Stranger Things 3: The Game (Limited Run #310) - PlayStation 4

Product Information

To stop a rift relentlessly expanding in Los Angeles, on May 26 and 27, Xbox and Netflix are looking for new recruits to help before it’s too late! LA locals will have to “Prove Their Power” and prepare to have their mind flayed with an immersive experience — with more surprises to come in the Upside Down. Visit the Xbox Plaza at L.A. Live on May 26 or 27 for a chance to win one of 30 custom Upside Down Xbox Series S consoles as well as other exciting rewards from Xbox and Netflix. The game uses a 16-bit art style and is played in an overhead view, similar to its previous entry in the series. However, unlike the previous entry, the game supports both local co-op and solo gameplay. While playing solo, players can use “buddy commands” to control actions of both characters. [3]

Stranger Things VR is developed by Tender Claws, an experienced VR developer whose previous credits include George in the Tub and Virtual Virtual Reality 1 + 2.

Though Hardly Groundbreaking, Stranger Things 3: The Game Is An Enjoyable Effort Nonetheless

a b c d Epstein, Mike (2020-04-21) [2019-06-06]. "Stranger Things 3: The Game Review". IGN . Retrieved 2023-08-04. There's an uncanny quality to Stranger Things 3: The Game's look. Ironically, it reminds me of a fake video game that might be made for a TV show: Its art style resembles 16-bit consoles, but is clearly more detailed than any SNES or Sega Genesis game could have been. Though there is a uniform style, it's derived from a hodgepodge of influences. Longer stretches of dialogue come in text boxes with so-so hand-drawn character portraits, evoking 8- and 16-bit era RPGs, but you'll also see a fair amount of floating pixelated flavor text a la Monkey Island. While it sometimes seems scattershot, it all blends together surprisingly well, evoking the nostalgic warm-and-fuzzies you want from something designed to match Stranger Things' blanket "retro" vibe. Stranger Things 3: The Gameis a note-for-note retelling of Stranger Thingsseason three, released day and date with the popular Netflix series. If you haven’t seen it, Stranger Things(the show) draws influence from several retro sources, most notably the novels of Stephen King and child-endangerment movies of the ’80s such as The Gooniesand Stand By Me.Similarly, the Stranger Thingsvideo game takes inspiration from games of days gone by, especially late SNES titles. This is a little ironic since the show is set in 1985, just before the Nintendo Entertainment System debuted in select markets in the U.S., and the Super NES graphics the game is imitating wouldn’t show up for another decade. Stranger Things 3: The Game follows the TV show of the same name. By that, I don’t mean it follows on from the end of the show, I mean it literally follows the TV show almost word for word in most of the key scenes. Although, I imagine that BonusXP were only given information on what the key plot points were within each episode, with the majority of the minor interactions excluded from the documents they received.

a b Hilliard, Kyle (2019-07-15). " Stranger Things 3: The Game Review". Game Informer . Retrieved 2023-08-04. With Season 3, however, the choice of "video game heritage" - a little bit Zombies Ate My Neighbors, a whole lot of generic crappy isometric 16 bit adventure game - is much less inspiring and engaging. The game is just ....much less fun...than last time, and the video game representations of key plot elements are prefunctory mimics of what happens on the show, with no clever inversions or twists, no inflections of how the blending of games and show plot could subvert expectations - just hey, look, its a low-fi version of the thing you just watched on TV! With the previous Stranger Things game, BonusXP blended a proven retro gaming formula - a little bit Zelda, a little bit Metroid - with the plot of Season 2 and the outcome was a totally pleasant and comprehensively engaging distraction. Developed by BonusXP, the team behind the original Stranger Things Mobile game and the upcoming The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics, Stranger Things 3: The Game is almost a direct retelling of the latest season of the hit Netflix show. I would personally recommend you watch the TV show first, before playing this game, as there are certain things which presume prior knowledge, not only to seasons one and two, but season three as well.

“What happens now determines what happens to the rest of the world.”

Pretty much a narrative 1:1 match with the Netflix series with some additional story content thrown in, Stranger Things 3: The Game’s numerous acts directly correlate with the eight episode count of the current season. As a result, if you haven’t watched all of Stranger Things season 3 yet, it is strongly recommended that you do so before playing this game, not least because the potential for fist-clenching spoilers is substantial to say the least. My main issue with the game is that it feels like a companion to the series, a side ‘thing’ for fans to play through and relive the events whilst exploring the environments and new residents of Hawkins. However, the appeal for people who haven’t seen the show, or those who would rather play a game than watch the show, is a bit lower in my opinion. This opinion of mine all comes down to two things, continuity and being faithful to the source material. Again, I’m not blaming BonusXP as I’m sure they weren’t given all of the key factual information beforehand, but now the show is out there, maybe a few tweaks here and there could be performed to bridge the gap and make it more accessible for newcomers? The Ultimate Edition includes the original characters from the base game, all maps, and the following Killers and Survivors (previously released in our Chapter add-ons): But these aren’t normal Xbox Series S consoles. These consoles have been trapped in the Upside Down for who knows how long — and their designs reflect that. With a design inspired by cassette players of the 1980s, the Upside Down Xbox Series S has been twisted and corrupted, its once sleek aesthetic overtaken by the vines, tendrils and ooze of the flora and fauna found deep within the Upside Down. Each console is stored securely for decontamination in a special hazmat container. Stranger Things 3: The Game is a retro-inspired isometric action game that has been aesthetically created with pixel-art in an effort to mimic older games whilst operating as a modern one. In that respect, the developers have pulled this off as I love the art design of the environments, creatures, characters and all the references scattered around the place (just like in the show). The game itself is quite deep when it comes to the actual gameplay side as you’ll not just be running around hitting creatures, you’ll also need to survive by crafting armour and accessories as well as strategically managing your team and solving co-op-based puzzles.

Brown, Andy (2021-11-02). "Netflix Games app launches with two 'Stranger Things' titles". NME . Retrieved 2023-08-04. I’m hoping we’ll get a port of the first Stranger Things mobile game, seeing as it’s already a thing. Although, having a new game in the same style as this one for the previous two seasons (and more in-depth narrative exposition) would be even better! This is what I believe because there are some moments within the game in which events happen with no context behind them or explanation as to why things were progressing in the way they were. One such event (without giving anything away) is when one character comes to help another – in the TV show there’s an emotional moment between the two which led up to this scene, the game just has them walk in, do their bit, then the scene ends – no context or depth at all.The crafting and equipment system is very thin as well. You spend a lot of time finding materials to build "trinkets" that you equip to gain bonuses for some or all of your characters. While they’re useful, I found that putting a lot of energy into making and upgrading trinkets, which are the only equipment or customization options you find, bogged down the experience more than it improved it. The reason for the removal isn’t clear although the GOG notice does mention it was removed at “the publisher’s request.” However, Stranger Things 3: The Game’s inclusion in the Netflix Gaming trial is unlikely to be a coincidence. Mobile gamers in Poland can currently try Stranger Things: 1984 and Stranger Things 3: The Game on Android as Netflix takes its first step into the world of gaming. Netflix states this is “an early stage” and they have “a lot of work to do in the coming months” before more games are included and the service is rolled out to more countries. Chalk, Andy (2021-08-30). " Stranger Things 3 is being removed from Steam and GOG, but may soon appear on Netflix's gaming app". PC Gamer . Retrieved 2023-08-04.