8-bit role playing game
Putrid Shark is an 8-bit role-playing game that lets you play as a female character that prevents the death of the putrid shark. The game has an old, first-generation Gameboy aesthetic, complete with limited pixel work, giving you that nostalgic feeling of playing classic Pokemon Red, Green, and Blue.
The game is written and developed by Carly Besterman, who featured the original chiptune soundtrack into the game that was created by a music collective that is also called Putrid Shark. So, if you’re a fan of electronic music and 8-bit games, you can definitely have a good time playing.
Classic style with modern dialogue
Putrid Shark takes you back to the classic, colorless Gameboy with small worlds that you can explore on a small screen. However, while this game has an 8-bit world and graphic design, the dialogue is quite modern. A huge downside is that the game is really confusing at first, and the goal is unclear in the beginning. Nevertheless, this vagueness motivates you to explore and talk to the NPCs.
As you go through the story, you get to do tasks based on what the characters need. It’s like a domino-effect style where you do one task for one character to finish a task for another character. As the game progresses, however, the characters barely have any development. They’re the same sarcastic townspeople that will eventually lead you to the putrid shark.
Near the game's climax, you will face the shark. It will spout a read on the personality of the character, which is all just preachy and pointless dialogue that doesn’t fit well with the energy of the game. After all that, the shark-like character will reveal itself to be a dolphin and not the putrid shark. You then have a choice to either fight the dolphin or continue talking.
Fun game but a poor story
Overall, Putrid Shark is still amusing and fun to play. However, the entire purpose of everything you did becomes pointless in the end because you never really meet the shark. The game is short, and it feels very rushed because of the open-ended conclusion to the story. So at best, the game is great to pass the time or if you’re looking for light gameplay.
