[quote][i]"When I took a job with an international defense contractor that's in the business of war, I expected a job that was moral and made the world a better place." - Mitch[/i][/quote]
[b]The World Ends in Ohio[/b] is an action-heavy metroidvania RPG set in a hilarious caricature of the Cleveland area. I'm really, [i]really[/i] bad at metroidvanias, and have spent more time exploring (read: dying) than attempting to survive the story, but am having a lot of fun brawling axe-wielding "Parma Maniacs" and irradiated monsters in Rivergate Park.
[h3]Story[/h3]
You're a former military man with an unhappy wife and unprofitable career at the ethically challenged Easton-Hammond Defense Contractor. One day, your boss gives you a gun and a letter, dispatches you to "Clifton Avenue," and from there… some kind of irradiation has mutated folk and generated alien monsters? Maybe? This takes place in the same universe as [i]Elijah and the Out of this World Adventure[/i], and ~60 years before [i]Daisy Flies to the Moon[/I], both by PDS Games.
I'm curious about the story, but am [i]so indescribably bad[/i] at metroidvanias that I can't reach Clifton Avenue without getting murdered by mutated owls. Better players report cool missions that bring you to Cleveland Hopkins Airport and then space.
[h3]Gameplay + Details[/h3]
A 2D side-scroller blending metroidvania and action RPG traits, plus a "Reputation" system that affects how you interact with the world. Weapons, stats, and skills can be upgraded, and combat is straightforward (probably monotonous) if you have decent reflexes: duck, jump, whack, shoot, drop grenades, etc. Sleeping refreshes HP/MP and lets you allocate stat points gained by leveling up.
[b]Controls. [/b]Easiest on keyboard (mouse support included but I couldn't figure it out), but playable with controller. Dev says it works on Deck.
[b]Settings/Options. [/b]SUPER minimal. Everything is a bit finicky, including saving and closing the game.
[h3]What Works For Me[/h3]
✅ Solo dev personally made *all* artwork in Aseprite.
✅ Including "Cleveland Art Gallery" exhibits. Which… genius.
✅ Dev also created all music!
✅ The map is [i]huge[/i].
✅ Absolutely dumb "boy humor," but often funny.
✅ Stats system includes luck plus separate melee, gun, and attack stats.
✅ You can get plastic surgery, and it may affect gameplay.
✅ Reputation system is interesting. Not insulting our wife is hard.
✅ Also includes "Battle Mode."
[h3]What Doesn't Work For Me[/h3]
🟥 No billboards featuring a raised eyebrow.
🟥 Iconic locations don't [i]really[/i] resemble their IRL counterparts.
🟥 You only get so many lives, and then the run ends.
🟥 All my stats are in defense and I [i]still[/i] keep dying.
🟥 I need to get gud.
[h3]Final Thoughts + Recommendation[/h3]
Full disclosure: I love indie games, have a soft spot for Cleveland, and can't objectively judge gameplay because I [i]suck at metroidvanias[/i]; in ~4 hours, I've died 6 times and have barely progressed the story. That said, I'm genuinely having fun.
Tower City, Rivergate Park, 9th Street, all those real locations -- they're real in name only. A few locations and lines made me question whether the dev had lived near Cleveland rather than in it (e.g. one of your cowokers talks about riding a subway to work, when I'm pretty sure the subway's been inactive since 1954). But to be fair, the dev is a hobbyist programmer who created all the art; asking for a faithful rendition of the skyline and buildings might be a bit much.
I recommend this if you enjoy Americana, niche indie games, and can both duck/jump and shoot at the same time (why can I not do this). I've laughed out loud multiple times and am having way more fun than I expected.
[i]Thank you to PDS for the review key![/i][quote][b]Follow [u][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45365863/]Eekz Today[/url][/u] for more crafting, life sim, management, strategy, and story-rich recommendations.[/b][/quote]
