Play The Desolate Hope

Became a coffee poy.
Walked around.
Killed some robots.
Collected eggs.
Killed some more robots.
Collected some bits.
Fought a virus.
Had an epileptic fit.
Rethought my life decisions.
Died.

11/10 would become a coffee pot again

Paid for this game a week before it became free... no regrets...

This has easily become one of my favorite games. A good story told over the course of Metroid/Megaman-esque overworld gameplay, zelda-esque mini dungeons & seizure inducing RPG boss battles. This has been one of the few games I've purchased and did not feel disappointment with in years.

Update: This game is free now. PLAY IT.

You get to play as an antrhomorphized coffee pot, and that really speaks to me

Yes, Freddy. You're good at what you do and you have an enormous fan-following. But I think I'm gonna step aside for a sec and admire Scott's lesser appreciated work, and a game which has quickly become one of my favourite games of all time.

Sadly, I cannot remember if I came across this game by browsing "Games under £4" or if I only heard about it through Five Nights at Freddy's. But I'm so glad I found this game either way.

So what's the thingy happening, then? Well, you play as the re-programmed CPU of a video game controlling the body of a feisty coffee-pot with legs. You're stranded in a space station an unknown distance from Earth with 4 (once 5) super-computer robots who are trying to find a way to perfectly colonize distant planets for humans. Viruses are starting to take their toll on the simulations and the space station is on it's last shred of power, so it's up to you (and the AI of the coffee-pot) to gather as much resources as you can to take out the viruses before they ruin the mission.
Just like FNaF, this is a really original concept.

The gameplay is broken up into several segments, all being from different genres of games, and you're constantly under a time limit; something you don't see in a lot of games. It's very reminiscent of Majora's Mask, in a way. This kind of gameplay mechanic would work in so many games which ignore it, like all the games where a big event is about to happen, but you could do a lap of the world before it even begins.

Some may argue that the gameplay gets very repetitive after a short while, and I'll admit there are a few places that get rather tedious, but fortunately it's much more engaging than FNaF. Also, just like FNaF, it's feels amazing to beat the game because of how much work goes into it.

And as for Scott's signature art-style, this game is gorgeous! Scott captures the creativity, the vision and the desires of the Derelicts perfectly in their simulations. And as for the space station and surrounding area, it's awe-inspiring how lonely it feels. Don't even get me started on how good the soundtrack is.

You get all this, and a ton of depth and story, for just £3.99. It's a longer game than the Freddy Trilogy as a whole, and it's perfect for what it's trying to acomplish. I just finished this game clocking in 7 hours of gameplay and I can't wait to play it again. Tenaouttaten

For such an addictive and unique game, I fail to see the reason why I should not recommend this to other people, especially for other RPGers looking to taste a new "flare" from the genre.

Pros:
-The combat system is unique and enjoyably fast-paced.
-Memorable characters, riding within a very compelling story.
-An atmosphere that isn't exactly "spectacular", but the vibe it gives off just makes you stop and think: "Woah, this looks pretty obscure. (In a good way)"

Cons:
-Gameplay may get repetitive, especially since a huge portion of it is basically a collectathon.
-A part of the game's world has your character walking really slow. (While this issue isn't necessarily bothersome to all, it *may* drain your interest as the game progresses)
-Lack of tutorials and intros for the mechanics which will lead you to experiment, not in a fun way. (According to a comment on this review, there's a manual in the game directory, but who reads a manual before playing a game anymore anyways?)

The Desolate Hope isn't perfect, the game may "lag" and/or freeze in a millisecond (I don't know if it's my PC, but I've tried it on another PC and it still has that issue). Other than the lag, the game is basically a work of art; eerie, different, and reminiscent of "computer personality" sci-fi tropes.

The game is also a "hybrid" with its genre, though as it stands, I perceive it more as an "RPG" with "Platforming" elements, than an essentially "hybrid" game.

Score: Walking Coffee Maker out of Decaf Coffee
The game is fine and enjoyable. I just have a feeling that it could be better than what it is.
The game gets repetitive, but at the same time addictive.
Overall, the game is good and it's on my list of "favorite unappreciated games."

P.S.: Even though it's free now, it's still the best $5 I've ever spent.

I am less than affluent (i.e. broke), therefore I will wait for anything and everything I want to play to go on sale. Yes, even already cheap, obscure indie titles go on my wishlist until I see old man Steam is having one of his episodes and will trade me games for the unnamed contents of my pockets. It also doesn't help that the obscure titles are less reliable in their overall ratings, so that I find myself owning games that give Steam refunds their raison d'etre.

The Desolate Hope, however, is not one of these. The Desolate Hope is a game that, after playing it, I felt guilty for not kicking a couple bucks to before it became free. To wish I had paid money for a thing I got for free is easily the highest praise a cheap ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ like me can give.

Alright, so what is The Desolate Hope? Every time I try to explain its premise to someone, I come off sounding like a kid that's upended a forty of Pixy Stix. So here goes:

Imagine that you are playing as Minesweeper. No, not playing Minesweeper. You are the computer program, Minesweeper. You came preinstalled and have been idling in memory for someone to enjoy your frustrating trial-and-error gameplay. Finally, you are activated; not by an eager player, but by a greater intelligence, the likes of which you can barely begin to circumscribe with your puny Minesweeper brain: the AI for a robotic coffee pot.

Your new coffee pot overlord has downloaded you into its body, while it oversees the vital functions of the space base you both occupy. Your mission is to explore the base (long abandoned by humanity), gain the trust of several derelict robots that were once in charge of terraforming the planet, and seek out and eliminate a virus stealing data from the simulations they are running. And you must do all of this before the station runs out of power in only a few days time.

During the day, you will explore the Derelicts' dream worlds, the visualization of their efforts to build a home for humanity: their simulations. At night, you will roam the barren wasteland of the forgotten planet the base rests on, looking for lost artifacts of humanity to offer up to the Derelicts so that they might offer their help to fight the virus.

You will face challenges that lesser coffee pots would buckle before and uncover the hidden secrets of the base, for all is not as it seems. Also, there's a magic wrench and a spider named Sigfried.

Truly, a tale as old as time.

The visual aesthetic is quite impressive. Though it does have that Sega CD/Saturn era pre-rendered style that looks kind of old and janky now, I hadn't realized that I do have some nostalgia for that.

Regardless, the character models and environments in the simulations are very imaginative. The Derelicts and viruses appear almost like something out of Aztec or Hindu mythology; towering over their private realms that are certainly science fiction, but have a magical feel about them. But it wasn't until I was walking on the planet's surface as a tiny, lone silhouette against the void of space that it really hit me what a beautiful game this is.

Of course, you want to talk gameplay. Like the premise, it's hard to describe the gameplay without sounding like I'm vomiting up the product of a the orgy between a big pile of ideas (eww). I have a feeling the game design document reads something like this:

"Yo dawg, I heard you like video games. So we put some video games in your video game so you can play video games while you game."

Outside the simulations, the game is at its most reserved. Your coffee pot body is exceptional in that it can move around. But that's all. At this level, the game is an adventure game where you explore and collect items... and play Space Invaders at certain times, but that's neither here nor there.

Inside of the simulations, you are playing a free-roaming platformer where you can jump and shoot energy blasts and other such feats of percolation heretofore unknown to coffee pots. You can dive into sub-simulations where the game becomes a top down vector-based shooter where you kill enemies to gain cabbages. Makes sense? What if I told you a vector rabbit follows you around and translates them into free memory you can use to upgrade yourself?

When you locate the virus, the screen swirls into a disco wonderland and the game becomes real-time JRPG style combat where you control the four Derelicts against the virus. And if that wasn't enough, we can go one deeper. Within the real-time JRPG combats, one of the best moves for each Derelict is to call up a mini-game (each of the four gets a different one and you can have them all running simultaneously) that you can play to get buffs.

Some would say that sounds schizophrenic. Normally, I'd agree, but the Deolate Hope manages to take these disparate gameplay styles and use them to inform, further, and juxtapose the others. It creates complexity, where I would label something else randomness.

Your lonely sojourns on the planet's surface are quiet, somber, and low on action. It gives the player a break from the intensity of the platforming and RPG combat while also giving us a stark "real" world to stand against the fantastic dreamscapes of the Derelicts and the psychedelic fury of the RPG segments. And "leveling-up" the Derelicts is a matter of earning their trust so they will dedicate more system resources to your task.

Gathering free memory in the sub-simulations will allow you to purchase upgrades from vendors you find by exploring the main simulations. And these upgrades and other power-ups you find are your ticket to success in the menu-driven battles against the virus. You will need to gather every resource and have a full understanding of all systems to have any hope of success when suing the 1% - err, defeating the late game bosses

Unlike some computer RPGs where combat is a placeholder for action until the boss fights, The Desolate Hope's RPG combat is fixture of strategy and challenge. You will need to master buffs, debuffs, status effects, running mini-games, storing points, using hack items, and a slew of other systems before taking on the later bosses.

In fact, this is one of the few complaints I have. I do love that I'm being challenged, when other titles in the genre often don't. However, there is so much going on in these RPG segments that are the center pieces of the game and no explanation to guide you through them. It becomes overwhelming. I felt like an outsider taking a journey to the depths of superhero fandom message boards: just one incomprehensible wall of text describing powers and systems and the interconnectedness of it all that made me want to back out slowly and cry.

Here's a tip: you won't figure it out for yourself. Go get a guide. There's a lovely one in the Steam Community pages.

My only other criticism is that the game is badly lacking in polish. It's clear that this is Scott Cawthon's early work and there are some things missing that I expect in a paid release. The game doesn't adjust itself to suit my native resolation, but rather resets my resolution to make itself fullscreen. And there's no volume control or pause button. Pressing escape just instantly closes the entire game. You get the idea.

Still, I obviously really like The Desolate Hope and would have been almost as enthusiastic if I had paid. There's nothing game-breaking missing, though it would have been nice to see this one get just a little bit more love before being published.

Ultimately, The Desolate Hope is unique, compelling, fun, and free. So why aren't you playing it?

P.S. If you know or are Scott Cawthon, please tell him I will play Five Nights at Freddy's even though I don't like resource management or jump scares. But I would like him to make another big sci-fi cluster♥♥♥♥ of whimsical ideas and gameplay.

Game is separated into distinct parts where the gameplay is different. There's the platforming to navigate the world, 4-direction top-down shooter in a mini-game to get unlock upgrades, and real-time turn-based hybrid RPG-like combat as boss fights. The platforming and the shooting are simple while the boss fights can pose a challenge and look intimidating, but there's a reasonable learning curve from the first boss to the end of the game.

There's no restriction or linearity to dictate where and when to progress; so, some trial and error to find which boss is the party as is, is equipped and upgraded enough to handle.

Aside from the aspects of gameplay, The Desolate Hope strays a bit from the standard with user interaction. Pausing is bound to unconventional keys (F2 or ALT) [while ESC immediately closes the game]. The manual makes no mention of this; minor-ish issue, but more significant than usual as the game is under a time limit, ticking down in most areas of the game.

Misc. Info
Bought At	Full price ($4.99)
Expectations	My first exposure to the game was a YouTube video demonstrating a boss fight. Though I think the boss fights are very entertaining (but leaning to the same strategy of applying all party buffs and chaining high damage moves), replaying encounters is limited to the two final bosses for a save.
Steam Features	Steam Overlay doesn't work with the game, which means taking screenshots and broadcasting must be done by other applications.

It's kind of a JRPG/Platformer hybrid with metroidvania elements.
You control a coffee machine on an outpost on a distant planet that's inhabited by 4 large robots that are supposed to run simulations and figure out ways for colonizing the planet, but a virus is interfering with the project and it's your task to enter each robot's simulation and defeat the virus.
The game is split in two sections: Day and night.
The main part happens during the day. Here you enter the simulations, which are the platforner/metroidvania segments. You jump around, shoot enemies and collect stuff. You can also enter system panels to close security holes the virus may use. The game then switches to a zelda-ish style with topdown view and each screen representing a room with enemies in it.
Throughout all this you collect system resources you can spend on various upgrades.
During the night you just go outside the base, walk around the barren surface of the planet and collect items that you can give to the robots which will increase their levels.
All that leads up to the battles against the virus, which are semi-turn based battles akin to common JRPGS, but the battle system also has it's own unique twists and turns. These battles are the center of the gameplay, as nearly everything you do is to prepare for them. They can get a bit frustrating towards the end because of some pretty nasty enemy abilities, but overall they are fun and challenging and I didn't need to do any grinding to get through them (not counting the night segments, which are basically just that... plus a little bonus :P)
The art and music are amazing, and I really enjoyed the story. The gameplay is fluent, but in itself nothing too special. Basic platforming for the most part, but the JRPG battles really stick out though.
The only other thing worth mentioning might be that the game is relatively short. I got through it in 6 hours. I *might* do a second run to get those 200% (only had 168% this time), but there doesn't seem to be any major replayability. So if you want something epic, don't look here. If you want a really nice, atmospheric and uniqe sci-fi short story, get this.

Though Scott Cawthon is known for making Five Nights at Freddys, it isn't the only gem he has made as The Desolate Hope is another piece of work that is as good as FNAF. Best way to describeThe Desolate Hope is Megaman/Metroid meets the timed battle system you would find in a JRPG, complete with nice looking pre-rendered backgrounds and characters. Bought the game after seeing it was on sale. Needless to say, it was worth the $1.24 spent on it.

Most of the time, you'll be controlling an autonomous coffee-pot, entering the simulations of AI's in the day, and the surface of a planet at night. Within the simulations, the gameplay centers on the likes similar to Metroid and Megaman, jumping over pits and shooting bad guys. When it comes to fighting bosses however, control switches to the four AI's, switching perspective towards that of a JRPG like Final Fantasy VII. Combat as the AI's at first will seem a bit intimidating at first but once you understand each moves the AI's have, you can try to steer the odds to your end, so as long as you pick the right skills. Levelling up the AI's is also rather simple as the night segments as the coffee pot lets you find certain items to give to the AI's, allowing them to level up as opposed to the grinding you'd find in other RPG's.

Though Scott Cawthon's fame may lie with Five Nights at Freddys, The Desolate Hope is another gem of Cawthon's work, one that is good mixture a platforming, turn-based fights, and artistic design.

tl;dr The Desolate Hope is a gem from Cawthon like FNAF, but instead of evil animatronics, it's platforming, turn-based fights like FFVII, and nice pre-rendered scenery.