PC REVIEW | The Prisoning: Fletcher’s Quest

From the moment you boot up The Prisoning, you can feel the stress radiating off the screen. Let’s dive into the story a bit before we get into the review. You play as Fletcher Howie Jr. He is a 43 year old game developer who is absolutely losing it. After a visit to a psychologist goes wrong he gets stuck inside his own mind. He is on the edge of burnout and now has to fight his way out.

You have to help him escape his mental prison and deal with all the weird monsters that represent his anxiety. It sounds heavy but it is actually pretty funny. You find out early on that Fletcher is just a normal guy trying to finish his project. The game throws you right into the action without holding your hand too much. You need to learn how to move and shoot fast if you want to survive..

Things I liked!

• The Feel | I really love how this game feels to play. The developers are Elden Pixels and they really know how to make a modern retro game. Fletcher controls perfectly. The jumping and shooting are tight and responsive. It feels like an old school game but without the clunky controls we used to put up with

• Story and Humor | The story is surprisingly great. It deals with dark subjects like burnout and anxiety but it manages to be genuinely funny about it. Fletcher is just an average divorced guy rather than a superhero and that makes him easy to root for. The writing balances the stress of the situation with some really good jokes

• Graphics | The look of the game is fantastic. The pixel art is colorful and sharp. I really liked how the world glitches out to show Fletcher losing his mind. It is a cool visual trick that makes the game stand out from other retro platformers. The environments look great, even if they are randomized and the enemy designs are very distinct.

• Sound | The sound design is probably the best part. If you have nostalgia for the 8 bit or 16 bit era you are going to love this. The developers put as much effort into the audio as they did the visuals. The music matches the frantic energy of the game perfectly and the sound effects add a nice punch to everything you do. It just sounds right?|

Mixed & disliked!

• Randomized Maps | Because the map changes every time you play the level design can feel a bit repetitive. It feels a bit generic compared to a game where every room is placed by hand. Sometimes you get rooms that just feel empty or boring which makes exploring feel a little less rewarding than I hoped.

• Length | Do not go into this expecting a massive adventure. It is designed for short and fast runs. If you want a game with deep lore that takes weeks to finish you might be disappointed. It is over pretty quickly. It is built to be replayed rather than lived in for a long time. For some people that is good but I wanted a bit more.

• Difficulty Spikes | There are some really annoying difficulty spikes here. Some of the bosses are brutal and can kill you in just a few hits. I found myself getting frustrated with a specific shark boss that felt a bit cheap. It is definitely not a chill game to relax with. It is meant to be unforgiving, but sometimes it just feels unfair.

How long did I play the review before publishing? Approximately 5 hours
How long to beat the story? About 4-5 hours
How many Achievements did I earn before publishing? 9 out of 10
How long to complete | 4 to 6 hours
You’ll love this game if you like these | Alwa’s Legacy, Sheepy: A short Adventure, Pizza Tower

CONCLUSION

Score: 78/100

Grab your controller and get ready for some stress because The Prisoning: Fletcher’s Quest is a wild ride. It is a tight and beautiful platformer that is only held back by the randomized maps and some frustrating bosses. If you want a game that respects your time with shorter runs then you should help Fletcher escape his mind. I was not expecting to relate so much to a burn-out game developer but here we are. All in all a fun adventure with a lot of heart!

prefer to see it in action? Our reviewer made a video: