The Edge of Allegoria Review (PC)

Button Factory Games and CobraTekku Games finally did it. They built an adult-oriented Pokemon game. If you’re wondering how, it’s basically the same gameplay but with a lot more mature themes. And no, not in terms of current issues, but rather grossly inappropriate curse words and nudity that children should not be exposed to. Right off the bat, this can be a deal breaker for some people. However, The Edge of Allegoria makes no apologies for it. 

In fact, it leans heavily on the warning they give over on Steam: “Some Nudity and Sexual Content, Pervasive Coarse Language, Alcohol and Drug Use.” You use alcohol as healing potions and dildos to smack enemies in the head. Listen, I’m just preparing you for what’s to come: getting it out of the way as it were before we jump into The Edge of Allegoria review, to say that while this is a Pokemon-inspired game, “this ain’t no f@#%ing kid’s game” either.

First Impressions

The Edge of Allegoria is a turn-based RPG. Upon booting it up, you immediately spot the heavy inspiration from the classics. It looks very much like a Gameboy Advance game with its pixelated art. The developers have committed to an authentic monochromatic theme, too, of a strong green hue. Put the game side by side with those from the handheld gaming era, and there wouldn’t be much of a difference. 

Well, at least, except for the widescreen aspect ratio. Also, there are some hints of modern paint to bring out more vivid details and environments. Otherwise, though, the visuals are low-resolution graphics with character sprites that are simply but impressively designed. I’m not sure that every gamer will appreciate the choice of color, though. It can be incredibly in the face, but it’s definitely unique. 

Let the Adventure Begin

The Edge of Allegoria’s invite is to take you on an adventure to a world filled with monsters. This is the eye-catching similarity to Pokemon, where you’ll discover as many as 145 monster types. The adventure itself takes place across diverse biomes pushed forward via easy mechanics. You move up, down, left, and right over the classic Pokemon paths.

While adventuring, you’ll discover lots of secrets and foes. The story here isn’t the most mind-boggling. You play as Joe, a young chap with a concerning thirst for blood. When he’s not pummeling down foes, he’s fishing, although you’ll very rarely use your fishing rod for its designed purpose. Instead, your fishing road will find its way onto the head of an innocent rabbit. Or raccoons, deer, geese, anything that looks at you the wrong way.

Change is Good

Rather than catch monsters to train them for battle, you’ll be fighting them. The more monsters you kill and harvest their body parts for money, the more weapons and equipment you can buy. Or, if you’re not upgrading at the shop, you can find chests on your path. Some enemies will drop unique attacks, too. And believe it or not, by the credits roll, you’ll have unlocked a whopping 96 different weapons, 50 armor pieces, and more. 

The reason for the variety is that the weapons aren’t exactly your usual go-tos. Sure, you can buy guns and stuff. However, you can also use bear claws, dildos, and perfume bottles. While the weapons can sound overwhelming, there’s a nice system for ensuring you experiment with as many as possible. See, each weapon needs you to master them. And you master a weapon by using it to win a certain number of battles. Then, you can unlock the weapon’s unique attack and use it with another weapon. Armor works in the same way, too, requiring mastery first to unlock perks that can be synergized with more armor pieces.

Not Quite Pokemon

By now, you’ve realized that rather than summon monsters to fight for you, The Edge of Allegoria puts you on the frontline of war. Still, the combat system will be very familiar to Pokemon players, as it uses the same summoning system of attacks and weapons. Meanwhile, having to master each weapon and armor piece to unlock its perks and unique attacks does mean that you have to always sift through your inventory to replace old gear with new (and fast).

Unfortunately, with over 80 skills and nearly 150 pieces of equipment to sift through, they barely give you enough information on each one’s stats and capability. You can’t know which healing item will grant you more health until you’re in battle or which weapon will inflict more damage. And that nifty can make all the difference when the enemies begin to grow more powerful. Oftentimes, taking them down requires you to have higher stats, which you can only get from being able to utilize every tool at your disposal, including easily accessible stats on each equipment’s capability. 

But overall, the combat is fun, at least for the most part. It’s so satisfying to start off all measly, only to grow into an unstoppable demigod that can take on dragons like a piece of cake.

Hit and Miss

The story, on the other hand, is a mixed bag of goods. You meet lots of NPCs who often say more than one or two dialogue lines. These provide context into their lives and backgrounds. However, the deeper you delve into the story, the more you realize there is a lack of a connection between the people you meet and the environments you explore. I mean, sure, you have a protagonist, but he seems to care more about fighting (and fishing) than his role in the plot. 

And there is a plot, don’t get me wrong. Apparently, there is a sinister force brewing in the background, looking to destroy the towns. And I guess you’re supposed to stop it from destroying the world. But the story seldom adds more layers to expound further on the lore. It gets comical at times when Joe runs into NPCs and, no matter their lack of fault, still ends up killing them. And also, because of the disjointedness, you never really know how close you are to achieving your mission or goal. 

We Get It Already

It’s funny. The Edge of Allegoria’s Steam description actually says, “Everyone seems to have something to say. Most of it’s just fluff to fill in empty spaces and make the world seem more lifelike,” and it couldn’t be further from the truth. And the “fluff” in this regard is the coarse language that puts the “edge” in The Edge of Allegoria quite unapologetically. Phrases like “Holy fucknuts,” “I am so fucked,” and “Fuck you and die” are commonplace. 

By the first part of the game, you grow used to the swearing that seems hardly huge when compared to the ridiculous story arcs and designs you come across. The monster designs, in particular, are pretty absurd, like the mimics that are a giant middle finger with teeth. At times, it’s a little too on the nose. And yet, the absurdity remains oddly engaging, if not funny. The Edge of Allegoria knows it’s the type of game not to take itself too seriously, and it’s never afraid to lean into its humor, even if it leans into it a little too heavily. 

Verdict

So, should you play The Edge of Allegoria? It’s a little tricky to recommend this one, given its unapologetic features that can rub some gamers off the wrong way. Some designs and dialogue can be outright offensive or grating. The game’s humor is the kind to be blunt. Its coarse language and sexual content can also be a little too frequent, enough that it overshadows the main mission of the story. 

That said, some of its absurdity does sneak up on you. Some dialogue is genuinely funny. Even the moments when you use alcohol and blunts as healing items and dildos as weapons are illustrated in pixelated art that it’s hard to view as offensive. Under the hood of madness and debauchery, there is something charming. If you squint hard enough, you may even find a story worth following.

On the surface, there doesn’t seem to be a prime focus on principle. Events unfold in quite absurd ways, some of which may not sit well with your soul. But they seem to fit just right on the sole basis of humor and “just because.” Games don’t always have to color inside the lines when it comes to morality and best behavior, especially not in a world of magic and wild possibilities.

While The Edge of Allegoria’s focus on adult themes can hurt how good its playthrough is, it sometimes manages to break through the mold in ways Pokemon could never dream of. And perhaps that’s the beauty of this game, that it’s giving fans who’ve always wanted to play an adult Pokemon a chance to live their dreams. You just have to be sure that you can handle extreme adult humor and maybe not take the game too seriously.