We don’t often see depictions of heaven in games or films. Yet when we do, it’s typically portrayed as a pristine, white realm populated by virtuous angels and souls engaged in benevolent deeds.
The Holy Gosh Darn presents a different vision of heaven. St. Peter, guardian of the pearly gates, resides in a small shed, surrounded by paperwork. This world is filled with mundanity, mirroring earthly life, but with the added twist of angels, death, and the potential for the end of existence.
This well-written and humorous game features a clever mechanic and a witty take on religious and mythological themes. While the humour may not appeal to everyone, I found the dialogue and comedic timing delightful.
Building upon the developer’s previous work, such as Manual Samuel, the game opens with two angels, Cassiel and Puriel, engaged in a guessing game on a park bench, attempting to capture the attention of dogs arriving in heaven. They’ve been doing this for eons, and their boredom is palpable, reminiscent of two teenagers whiling away the time. Suddenly, a horde of phantoms invades, heaven explodes, and existence ends. Bummer!
Cassiel awakens and converses with Azriel, a nonchalant personification of Death, who admits responsibility for the apocalypse and bestows upon Cassiel a watch capable of rewinding time up to six hours. Tasked with preventing the end of all things, Cassiel embarks on a time-traveling adventure, rewinding and fast-forwarding to alter events. It’s a brilliant concept, a refreshing take on heaven, and populated with intriguing and amusing characters. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring this world and conversing with its inhabitants, a challenging feat given the limited timeframe.
The game unfolds in a 2.5D environment and is, at its core, a point-and-click adventure. Cassiel can move freely, following quest markers that appear within the six-hour time loop (approximately 20-25 minutes in real-time). You gather clues, converse with characters, and solve puzzles to progress.
And the time-rewinding watch adds a unique dimension to the gameplay. For example, early in the game, you encounter a caretaker who wants to chat, but you lack the time. By setting a marker on the watch, you can rewind to that moment and bypass the conversation. However, each alteration to the timeline has consequences, adding a layer of complexity to the puzzle-solving.
The game provides clear guidance, preventing you from getting lost, and the puzzles are consistently inventive and enjoyable. The inventory system is well-designed too; initially, you lose items when rewinding time, but later, you gain the ability to retain them.
Visually, The Holy Gosh Darn is charming and engaging, with vibrant colours and a comic book art style. Each character is distinctively designed and seamlessly integrated into the world. The portrayal of heaven as a blend of the mundane and the spiritual is particularly effective. You’ll also visit diverse locations, including a memorable trip to hell.
That is all accompanied by a sound design that is excellent, primarily due to the full voice cast who embrace the comedic tone and bring the various personalities to life.
The Holy Gosh Darn is a well-written and entertaining point-and-click adventure elevated by its unique time-manipulation mechanic. It features appealing visuals, a talented voice cast, intriguing puzzles, and a captivating narrative. While the game’s humour may not resonate with everyone, I found it to be a delightful experience.
The Holy Gosh Darn: Laugh, Explore, and Save Heaven – https://www.thexboxhub.com/the-holy-gosh-darn-laugh-explore-and-save-heaven/
The future of Heaven is at stake in The Holy Gosh Darn – https://www.thexboxhub.com/the-future-of-heaven-is-at-stake-in-the-holy-gosh-darn/
Buy The Holy Gosh Darn on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/the-holy-gosh-darn/9P692TZV944W
Nah, you lost me at time mechanics. There’s nothing I hate in games more than timed based gameplay and repetition. I hate the movie Groundhogs Day for even existing and creating this little narrative subgenre.