Endacopia was an absolutely fantastic game. Even if this review ends up being me glazing everything. I'll go ahead and list how I felt about each aspect of the game. Potential mild spoilers but I tried to keep it low.
Genre: As a point and click adventure game, Endacopia draws a lot from similar games, such as the Pajama Sam series. This makes it so that the game feels very interactive, whether it be with characters or interactable objects. The puzzle aspect makes it so that progression isn't extremely fast (unless you're on subsequent playthroughs) and brings in outside the box thinking, while still having a source of tips in case you get stuck. Where Endacopia stands out and excels is with the bosses. Having combat in a point and click game is unexpected. It has simple controls, which you think would make it get stale, but the various bosses all have unique attacks and strategies to defeat them that makes them each different, and more interesting and exciting as a result.
Secrets and Depth: On that note, Endacopia also stands out in not being entirely linear. The 3 different endings of the game give variety and anticipation in exactly what happens to Mellow and the other characters depending on your choices. This was especially the case with Ending C, as the elaborate and disturbing secrets made for an experience wildly different from a typical playthrough. Not only that, but it has plenty of secret bosses that are interesting and tough to find, giving replayability. It could get stale, but the environments serve well at keeping you engaged, and so do the characters.
Characters: Speaking of which, the characters in this game are just awesome. I love them. Each of the locations has their own variety of characters, timesville having animal crossing type characters, misery town having depressed clowns and the pierrot (the best character obviously), and the office even having the workers with their different ways of life. As you solve their problems, they grow on you, and I'd be lying if I said Ending A didn't make me tear up a bit. It did. It was so ♥♥♥♥♥♥ wholesome, though I won't add any more than that as to not spoil it.
Artstyle: Games in a pixelized artstyle are not a rarity, but Endacopia pulls it off very well with how it forms the environments, characters, and objects in game. It has that sweet spot of detail where the sprites look fleshed out but not extremely detailed. Except for the boss fights, but the higher detail helps highlight how these intimidating enemies compare to Mellow, and makes it more satisfying when you beat them up.
Soundtrack: The game's soundtrack fits the wild variety of locations and situations that Endacopia has. Some examples include the peaceful ambiance that plays in the hub area that leads into the 3 separate areas, the rugged, arpeggiated chiptune playing in the gambler's den, the animal-crossing type music that maintains a serene vibe in Timesville, the list goes on. But the boss music? ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, it's good. Especially for the chapter bosses. The music manages to match the intensity of the situation, especially with the bosses of Timesville and the Office. But the Trapezist's theme is a banger, very catchy, would listen to it daily. The vocal songs are amazing as well, the surgeon's performances throughout the game were phenomenal.
Overall: The game was just a fantastic experience! It keeps you guessing and you don't expect what might happen, no matter what part of the game you're on, or how long it takes for you to complete a puzzle. One thing I wanna add is that I'm not a huge fan of horror. In Endacopia, it's not overdone or too in your face. And the story is compelling enough that, even if disturbing, it's fascinating enough to keep you interested regardless. I've been a huge fan of Andyland's videos, and the game really feels like a fever dream from the realm of his videos. Eventually, you run out of game to play after doing everything, but this is a game I could see myself returning to and playing through all over again in the near future. I strongly recommend it to anyone looking for an exciting, mind-bending, mildly horrifying adventure game crafted with lots of love and detail.
