Say No! More (PC) Review

There's no genre where Say No! More fits into. In some ways it's like a visual novel/interactive story kind of deal. It's less about the gameplay (what little there is), and more about the writing, the interaction with the characters, and so on. In some other ways it's like a rail shooter; the main character follows a predetermined path, and blasts his enemies - and it is the ammunition used the one that makes this a hard title to put in a category. The aim is to say 'No' to the various requests that people throw at your feet. "I need you to work overtime today" says the manager. No! "Go fetch me some coffee!" shouts a supervisor. NO! "Listen to my boring story" cries the assistant. *Deep Breath* NOOO!!!

If you were forced to come up with a label for this quirky experience, 'therapy' and 'catharsis' would be some pretty good picks; because that's what this is. It's a power fantasy where, rather than slaying demons, being a wielder of the Force, or bringing the High Heavens down and looking sexy while at it, you are saying 'No' to literally everyone, from your annoying co-workers, to the freaking, billionaire CEO of the company you just started working for - and it all begins with your lunchbox getting stolen. In this universe almost everyone is a worthless yes-man/woman without a backbone, including you, the lowly Intern. After finding a hidden Walkman, however, you are given the power of NO! from a Hulk Hogan-like gymnast from the '80s. Now the game begins.

…It's not a game, though. This is basically an on-rails experience; a cut-scene where your crafted protagonist (lots of goofy options in the character creation screen, by the way), walks towards the one who has his/her lunchbox, and is blocked by a series of NPCs that ask favours or shout commands. The only interactivity on behalf of the player is the press of a button, which sends a nice big 'No' at them, pushing them back with such power that even nearby items get affected. Liberating? Yes, very much so, to be honest, despite the fact that the presentation is completely bonkers, and far from realistic. The whole thing takes some pretty surreal turns, but it still manages to hit home, and quite strongly so, because, cartoony or not, it pits you against situations that are very… real life.

This adds some variation to the ways you can scream your Noes. The protagonist is gradually given new "skills," making it possible to throw a charged 'No,' or change moods in order to say it in a bored, passionate, or even quirky way. One can also ridicule the "opponents" by clapping ironically, or laugh at their demands, right before spewing the N-word. Sadly, what little depth there is here is an illusion. Switching to different styles and using alternate techniques doesn't really matter one bit aside for some specific, boss fight-like sequences. It's disappointing to say the least. Those looking for a great video game won't find it here. Luckily, the purpose here was never to provide complex mechanics. The strength of Say No! More lies on its comedic writing and presentation.

The fun here, besides the obvious joys of screaming 'No!' in the office, is watching people react to your unexpected defiance, with the purposely exaggerated voice-acting fitting like a glove to the cartoony vibe this has, complemented by an ultra-low-poly look, an extremely vibrant colour palette, as well a pretty silly walk animation. Players can also wait for the response window to close in order to actually avoid saying no, which can lead to some extra bit of funny dialogue. It would be a lie to say that this adventure isn't an enjoyable one - but still, it's somewhat hard to recommend.

This just runs out of steam very, very soon. It's a tiny title, which actually feels much longer due to how repetitive it is, due to how you are doing the same thing from start to finish. There are some twists and turns included that keep things interesting, but they aren't really that memorable, and definitely not enough to warrant another play-through. Yeah, this has lots of charm, this critic will surely give Say No! More that, but charm won't be enough for most people. Do give it a try if in search for the weird and the original of the indie world, just don't expect something that will blow your mind.