Bugsnax has a lot going on, from a world full of wacky creatures to a bunch of people all seperated and needing help to come together.
CONTENT WARNING – SOME SURPRISING UNSETTLING ELEMENTS
You have probably seen the Bugsnax trailer at some point – even if it was just the time that adorable child reacted to the Bugsnax trailer. I had been really excited for the game and finally got some time to actually play it! Much like I expected, the game is wacky, fun, and has a diverse cast, but it’s also challenging and a bit more glum then I expected.
Bugsnax takes you into a strange world where there are bugs made out of various food items, which a land of people seem to be living off of. You are a journalist who believes in the land after getting a video submitted to you from a well-known adventurer (Liz), so you go on a quest to find her and learn about the world she lives in.
The thing is, once you get there you find that Liz has actually gone missing. As it turns out, this town is not as well off as it once was, with a mayor who has fallen out of favor, a fractured city of people scattered about, and despite all of the food, everyone seems to be very hungry. Using a variety of different tools, you will need to start helping the village people come together, bringing them back to the town before you can even start to figure out what happened to Liz and how you get home.
Most of the gameplay is through quests given to you by various townspeople. They all want specific bugs to eat or different experiments to try before they will return to their homes within the town. Some want to eat bugsnax, others just want them returned to them, but it’s up to you to talk to them, discover their needs, and then meet them. You start with just one trap for the strange creatures – a sort of trap you set up, wait for a bugsnax to wander into it, and then can be closed around them. A timer ticks down before the creature then escapes.
Soon, you’ll find more items like a slingshot that shoots ketchup and a net to grab stunned bugs. Afterwards, you’ll get your own strawberry bug you can control, a machine that lets you control what part of your body can be changed by the bugs, and more. All of these items need to be used to catch different bugs, as each one really does have it’s own personality and way of working around specific gadgets. Sometimes, this can be quite tough and require a bit of trial and error!
The characters that you meet are also all unique, with beautiful voice acting and styles as you talk to them and understand what their needs are and why they left. There are so many characters – so many different personalities – that will talk to you openly and others that are not so welcome to outsiders. These characters all play a role in helping you find Liz, but it’s a challenge to get them all in and work through your quests.
Bugsnax has a lot of charm, a touch of challenge, and a slew of delightful characters, which is very welcome in this fun and child-friendly game. I love the mission of trying to help this mayor bring the town back together, even if it is just to discover what happened to Liz!
Bugsnax is available now on the Playstation Store and the Epic Games Store.
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Wow! I love how this looks! The visuals are adorable!