Talent Not Included from Frima Studios might be one of most challenging games I have ever laid my hands or eyes on. The developers were certainly not joking when they put that name on the game.
This is not to say I didn’t enjoy Talent Not Included”¦even if I was pretty horrible at it. I don’t even want to think about how many times I had to die and/or start over parts. Let us just say that the number is nowhere near flattering, yet still totally worth the playtime.
Before the game actually starts, we are introduced to a cut scene and in it, there is a manuscript for a play that introduces our three derpy monsters who together decide to write a play about a video game giving the sense that what you are playing and is the play and the characters you control are the main actors in said play.
You get to choose an act in which there is a different character to each, and from there you have to choose a scene from the “chapter.” As you are in each of the scenes, you must collect enough candy to earn a high enough score to progress to the next scene and the scene progresses through smaller stages where you have to get over obstacles and avoid creatures that will kill you, all with a small amount of health, though you can gather more hearts to gain health throughout the scenes.
Careful hand and eye coordination for controlling the characters are crucial for any kind of long-term survival. It reminded me of playing on the ice levels on Super Mario Brothers 3 where the timing of every movement counted heavily, or you would end up down a life and back at the last save point. Lucky for you”¦and me, making such mistakes in Talent Not Included usually only makes you end up at the bottom of the level and most likely starting over whatever setting you happen to be in as that works as a normal play would as well. Each scene progresses with the setting divided into parts rolling over to progress you through the game.
If you are looking for a faster-paced challenge, this is your game. As for me, I have quite a bit of work to do before I have any hopes of making my way through all the Acts, but I look forward to it.