Cynical 7 is a charming and wonderfully witty narrative based adventure in which you play a directionless, anti-social game developer who’s searching for meaning in the world.
Although it’s told in a cheerful and funny manner, the narrative of Cynical 7 explores lot of real life issues, such as friendship, social anxiety and relationships. Tris, the main character is a likeable if flawed person, who tries to deal with his insecurities by using humor, alcohol, avoidance and talking to himself.
The current demo build takes around an hour to play through and is packed full of fun twists, witty humor and interesting characters. There’s a lot of detail in the game world, with lots of fun little easter eggs and silly conversations to be had with randoms that you come across. You won’t get on with everyone you meet though and will sometimes end up fighting them – at which point the game switches to a fast paced skill based combat system, that sees you dodging enemy attacks and unleashing your own in real-time.
It’s a fun game that feels a little like the Earthbound games, but infused with real-time combat, a more adult narrative and a wicked sense of humor. For all of his flaws as a human being, it’s a delight spending time with Tris, exploring the world through his cynical eyes and seeing all that life throws at him. Highly recommended.
Download The Cynical 7 Alpha Demo Here (Windows & Mac)