Highly Likely

Highly Likely is a 2D side-scrolling adventure game developed and published by Mikola Games, released on September 18, 2020, for Windows. The game features a beautifully illustrated world with a narrative-driven experience, though it has been criticized for slow pacing, excessive hand-holding, and repetitive gameplay. Players are guided through a short story with amusing narration, but the experience is marred by long walking distances, odd pauses, and a lack of meaningful exploration or puzzle-solving, resulting in a mixed reception from critics.

Highly Likely: A Beautifully Illustrated Short Story That Fails to Deliver

Introduction

Highly Likely is a 2D side-scrolling adventure game developed and published by Mikola Games, released on September 18, 2020. Set in a beautifully illustrated world, the game promises an amusingly narrated short story experience. However, despite its visual charm and narrative potential, Highly Likely struggles to deliver a compelling gameplay experience. This review will delve into the game’s development history, narrative and thematic elements, gameplay mechanics, world-building, and its reception and legacy.

Development History & Context

Mikola Games, the studio behind Highly Likely, is a relatively unknown entity in the gaming industry. The game was released during a tumultuous year for the industry, marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw a surge in gaming as people turned to digital entertainment for solace. The game’s development likely faced challenges typical of indie projects, including limited resources and a small team. The gaming landscape in 2020 was dominated by major releases like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, The Last of Us Part II, and Cyberpunk 2077, making it a competitive environment for smaller titles to gain traction.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Highly Likely presents itself as a short story with a focus on narrative and atmosphere. The game’s plot revolves around a protagonist navigating a surreal, dreamlike world. The dialogue and narration are designed to be amusing and engaging, aiming to draw players into its whimsical setting. However, the narrative often feels underdeveloped, with characters lacking depth and the story failing to provide a satisfying payoff. The themes of exploration and discovery are present but are not explored in a meaningful way, leaving players with a sense of unfulfilled potential.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

The core gameplay of Highly Likely involves side-scrolling exploration and simple puzzle-solving. The game’s mechanics are straightforward, with direct control over the protagonist. However, the gameplay loop is marred by several issues:

• Walking Speed and Distances: The game suffers from slow walking speeds and excessive walking distances, making exploration tedious rather than enjoyable.
• Repetition and Backtracking: Players often find themselves repeating the same actions and backtracking through areas, which becomes frustrating over time.
• Hand-Holding: The game’s approach to guiding players is overly intrusive, leaving little room for independent exploration and problem-solving.
• Puzzle Design: The puzzles are simplistic and lack the depth and challenge that would make them engaging.

The user interface (UI) is functional but unremarkable, and the game’s systems do not introduce any innovative mechanics that would set it apart from other side-scrolling adventures.

World-Building, Art & Sound

The standout feature of Highly Likely is its visual presentation. The game’s art style is beautifully illustrated, with a unique aesthetic that draws players into its surreal world. The setting is atmospheric, with a dreamlike quality that enhances the narrative’s whimsical tone. However, the sound design, while adequate, does not significantly contribute to the overall experience. The game’s world-building is visually impressive but lacks the depth and detail that would make it truly immersive.

Reception & Legacy

Highly Likely received a lukewarm reception upon its release. The game holds a critic score of 30% on MobyGames, based on a single review from Adventure Gamers. The review highlights the game’s beautiful illustrations and amusing narration but criticizes its slow pacing, excessive hand-holding, and lack of meaningful gameplay. The game’s legacy is likely to be one of missed potential, as its visual charm is overshadowed by its gameplay shortcomings.

Conclusion

Highly Likely is a game that promises much but delivers little. Its beautifully illustrated world and amusing narration are let down by tedious gameplay mechanics, slow pacing, and a lack of depth in both its narrative and puzzles. While the game’s visual presentation is commendable, it ultimately fails to provide a satisfying experience for players. Highly Likely serves as a reminder that even the most visually appealing games can fall short if their core gameplay and narrative elements are not carefully crafted and engaging.

Final Verdict: Highly Likely is a visually charming but ultimately disappointing adventure that struggles to live up to its potential.