Games with a high focus on multiplayer have always had a hard time sticking with me. While I enjoy the implementation of local multiplayer, not having a single player option can really be off putting for players like myself. Holy Stick! Is a prime example of what happens when a game fails to capture an audience of players who enjoy playing games on their own, even if it is a frantic party game with interesting mechanics.
with no story or behind the scene motivation here, holy stick leans heavily into the party game genre and pits players against one another in a multitude of game modes that will have players destroying each other for all kinds of reasons. There is a ton of content to be found here With basic modes like deathmatch, Capture the flag, and Gun game to be found along with many others. Playing matches will have you collecting coins which can be used to purchase customization options for your stick figure. I love having the option to make my character stand out amongst the others but unfortunatly, that’s where the fun ended for me.
First thing that I noticed was that the closest thing to a single player option you will find is a lobby full of CPU bots. I had no issues with this except for the fact that the CPU doesn’t seem competent enough to engage in an interesting match and had me running around just trying to learn how the game works. With no tutorial or introduction here, it is off to a painful start that has a hard time recovering.
When your player gets dropped onto the map, you are given a gun and an objective that is voiced over in a childish tone. This does lean into the aesthetic that the game goes for since you are playing as stick figures that are drawn onto a map that looks like it is straight out a middle schoolers notebook but its charm wears off quickly. Your characters will shout and scream as the match progresses and it is full of adolescent humor and the sound of farting gas cans exploding doesn’t help. While this might be interesting with the right group of people, it is hard to find enjoyment here when playing on your own.
As you navigate the map, you will be tasked with eliminating the other team as you try to fulfill your goals. Each gun has a laser sight on it and a different firing pattern but unfortunately, the firing trajectory doesn’t follow the line setup since some guns have bullet drop-off. This would be a fine feature in a game that is more focused on a realistic approach to its combat but for a game with stick figures blowing each other up, I would have preferred that this be kept out. I often found my shots missing and by the time I figured out how to adjust for each weapon, I was extremely frustrated and ready to quit.
One of the more interesting aspects of the game involves the value of your stick man’s limbs during combat. If you lose the use of your arms or legs then you will find yourself at a disadvantage until you either die or find a med kit to fix your missing limbs. While this does add some tension to the fights, it is undone by the fact that health kits can be found throughout the map and regenerate after a period of time, taking away the weight of the loss and making it more of a minor inconvenience.
My time spent with holy Stick was not one that I can say I enjoyed due to the high focus on multiplayer and while you can match up with bots, there is no real challenge except learning how to actually play the game. The concept of hand-drawn maps in the spaces of a notebook is really interesting but unfortunately any good will this game earns is only dampened by a bad experience moments later.
