Unfortunately for Hohokum the effect does wear off. Occasionally you will marvel at the overall effect the game produces when firing on all cylinders, spitting out vibrant explosions and pulsating rhythms as you glide from foreground and background. The simple and cutesy character sprites are complemented perfectly by jingling bells and chirrupy whistles, and what’s more the music functions dynamically in tandem with the player’s actions, acting as a feedback mechanism whilst layering on the dreamy vibes. There’s no denying the marriage between soundtrack and art style is spot on here. If, however, you’re of an altogether calmer disposition and you can entertain the idea of a game whereby the very act of playing is considered an object in and of itself, then this might just interest you.
Those looking for a puzzle-driven adventure replete with intricate platforming elements and a twee plot will come away from Hohokum in a bewildered grump. The game gleefully trades in minimalism and catharsis, qualities which won’t appeal to all gamers in equal measures. The game employs a free-form, experimental structure, from the very fluidity of the spermy snake’s movement (imagine Snake but without the dodgems-esque rigidity) right down to the level design which encourages self-governed exploration and trial and error. Instead, you spawn in an abstract level hub and travel through portals into mystical environments, interacting with background scenery, oddball characters and various little mechanisms and contraptions as you go with no overruling objective in mind. Ostensibly an arty-farty indie offering with plinky-plonky music, the designers at Honeyslug have nevertheless managed to distinguish their game by keeping their noses out of the player’s business no context is given in the opening, no instructions are plastered over the screen to tell you what to do and there are no voice-overs to guide you through the experience.
Hohokum is a 2D exploration game which puts you in control of a psychedelic sperm that harbours visions of cosmic worlds and alien monkey playmates, allowing you to meander playfully through a timeless and effulgent dimension presided over by nothing.
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