Bugsnax
Image Credit: Young Horses
Bugsnax is unlike any game I have played before. It has been compared to adventure games like Pokemon Snap and Viva Pinata, but I hesitate to agree with those comparisons fully. Though there is a capturing mechanic used to collect cute creatures, the actual gameplay deviates significantly. Unfortunately, these deviations were not positive ones for me. I found that the gameplay loop was extremely repetitive and the actual act of catching Bugsnax was more frustrating that gratifying.
In Bugsnax, you are tasked with searching for a missing explorer, Elizabert Megafig, on Snaktooth Island. This island is inhabited by snack like creatures called bugsnax and its also home to a small town of sentient beings called grumpuses. These grumpuses are your main quest givers and you are tasked with solving their problems. The voice acting is solid, but its diminished at times due to the puppet like character design. You hear fantastically delivered lines from recognizable voice actors, but these voices come out of creatures with a minimal range of facial animation. In my opinion, the character design also detracted from the story. A lot of these characters are working through very heavy relationship and personal issues and the impact is watered down by goofy looking characters.
Grumpuses are addicted to consuming bugsnax. The basic gameplay loop is catching bugsnax in similar but different ways to satisfying their unending craving of bugsnax. Whenever they consume a bugsnak one of their limbs transforms into an appendage resembling that bugsnak. This game is as weird as it sounds. From the story to the side quests, you are in for a wild trip if you choose to embark on this adventure.
One highlight of Bugsnax, unlike the citizens of Snaxburg, is the unique and creative character designs of each bugsnak. Though some are simple pallet swaps, a majority of them are interesting takes on animal snack hybrids. The bugsnak that lives rent free in my brain is bunger. It is a delightful burger creature with curly fry appendages. Bunger is one of the first bugsnax you encounter and this experience sticks with you for the rest of the game. One reason is because he is a delightful creature to meet, but the other is that this encounter sets the stage for a repetitious gameplay experience.
Bugsnax are caught in a numerous of ways, but this variety is not felt. In some cases you may have to spread a condiment on the environment to attract a bugsnak that favors it. In others you may need to set up a trap in the direct path of a bugsnak. Occasionally you need to get two bugsnaks to interact with one another to catch them. There is a perception of diversity, but in many cases the experience is the same. At times, the actual act of stunning or catching a bugsnak is unknown and you are left questioning how the systems actually work. This uncertainty resulted in a very unrewarding experience for me. Especially once you realize the labor of catching a frustrating bugsnak only resulted in a limb of a grumpus being transformed into a hotdog.
A quarter of the way through the game I became very bored of the mechanics. Around this point I realized that my experience wouldn't be changing much from the tutorial. Additionally, the story never really hooked me until the very end and at that point the interesting story points wrapped up swiftly leaving little room for appreciation. It is worth noting that these story beats at the end are why I do not think this game should be recommended as a children's game. Listen to our podcast review of Bugsnax for our deep dive into spoilers at the end of the game. I did end up completing the game, but it felt like a chore due to the repetitive nature of the games design and the clunky bugsnak catching mechanics. We at Busch League Gaming found Bugsnax lacking and give it a 4 out of 10.
