were moulded out of clay, which was unique. The music in the game, like the visuals, was alright. Not the most memorable, as a lot of the time it would be eerily quiet because you were expecting a jump scare at any time.
Garten of Banban 7 is a very short game, as it can be completed in under an hour. There are a few puzzles, a big chase, and a bit of exploration, but that is it. I guess that’s why there are so many games in this franchise, since the run time of all the games combined is still very short. I have to say that playing this title wasn’t as punishing as I was expecting; though, trying to control the drone was difficult at times, especially in low-lit areas where it’s hard to see. This title doesn’t make me want to go and play the other titles in the Garten of Banban series, but if you are a fan of the others, I’m sure you will like this one.
Garten of Banban 7 (Reviewed on Nintendo Switch)
The game is average, with an even mix of positives and negatives.
Garten of Banban 7 is a creepy game set at Banban’s Kindergarten. The controls can be frustrating, but the game lasts for less than an hour.
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