The action-adventure game Usual June can be tried out at the Steam Next Fest and offers light-footed ghostly bobbin lace making.
Yes, I love difficult games. I’ve battled my way through Dark Souls, Hades, Cuphead, I Wanna Be The Guy and Darkest Dungeon. I know what it means to suffer when you’re just not skilled enough for a game but still want to get to the end.
But to keep me going for escapades like this, I need a balance every now and then. When I fought my way through Sekiro a few years ago, Concrete Genie was there to help me. You also fight your way through all kinds of demonic creatures in that game, but that’s more of a snowball fight compared to Soulslikes.
I had a similar experience when I tried out the action-adventure game Usual June as part of the current Steam Next Fest.
(About the free demo of Usual June on Steam )
What is Usual June?
Usual June initially stands out for its picturesque style, which is one of the reasons why I feel reminded of Concrete Genie. Not only does it rely on bright neon colors, but it also uses an interesting animation style that gives the characters’ movements a kind of stop-motion look.
In the game, I take on the role of the eponymous heroine June, who travels to the small town of Fen Harbor for the summer. Instead of tourists, all sorts of ghostly figures abound there, which only she seems to see.
In the playable demo, I am thrown into the middle of the story, so it is a bit difficult to identify the specific hook for the turbulent events. What is certain, however, is that June is trying to clarify the disappearance of a boy named Teddy, who disappeared during a shady experiment by a scientist.
To do that, Teddy’s ghost takes me to a weird parallel world where I can track down the villain.
A hack’n’slash for when you’re in the mood for a little action
So I have two worlds open to me. In the human world, I scour various locations in Far Harbor with my girlfriend to find clues about this mysterious case.
We occasionally run into obstacles, such as the criminal offense of trespassing, but that has never stopped us before. A few solved mysteries later, we gain access to all the important places we need to reach.
In the abandoned observatory of the city, we come across a strange machine that my ghost friend manages to get to work and transports us to the parallel dimension. Once there, I am not exactly welcomed and I reach for the wrench to defend myself.
In a typical hack’n’slash fashion,I beat up the various insect-like enemies, throw exploding confetti at them or place astral walls to protect myself from their venomous spittle. Entertaining and fun!
During the fights, I also have various consumables at my disposal. In most cases, some kind of projectile goes off and the game is not exactly stingy with supplies, so I can let the sparks fly. It’s not strictly necessary, though – I can just flatten my opponents with a combination of dodging and punching.
So? Does it have potential?
The playable demo is a very early prototype, so I can’t really make a final judgment yet.Stylistically, I’m definitely a fan I like the look and feel of Usual June and also enjoy the light-hearted, humorous way it deals with death and other mysteries.
However, I do find the strange voice output
The level design also seems very one-dimensional and linear; there is no real room for exploration in either the human or ghost world, and puzzles have only been hinted at so far. I have no choice but to wait for the full version.
The fights take place in small, enclosed arenas and are usually short. While they don’t offer anything world-shattering or innovative, they are still fun, especially if you like the style and sound design. However, there is a point deduction for the anticlimactic end of the test version, because it ends apparently just before a boss fight. Mhpf!
Yes, Usual June has potential That sounds great at first, but it also means there’s still a lot of room for improvement. While the demo focuses primarily on the lackey fights in the spirit world, the rest of the gameplay and story remain open.
What do the boss fights offer? Is there more variety to the fights? How clever are the puzzles? Is the story compelling? And who the hell is this Teddy guy, anyway?
If you want, you can just take a look at the free demo yourself. You still have time until October 21, when Steam Next Fest ends.
