I admit that I didn’t know what to expect when I started playing this indie game. The characters seemed off, and it wasn’t what I was used to in terms of gameplay. I do realize now how wrong I was.

Graphics: 3.5

The design might probably be to enhance the comedic effect, or the developer didn’t have the blockbuster budget of more mainstream game studios. Humor might be an excuse here, but the graphics aren’t anything to write home about. The characters are cartoon gummies, so it’s difficult to criticize them. Maps and arenas are quite limited and often repeated, but also employ a distinctly Japanese style that makes them look lively.

Gameplay: 3.5

A Gummy’s Life utilizes a local co-op experience with lots of fun and humor as the highlight of the game. I didn’t see any special moves, but again this might be because I hadn’t mastered all the controls, or because the game was still in its Early Access phase. Local players have to choose a character and a game mode. There are no detailed player stats and the Gummies that you select only seem different in their cosmetic effect (for example, you can change their color). You can apply different play modes such as Team Deathmatch, King of the Hill, Hot Potato or classic Free for All.

There is a limited number of arenas, from a basketball court, a clock, a sinking mound, a yard with a tractor (which weirdly only moved in reverse), a hanging balcony and an arena full of canons. There is unlockable content, but then again, this might still be on hold due to the current development phase of the game.

Controls: 4.0

I did have an issue with some of my controls not working, and I realized that it was a glitch in the game. The game supports both mouse and keyboard if you’re playing on PC. A gamepad is, however, the better option, especially if you want to perform some of the moves such as dabbing effectively. Holding down some of the controls for too long such as the ‘dab’ action button causes the game to go into a loop, which might cause you to quit the game.

Replay Value: 3.5

There are too many issues with this game to give it high replay value, but even then, some of its faults actually add to the comedic effect. Even if online multiplayer were to be a possibility after Early Access, you wouldn’t be able to get the same effect as having several players in a room. There are few maps, and the game gets repetitive very fast.  

Conclusion

It’s hard to fault the developer with such humor. You can literally spend hours on end just running around brawling each other. The game is still in Early Access, so more content is coming our way. Still, it suffers lots of developmental issues, and there are tons of bugs to fix before this game is released. Once these issues are ironed out, this game might just be one of the best party titles out there.

• Graphics 3.5
• Gameplay 3.5
• Controls 4
• Replay Value 3.5

Pros

Humorous, witty and lighthearted.
A great choice for local multiplayer.

Cons

Limited arenas.
Repetitive gameplay and lack of combat technique.