YIIK is a colourful 3D Japanese-Style RPG set in the 1990s and based around a mystery in a small town. Recent college graduate Alex Eggleston gathers weirdos from the internet to investigate the mystery around Sammy Pak, a mysterious woman who goes missing in a supernatural event. The player can control the characters in turn based battles where normal everyday objects are used as weapons. The combat consists of turn based moves with timing based actions which can increase the damage of an attack. There are six dungeons to explore which include battles, puzzles which have to be solved, and traps that have to be avoided. There are approximately twenty five hours of gameplay.
YIIK: A Postmodern RPG is certainly full of good intentions and it promises a lot in what it could turn out to be...nevertheless, intentions alone don't make a masterpiece and while its 1990s-tinged environment, its attempts at an innovative fighting system and a few of its musical tracks are certainly worthy of praise, the game drags itself for too...
YIIK is visually appealing, has a nice soundtrack and is pretty funny at times. But the battle system needs a little more polish and the main character was… not my cup of tea.
My hope for Ackk Studios is that they will take this criticism to heart in their next project. They are clearly bursting with creativity, and we need to see more of that in the gaming industry. Just be sure to back it up with solid mechanics that push the player’s experience forward. Being set in 1999 doesn’t mean we have to suffer through the worst...
YIIK might have been able to get away with some of its issues if other areas were able to pick up the slack.
YIIK is an ambitious little RPG with an intriguing premise and engaging battle mechanics that is ultimately let down by some poor pacing and a very unruly inventory management system. In a game where stats matter so much, this is a pretty big issue to have. Regardless, if you can see past its flaws, there's a kooky game here with a weird but wonderful...
