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The Significance of Lil Gator Game: In the Dark || Chatsu Shorts
33 Plays3 days ago
Disclaimer: The DLC Lil Gator Game: In the Dark was given to me free by Playtonic to review
In this episode of Chatsu Shorts, Satsu discusses the indie hit Lil Gator Game and it's new DLC In the Dark. But what makes this 3D platformer stand out? Does the DLC enhance the base game? And how many cardboard monsters does it take to buy a trampoline?! All of this and more in this episode of Chatsu Shorts!
Check out Lil Gator Game here!
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Transcript
Introduction to Chatsunami
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to Chatsunami, a Scottish variety podcast that discusses topics from gaming and films to anime and general interest. Join me, your host, Satsunami, as well as the rest of our Chatsunami team for our takes on these very important pop culture topics. Sir, it's clearly a trap. I accept copyright! That happens three times in the film. Every time that general goes, don't do this one thing, he goes, do you know what I'm gonna do? That's the exact thing.
00:00:27
Speaker
It doesn't well. She had the pointy teeth. What was that about? She looked like Bilbo when he wants the ring back. She did, didn't she? I just want the lightsaber one more time. Parasite says, no, you will get back into your office and work. No, says the man in Zoom. yeah Trousers are for the working man.
00:00:47
Speaker
You're bursting into your hotel room. Honey, we need to go. Leave the kids. You can milk an odysl. Oh!
00:00:58
Speaker
That's the worst thing you've ever said on any of the
Accessing Chatsunami
00:01:01
Speaker
episodes. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then you can check us out at our website, chattsunami.com, as well as all good podcast apps. As always, stay safe, stay awesome, and most importantly, stay hydrated.
00:01:14
Speaker
Stay classy and have banana. This has been chattsunami. I'm sorry.
Life Before the Internet: Imagination and Exploration
00:01:26
Speaker
talked about this numerous times before, but it really is hard to remember a time before the internet. For me, the internet emerged as a fairly new phenomenon, advertised as a platform to exchange ideas and bring the world closer together. Now, I'm not going to pretend that it was perfect, far from it, but it's odd to think that there's a generation out there who never knew what it was like to go out and explore with friends, to seek out new things, armed with nothing but your imagination. While I definitely wouldn't say I was always one of those kids that would be out until sunset, I did have my fair share of moments like that. Sadly, as we all grew older and time marched on, the call of adulthood beckoned us forth, into its cold embrace. When you're younger, you yearn to be an adult, to do whatever you want. But once you get to that stage, you soon realise that wishing your youth away isn't exactly the
Finding Comfort in Gaming: Cozy Indie Games
00:02:19
Speaker
best thing. But of course, another cosy nostalgic hobby of mine is gaming. which recently has led me down the proverbial rabbit hole of seeking out cosy indie titles that masterfully explore a variety of themes and topics that usually have me either sobbing by the end or running to tell my friends about it for the next several months. And one such game that caught my eye was one by the name of Lil' Gator Game. Developed by Megawobble and published by Playtonic in 2022, Lil' Gator is exactly what it says on the tin.
00:02:51
Speaker
Following the adventures of a little cartoony alligator, this 3D platformer grabs the player and hurls them back to a time of childlike wonder as the main character tries to vie for their sister's attention. But in order to do so, they are forced to try and create a grand adventure with the help of their animal friends, and along the way learn some real hard truths that playtime is not eternal.
Lil' Gator Game: An Adventure to Reconnect
00:03:14
Speaker
Now, before I go on, I just want to point out that while I bought the main game myself, I was given a free early access copy of the new DLC In The Dark by Playtonic, so a massive shout out to them. I will of course be reviewing both of these here, so don't you worry, Pandalorians. But the question remains, why did this game strike a chord with me? How did it differ from other indie platformers? And how appealing could this little gator truly be? Well, grab your cardboard swords, adventurer, as we review LUL GATOR GAME and its DLC In The Dark.
00:03:45
Speaker
Starting with the main story, the game begins with a flashback to our hero, Lil' Gator, whom the player can rename like any good adventure game, having a number of fantastical adventures with her older sister. Unfortunately, these carefree days are cut short when Lil' Gator's sister leaves her college, and when she returns, she isn't quite the same, prioritising her work.
00:04:07
Speaker
over having fun. This leads to Lil' Gator making it their mission to create the ultimate adventure with the help of their friends, to entice their sister to once again play with them. Before we deep dive into this however, let's talk about the gameplay first.
Game Mechanics and Exploration
00:04:20
Speaker
What really shocked me was just how similar this felt to something like The Legends of Zelda, in particular entries like The Wind Waker and Breath of the Wild. And when I say that, I mean it as a compliment. While the art style is goofy yet vibrant, it is a really fun game to play. You have your staples like any other good adventure game, from makeshift weapons and shields that you can surf on, to silly cosmetics and even a glider that can slow your descent. and by glider I mean an oversized t-shirt, which I will admit got a chuckle from me. As someone who grew up playing the likes of Sonic and Banjo-Kazooie, one thing that I did appreciate was that the game prioritises having fun with relatively low stakes overall.
00:05:02
Speaker
There's no fall damage, a health bar, or even a time limit beyond the optional time challenges of getting from point A to B. All there is is just a little gator and their trusty exploration skills. Throughout your adventure, you do your best to unite everyone to congregate in the playground, while in turn doing favours and tasks for them. While at times this may feel like busy work, what I do appreciate is just how it helps to flesh out the characters and how they see the world with childlike whimsy. The Core 3 missions has you talking to your trio of friends, Martin, Avery and Jill, and helping them sort out some of their problems that their friends have been having for Martin.
00:05:40
Speaker
This involves trying to convince him and his friends to turn on the water at a splash park. while they battle with their own insecurities about trying to remain socially cool. With Jill, her friends are more academic, and will only play if it helps to further their studies, much to Lil' Gator's annoyance. And finally for Avery, his friends cannot decide on a solid theme for the game between vampires, cowboys, and even astronauts. During your journey, you will meet a colourful cast of characters that feel like they're on their own respective journeys, and honestly, i think they are really handled well. In terms of representation, one thing that I was made aware of is that your own character, Little Gator, is listed as being non-binary, thereby using the they-them pronouns. While it was done as a way for the player, and by extension the main character, to explore their identity, I just think it's really cool the way that this was seamlessly integrated into the story with a sense of normality. There is no right or wrong choices between the weapons and cosmetics that you use. When asked in an interview if they were hoping to impact players with this design choice in any way, artist and director Connor Patrick Quinn said
Themes of Growing Up and Balancing Work and Play
00:06:49
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the following.
00:06:49
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Not everything exists to make an impact. Some things are just true. Going back to the gameplay for a moment, I did like how all of the quote-unquote monsters in the game were just cardboard cutouts. When you destroy them, they become reduced into paper confetti, which serves as the game's currency for crafting and buying items. You can even find a raccoon selling some pretty cool items which... Without spoiling it, certainly was a blast from the past seeing some of them. The only minor nitpick that I would have, and this also extends into the DLC, is the lack of a mini-map, but this is twofold. On the one hand, it is easy to get lost at times, and especially in the DLC, but the more I thought about it, the more not having one made more sense.
00:07:33
Speaker
This is a game about exploration and adventure where all Little Gator needs is a landmark and a trusty stick to guide them onward. Getting Lost was the adventure and would eventually lead you into a path you otherwise would have never explored. Now, spoilers ahead. If you haven't played the game yet and you don't want to be spoiled, then you are more than welcome to pause at this point and go play yourself. But what I will say is, is that the ending itself is really sweet, and it really struck a chord with me. While Little Gator's sister is caught up with work, she does so so that she can do what she does best, create a game that everyone can play. And as silly as this game was, it did make me reflect on how one day you go from being the hero of your own adventures to suddenly drowning in studies, and eventually a 9 to 5 that you won't have as much time for the fun things in life.
00:08:22
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Yet fortunately, the big sis finally understands that she needs to take a break, and decides to join the others to play, thus ending
DLC In The Dark: Extending the Adventure
00:08:30
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the main story. Overall the main story takes about three to five hours to beat, quite possibly more if you were just to walk about and enjoy the ambience of the island. From its relaxing soundtrack to colourful visuals, I would go as far as to say this is the perfect start-up platformer for anyone wanting to get into gaming, from kids to adults. I think Megawobble killed it with this one. And if you think that's great then oh boy do i have some good news. As of this review, the DLC In The Dark has just dropped and is currently on sale. The only way I could describe this DLC is that meme of that guy going, oh boy, two cakes. And that's what this game is. and
00:09:07
Speaker
three to five hour adventure, this time taking you deep underground, where a piglet called Dark Lord and his trio of minions are threatening to ruin the fun of the group through their, and I use this phrase so loosely, villainous ways. While it's clear that Dark Lord is nothing more than a bratty child throwing tantrums to get their way, there's something not quite right with the way they're acting. Much like the core game, you have the three main objectives to complete, all the while collecting friends along the way.
00:09:35
Speaker
This culminates in a showdown that I must say took me by surprise, and once again was handled really well. Without too many spoilers, it's something that could have been easily resolved by the power of friendship, and while there is a degree of that, there's certainly more to it And trust me, As someone who's met their fair share of kids like that when I was younger, I know exactly what they were going for here. Someone who wants to rule the game as the super duper ultimate bad guy, and yet by the end realises that their behaviour is only repelling people away. Gameplay wise, there are a lot of goodies to play with this time around, introducing charm weapons that, if I'm honest, come across as a bit OP at times, but with that being said, I bloody love them. There's nothing cooler than thwipping around with a spider web like Spider Gator, or using a martial arts staff to hover your way through the mines. Initially, was gonna complain about the pickaxe being too realistic a weapon for the fantastical theme, but considering we've got an exploding bowling ball in the main game, similar actually to the bombs in Zelda come to think of it, I'll happily let that one slide. While I gave the lack of a minimap a pass for the main game, I feel like it was a lot harder finding your way through the mines as opposed to the more colourful world above. Again, it's a minor nitpick, but after the third wrong turn, I was beginning to think that the stalagmites and cardboard cryptids were messing with me. to be fair There are items that you can get later on in the game to mitigate this issue, such as the megaphone which points towards people that you need to help, and text Jill who points out items. The only downside is, so that you're not skipping over the exploration, you aren't allowed to use the megaphone before you defeat Dark Lord.
00:11:17
Speaker
And texting Jill highlights every single cardboard cutout, which while helpful if you're looking for cardboard to collect, isn't always the best. Nevertheless, who said adventuring was
Game Recommendation and Listener Engagement
00:11:28
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easy? But that aside, Little Gator Game and its DLC in the dark is honestly a blast. I loved every second of running around as that goofy little gator with my pretend sword battling through cardboard creatures and paper perils. Cozy is the best word to describe this game, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it. As I said, it has minor flaws, but they're heavily outweighed by the sense of nostalgia and warm feelings that it brings. In short, if you haven't picked it up already, then this is one Lalo-Gator game that you need to check out.
00:11:59
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So what did you think? Is this heroic gator the saviour of indie gaming, or is it better left to go play with their friends instead? Let us know below and tell us what you think. But as always, thank you all so so much for listening, and another big thank you to Playtonic for the
Thank You and Stay Adventurous
00:12:14
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DLC. If you would like to listen to more episodes from ourselves, as well as other indie game reviews, then you can check us out at our website, chatsunami.com, and as well as all good podcast apps. I also want to thank our amazing Pandalorian patrons, Robotic Battletoaster, Ghostie, and Cryptic 1991. Thank you so, so much for supporting the show. And if you would like exclusive access to bonus content, as well as early access to episodes, then can check us out at our Patreon page, patreon.com forward slash Chatsunami. This podcast is a proud member of the Polpat Collective. For more information, check us out at our Twitter slash X page at Polpat Collect. But until next time, Thank you all so so much for listening. Stay safe, stay awesome, and most importantly, stay adventuring.