LISA the Joyful Review: A Sobering Conclusion

Developer : Dingaling

Publisher: Dingaling

Release Date: August 24, 2015

Platforms:  PC [reviewed]

Price: $5

I was late in playing LISA: The Painful RPG, the 2014 turn-based game about a drug-addicted ex-martial arts teacher finding the last living female in a post-apocalyptic world, but that didn’t stop me from falling in love with it immediately. Equal parts hilarious and tragic, LISA earned it subtitle–it was an agonizing experience in the best way, forcing players to confront the concept of narrative choice and the question of whether or not love alone really is enough to raise a child. When I heard that Austin ‘Dingaling’ Jorgensen, the mind behind the game and its Yume Nikki-inspired predecessor, LISA the First, was creating a finale to the series, I was extremely excited. Having played through the stellar three-hour conclusion to the tale of Brad and Buddy, I wouldn’t say I’m happy at the conclusion–but then, no one really ever is in LISA‘s world.

The first thing to realize is that LISA the Joyful is more of an expansion than a sequel, and it’s priced accordingly. It also requires LISA: The Painful RPG to play, so those looking to give it a shot will need to start with the core game, which honestly should be done anyways, considering that The Joyful picks up literally seconds after the conclusion of its predecessor. With that out of the way: The Joyful is a darker experience than The Painful ever was, and that’s saying something. Instead of the previous game’s protagonist, Brad, it drops us in the shoes of Buddy, the young girl that Brad took under his wing–and the last known female in the world. The very first scene puts a new spin on the relationship between these two characters, making players question just how close the pair were while simultaneously setting up the circumstances of the girl’s solo journey.

Joy mutants return, and are as unsettling as ever.

While The Painful RPG had frequent absurdist humor to break up its more somber plot points, The Joyful is rarely funny; it’s laser-focused on a very specific kind of tone, and it works well for what it’s trying to do. Plagued by those who wish to control, capture, and rape her, Buddy is a somber and ferocious child. This is delivered in everything from the way she stands to her sharp, emotionless dialogue; she’s had enough of the world she grew up in, and now she’s out to change it. Seeing Buddy take it to those who have been hounding her is simultaneously empowering and terrifying. She’s a product of a civilization that wants to reduce her to a plaything, yet through clever writing, we’re shown that not everyone in her path is deserving of their fate.

While the visuals are basic, as befitting a one-man project crafted in RPG Maker, the music is something special, which won’t surprise veterans of Dingaling’s games. The erratic soundtrack explores everything from hard rock to snare-heavy techno beats, serving as a stellar backdrop to the grim setting and colorful bosses. If there is humor to be found in The Joyful, it’s mostly in these difficult encounters; from a fat man in a poncho that pulls assault rifles out of nowhere when his health gets low to a smiling pretty boy whose constantly shining teeth annoy even his own cohorts, the game’s bosses are a treat in style and presentation.

Buddy’s got a hell of a hit list.

In terms of actual gameplay, The Joyful is basic, but that isn’t necessarily a complaint. Like in The Painful RPG, much of the game is spent in combat, but unlike Brad and his party, Buddy is mostly alone in her journey. Between this and the lack of equipment to find and wear, the focus is on the battles themselves, and they’re far more challenging than The Painful’s. In addition to an assortment of attacks, Buddy can deal extra damage through a quick-time button press with each blow, and mastering the timing of this is essential to completing some of the tougher fights. While I can see it grating on those who prefer a strictly turn-based approach, I found it an enjoyable bit of extra input to keep things interesting.

There’s only so much I can elaborate on about LISA the Joyful without spoiling it; after all, it’s only about three hours long and relies heavily on the characterization and plot of the previous game for much of its own narrative. What I can say is that for anyone who played through LISA: The Painful RPG, it’s an absolute essential buy, concluding the twisted tale of the post-apocalyptic world that Dingaling built in a big way. For anyone who hasn’t played any of the LISA games, this is yet another reason to do so. Despite their simple visuals and modest origins, they’re some of the best games I’ve ever played.