Developer: Fossil Games
Platform: PC (Steam)
Genre: Action, RPG
Publisher: Hound Picked Games
Sunshine Manor is an 8-bit retro horror adventure from Fossil Games. It’s a prequel to Camp Sunshine which was a cult hit. The game is a mix of dungeon crawler and story-driven RPG. This review is for the PC Steam version which, is available to purchase now; the console versions will be released in 2022.
Sunshine Manor is a real throwback to the classic 8-bit dungeon RPG. At first, the bright and wonderfully detailed game looks fantastic and does the 8-bit genre justice. The game does have a spooky and eerie underlying theme that is ubiquitous. It’s a heavily story-driven narrative that gives context to the Sunshine Manor and why you are there. You have that classic gameplay as you shift through numerous levels of the mansion. The top-down view with fantastically rendered levels gives me a sense of nostalgia but is used by many indie games still. The dungeons are detailed, and each dungeon has its theme. You play as Ada, and you have to go through a series of dungeons with clues to find out what happened in this mansion. Every dungeon, every character and every clue helps to uncover the mystery of the manor.
The game has a timeless retro quality that is easy to pick up and play but has enough to keep you entertained for the duration of the game. It’s dark and lots of fun; I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable it was.
The game is a fantastic 8-bit horror RPG that has all the great elements of a 2D game. The storyline is intriguing and adds wonderfully scary and horror themes during the game. Level design is superb and the transition between ordinary and horror levels changes the tone of the game. I loved the unexpected jump scares throughout. The dialogue is superb, and the mix of game mechanics from general dungeon crawling to boss battles adds many variations in gameplay. I love how dark and full of horror the game is. The game executes every element with fantastic detail. I also love the general retro feel of the game.
Overall: 8/10
Enjoys more than the odd game, long time gamer, somewhat a technologist and everything else in between.
Also enjoys a good solid game of FIFA online. Currently PS4, XBOX 360 and STEAM.
