Written By: JP Developers: JollyStation Platforms: PC, Mac and Linux Genre: Comedy Release Date: October 13, 2013 Official Website | Yes people. THIS IS HOW WE ARE STARTING 2014! Honestly, the reason it took me so long to get to this game is because there is basically nothing online about it. I can't find it on Lemmasoft and it was only put out in one post on Tumblr. And even in that post spoilers are closely guarded with only the warning that this was a 'cautionary tale'. And, to be fair to the game itself, that scene at the top is about as spoiler-y as I going to get. Why? Because no matter what anyone thinks on how said scene came to be; I can guarantee you that it is literally the tip of the iceberg of one of the most insane games I've played in 2013. |
Story
No one on the team has come out and said anything about it, but if I had to take a guess the premise of this game was born from a debate raging throughout 2013 in the geek/otaku community on the nature of 'friend zoning' someone. Being sexually apathetic at best and Mother Superior-level prudish at worse, this was the dumbest thing that has hit the interwebs in a while to me. And for those who were lucky enough to avoid the nonsense, I'll fill you in. Basically a bunch of guys made public their frustrations about being unable to have romantic relationships with various girls they had a crushes on. This massive bitchfest culminated with many deciding that the problem was that girls refused to see them as anything other than friends.
And so the Interwebs did what they often do: draw a line and the sand and battle over it like it was the last glass of water in the Kalahari Desert.
It's a ridiculous bit of nonsense that only really has life because of the advent of the digital age. It's also the perfect fodder for an irreverent, twisted comedy. It does have slow start, but as Josiah begins to wallow in the despair of his situation, the laughs start. Then it gets weird...and not in a bad way. And to be fair I could be wrong here but, from my perspective, once Oh Josiah hits the gas pedal it does not stop. It is one glorious twist after another that skewers not only the argument, but the true mindsets behind it. No one is safe as the comedic knives come out and it is delivered without a single thought to delivering a coherent story...and I loved every second of it.
That's right. You heard me.
Oh Josiah is in on the joke and every scene that revels in the hormonal undercurrent that makes up this farce that we call geek culture is done with it's tongue firmly planted in its cheek and daring the audience NOT to laugh along. It is both weird and sensible: shameless yet above the low comedy that relies on an Idiot Ball being beaten into the human skull. The reason it has been controlled to this extent is because the joke depends on it and it is worth this very brief opinion. While not a true tale in it's own right, the fact that I couldn't stop laughing is plenty of praise. It accomplished exactly what it set out to do and, sometimes, that is enough.
Presentation & Gameplay
I'm not saying that's what was intended by the writers. Maybe she really is just that horny. But considering how everything pans out, I'm going with my interpretation.
Gameplay feels unnecessary since there is only one ending. All dialogue options are just build-up to the punchline, but it was enjoyable and I didn't run into any major issues: so kudos!
Replay Value
Overall
Oh Josiah has barely been mentioned by anyone seems to be designed that way. However, for my money it deserves a bit more attention. It isn't perfect, but it is very funny. And maybe, just maybe, those it targeted will see exactly how they appear and learn a little something about themselves in the process.
Or they will be baffled as to why a girl would be bothered to 'friend zone' a talking polar bear. Either way, this is good stuff. Check it out if you haven't.
Final Score
8/10 GOOD | + VERY Funny Story - Feels A Bit Slow At The Beginning |