Pull Stay Review (PC)

It’s one thing to slam the front door into the face of a traveling salesperson, but to allow the full force of a boxing glove to ricochet off of their forehead and into another passerby is another thing altogether, and something that, in all honesty, isn’t likely to sit all that well with the local law enforcement, to be honest. In Pull Stay, however, anything goes — even allowing a laser katana to dice through the backbone of a friendly courier, or a ping pong paddle to slap the living daylights out of a hermit, for that matter. This is, in short, the sorts of oddities indie developer Nito Souji aims to encapsulate in their “wacky” beat ‘em up tower defense hybrid game for PC — and I’m concerned, truly.

So, what’s the “game” all about, and why on earth does it touch base on the shut-in clique—a nationwide issue that, according to the solo creator, is a major social problem in Japan? Well, as it turns out, Pull Stay is a product of a like-minded Hikikomori—a local term that refers to a person who, for their own inexplicable purposes, chooses to remain indoors and out of the public eye for extended, or in a worst case scenario, an indefinite period of time. And that’s exactly what Pull Stay is: a beat ‘em up game that, although humorous and a little OTT in places, serves as a vessel for its creator’s thoughts and actions.

For the record, Pull Stay is only in the preliminary stages of its Early Access phase, which means, whilst we are still able to chalk up a few comments on it, we’re not able to paint the whole portrait. With that out of the way, here’s everything you need to know about it.

A Day in the Life

Welcome to the vicious cycle of a shut-in—a routine that consists of mulling over the same social issues (or sheer lack of) and fending off potential knockers on a daily basis. In this world, you take on the role of a robot—a head-busting machine whose only purpose is to keep intruders out, and to divide the riffraff from the sales folk. As said robotic glove-wielding machine, you must shovel through the bare bones of your creator’s apartment complex, and do all in your power to set up precautions against unwanted visitors, which includes both foraging for and deploying various traps located around the building, as well as keeping a lid on the shut-in’s fragile frame of mind. Easy enough, right? Well, sort of.

Story-wise, there isn’t a whole lot to write home about, as it is, more or less, the case of having to sift through several stages, and then searching for new moves, combos, and weapons to make an even larger dent on the enemies that follow suit. But that’s not an issue, as the gameplay itself is so weirdly entertaining, that it’s equally as easy to get lost in and just roll with — even when, for example, everything does begin to go a little awry and come crashing through the ceiling. And that happens — a lot.

Aside from the general process of having to beat up every living soul that dares to come within spitting distance of your home, there are also several other issues to deal with, including crowds to disperse, environmental obstacles to overcome, and points to accrue. All of this, combined with a flimsy set of mechanics, are what make up Pull Stay — and I’m not entirely sure whether or not I’m in love with it, or terrified of its existence altogether.

Knock, Knock, Punch

Let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room here: Pull Stay, as much as it aims to conceive a well-oiled world that’s both fluid and dynamic, is clearly an indie project, and one that doesn’t quite tap into the same elements as a lot of full-fledged beat ‘em up games of its kind. To put it bluntly, the mechanics and animations are very, very clunky, similar to what you’d see in Dreams’ library of underdeveloped titles, or as part of a short game jam session, perhaps. This is, of course, often overshadowed by the sheer volume of quirky features that make frequent appearances in each of the stages, but for the most part, it’s somewhat difficult to overlook the fact that everything is, albeit rather fitting, incredibly wooden.

Combat in Pull Stay is unsurprisingly generic, as it’s mainly comprised of slapping a few buttons and aiming in a certain direction to land a thread of successful hits. With that said, there are a few redeeming qualities that make up for the lack of polish, such as being able to utilize cookers, lasers, and other homely contraptions to conjure complete and utter pandemonium. There is also an option that allows you to build new rooms, as well as generate different traps to spread out and keep the intruders at bay, too. So again, whilst it is a by-the-numbers and somewhat textbook emulation of a bog-standard beat ‘em up game, its inclusion of certain tower defense elements does manage to brand it with its own identity — if only just.

Make Mine a Hermit Sandwich

If you’re able to brush over the fact that Pull Stay isn’t without its technical faults and generic gameplay loops, then you’ll soon come to find that, weirdly enough, there is a great deal to enjoy here. Sure, it’s a little kooky and half-baked, to say the least, but it’s also oddly satisfying and, if only in short bursts, mindlessly entertaining. If, however, you’re hell-bent on biting into an innovative piece of art that revolutionizes the blueprint, then you might be in for a bit of a shock. To repeat, this is not a top-shelf title, nor is it a game that’s been thrown under countless hammers and woven by an entire team of industry veterans. On the contrary, it is, in short, one person’s attempt at shedding light on the subject, albeit in a comical way.

Pull Stay isn’t likely to take you a ludicrous amount of time to beat, nor is it likely to keep you coming back for a second, third, or even a fourth round, either. If anything, it’s a one-and-done sort of gig, and one that’ll leave you with far more questions than answers, more so about the Hikikomori lifestyle than the motives of the people who pop up to intervene and drive a wedge between solitude and social justice. Personally, I can’t say I’ve left the roots of the hermit’s burden with a clearer understanding of what their desires are, besides the fact that, you know, they really, really dislike social interaction of any kind — so much that they’re willing to barbecue anyone who dares knock upon the front door, apparently.

Verdict

As far as independent beat ‘em up projects travel, Pull Stay is definitely up there with some of the oddest games of its caliber. Granted, it is indeed a formula that we’ve seen numerous times before, and it isn’t exactly punching below its weight, either — but where it lacks in originality, it makes up for in several other areas, which are clearly boons in their own right. The fact that the game is also a product of a single mind, too, makes it all the more impressive, even though it does struggle to achieve a full-blown composition.

Its mechanics are a little shoddy, and its art style could do with a major overhaul, for sure, but for what it’s worth, Pull Stay does have its own charming factors that often ooze through the crags and crevices of its overall level design. It isn’t the best game in the world, but it’s something that, for better or for worse, you will remember. And that’s a good thing, surely?

It’s a weird one to call, to be honest. On one hand, I’m oddly drawn to the concept of having to protect a hermit from zany predators and other folk, whereas on the other, I’m not entirely convinced that such an idea warrants a video game adaptation at all. For the sake of chalking up some conclusive answers, though, I will say this: Pull Stay is definitely worth playing — especially if you’re something of an avid fan of anything even remotely weird, wonderful, and above all, Japanese. But, eh, don’t expect it to be anything more than what it’s selling.