Face off together with your not-so-evil exes

The demo for Thirsty Suitors begins off robust. Sitting on a protracted bus experience, there isn’t a lot to do however take into consideration life, love, and who your Thirstsona is. And from there, it’s a protracted night time of coping with your previous, your interior notion, and battling your ex in an RPG duel.

I acquired to play a slice of Outerloop Video games’ Thirsty Suitors as a part of the Tribeca Video games highlight this 12 months, and it was arduous to fit right into a style. It doesn’t neatly match one, and I don’t suppose it must both. Its mix of journey, RPG, and even skateboarding merely clicks collectively, in a enjoyable and really relatable expertise.

The protagonist, Jala, is on her approach residence after a very tough break-up. However residence doesn’t all the time imply sanctuary, particularly in the event you left it in a nasty spot. That’s the impression I acquired early, as Jala’s inner narrator chides her and pokes in any respect her insecurities.

Look who walked in

There may be strolling round on the town, answering some dialogue questions to find out my Thirstsona (together with some reasonably incisive inquiries), and sure, skateboarding. The main target of my demo was an encounter with one in every of Jala’s exes, although; the reasonably muscular Sergio.

Sergio is the boy again residence who crushed on Jala and by no means un-crushed. He’s been harboring emotions since grade faculty, and now that Jala is again in the marketplace, he’s capturing his shot. And in stunning RPG trend, that shot comes within the type of a turn-based battle, command menus and all.

Assaults went backwards and forwards, with quick-time rhythm moments popping as much as trip good hits or guards, just like the Mario RPGs. I cherished the 1-2-3-4-hit tap-in the devs added, making it very simple to select up the rhythm for every hit.

Because the battle goes on, Jala and Sergio argue about life and their previous relationship. It performs a story position, organising why these two didn’t work out whereas additionally highlighting how every has modified, or not modified, within the time since.

It additionally performs up totally different fight maneuvers Jala can use to get the upper-hand. At one level, I threw out a flirtatious look, leaving Sergio smitten and open to assault, taking further injury from sure abilities within the course of. It’s simple however works very nicely, particularly when it hyperlinks up with the story.

Make peace, not battle

The battle heated up increasingly more, till Sergio hit his energy spike and altered the world round us. It was type of just like the Area Growth in Jujutsu Kaisen, which actually dominated and I hope was at the least a part of the inspiration.

In any case, Jala and I replied the way in which anybody ought to when confronted with a cussed, seemingly unmovable opponent: calling mother. Jala summons her mom, who towers over the battlefield earlier than bringing down a thunderous chappal on Sergio’s head. It was great.

The battle doesn’t finish by beating Sergio up, nevertheless. It is a key a part of what I dug about Thirsty Suitors: that this RPG fight, turning a terse verbal sparring into fantasy RPG battles doesn’t finish in defeating another person, however making peace with them.

It’s clear that Sergio has constructed a reminiscence of Jala right into a model of her that doesn’t exist. And Jala’s been a bit callous previously, too. Each of them recognizing they will do higher, and possibly begin off on a greater footing with one another, is the true decision.

Homecoming

After taking part in this chunk of Thirsty Suitors, and getting a tease of extra exes ready within the wings, that’s what I’m actually wanting ahead to. Going again residence and seeing previous faces once more is all the time unusual; video games like Night time within the Woods have captured that feeling so nicely, and I get comparable vibes from Thirsty Suitors.

However I’m additionally wanting ahead to seeing extra of Jala’s hometown in Timber Hills. The Steam web page teases extra skateboarding motion and even a cooking minigame, the place Jala works to enhance her relationship along with her mom by way of cooking. For all of the wild theatrics of mentally battling your exes, there’s a quiet, intense relatability to attempting to reconcile your model of the previous with others. And alongside the way in which, hopefully discovering a technique to transfer ahead and develop slightly bit within the course of.

So sure, Thirsty Suitors is completely on my radar now. It’s charming, enjoyable, and strikes a good steadiness between an genuine, actual story and goofy enjoyable. I’m hoping the chappal sticks round, too. Wishlist it on Steam right here.