The Edge Of Allegoria Review
Come along for nostalgia, rough-around-the-edges humor, and a pixilated adventure story. As a Canadian, I was thoroughly excited to discover The Edge of Allegoria, a game heavily steeped in old-school games, brought to life via a Kick Starter campaign crafted by Canadian solo developer Joe, a.k.a Button Factory Games, in 2024. In all honesty, while games like Pokémon Emerald remain a beloved part of my heart, I had not played a Game Boy-style game in quite some time. Yet this not-so-charming little gem provided an excellent trip down memory lane, complemented with a modern-day and mouthy spin.
You're walking through an area directly out of the screen of an old Game Boy Color; while you do run into cute little creatures, one is faced with decidedly disturbing scenes and characters even more so. The game is filled with drug-addled, non-playable characters, graphically explicit lines, and as much profanity as would be enough to keep even the saltiest of sea dogs comfortable. It's like someone took happy childhood memories, drenched them in Conker's Bad Fur Day, and then set them alight with a dash of whiskey.
The combat system is very similar to the games from which it draws inspiration. You've also got a Mastery System that lets you level up your weapons and armor, kinda like catching skills instead of Pokémon. This game also infuses infliction statuses - Poison, Bleed, Burn, Drowsiness, Stiffness, and Madness. They pretty much took every lousy day I've ever had and turned it into a game mechanic - luckily, items solve everything!
The humor in this game surprised me and became something I actively looked for in NPC interactions. Sometimes, it hits just right, and others were so cheesy you had to groan out loud. You'll be laughing one minute and rolling your eyes the next. While the overly edgy humor matches the game, it may rub some play the way.
The story and world of Allegoria are engaging. The villages are filled with characters who would comfortably fit into a late-night comedy show, with quests that invite deep reflection on life decisions. In one scenario, the player helps a mayor find out who killed his wife; in another, they help save a city from the jaws of a dragon. The game throws an entirely unexpected turn of events before the player can think they have seen every possible situation. I enjoyed taking the extra time to make sure I read all the dialogue from every NPC I came across.
This game goes beyond shock value dressed up in nostalgia. Joe at Button Factory Games built the project with an astounding amount of passion, which is definitely reflected by the fact that it was fully funded on Kickstarter. It is a testament in how the gaming community believed in the project so much, they invested their money in.
If I am being nit-picky, which I am here to be, the fighting can get repetitive, and the original map system has some unclear points; it was not very user-friendly and definitely took me a minute to get used to.
The Edge of Allegoria is like the quirky relative at a family reunion; it has quirks but is still very lovable. If you take into account that this game was made by a solo developer, it really is something to applaud and celebrate. Plus, here at AGN, we're big fans of Canadian-made games! So, to me, it deserves a score of 7.5 out of 10. Though it will not revolutionize the gaming world, it provides entertainment and satisfies the yearning for nostalgia with a touch of crude whimsy.
If you are interested in playing a game that sends players back to the nostalgic age of Game Boy gaming but also adds enough adult humor to take the experience past the realm of mere childhood nostalgia, I'd suggest The Edge of Allegoria. Leave your sensibilities at the door, grab a snack (you'll find lots on your gaming journey), and prepare for a unique nostalgia trip.
