Developed by: Forust Studio
Published by: Leoful
Released: January 21, 2022 (Nintendo Switch)
One of my favorite TV networks as a kid growing up was Cartoon Network. Coming back from school and just sitting in front of the TV cartoons like Dexter’s Laboratory or Ed, Edd, n Eddy was really just the best. When I was playing The Company Man to review, it reminded me of that era of Cartoon Network and that’s exactly what kept me playing this game. Do I recommend playing this 2D Action platformer? Well, let’s find out.
In The Company Man, you play as Jim, a new hire at a company that’s trying to climb up the corporate ladder. What drew me most about this setting is how the game uses everyday items that you’ll see in an office and gamifies them. When you die, your character gets a box with his belongings as if he was getting fired. The checkpoints where you regenerate life are coffee bars and I just found it so cool to see a character regenerate his life with coffee. I could so relate to that.
Everything that Jim was seeing or using I could relate to as I use these things in my day-to-day work. Each level that you visit is a different department that you’ll see in an ordinary company. Departments like Accounting or Human Resources, all of these are in company man and they all have different vibes. Exploring these levels and getting to see the different level designs were truly a highlight of the game. The stages get wackier and wackier as you continue to climb up the corporate ladder and this enticed me to finish the game.
Excellently Designed
Not only does The Company Man have an excellent level design but it also has excellent boss fights. At the end of each level, you will face a boss and these fights were not only challenging but fun. Every fight brought different elements and they all felt unique. Levels, character designs, and boss fights are fantastic, I just wish I could say the same about the gameplay.
For the most part, The Company Man plays fine. The platforming on this game is very solid, but where I struggled with this game the most is in its combat. The combat is very simple. You use a button to melee enemies and another button for special attacks. I wish that the combat for this game was a bit more complex. Maybe just adding an extra move or the ability to hit in different directions would have made this game’s combat better, unfortunately, that’s not the case and what we are left with is simply not the best. Fortunately, you will not be playing this game for long as it took me short of 3 hours to beat.
Enjoying the Company
At the end of the day, I still would recommend The Company Man to anyone that’s looking for a new indie to play on your Switch. The Cartoon Network art style is enough to keep you entertained for 3 hours. Combine the art style with cool level designs and unique boss fights and you have a game that is worth your while, even if the combat is the weakest part of the game. If you are looking for a smaller indie title to play at the beginning of this year, I recommend The Company Man.