Review: LISA: The Painful is a Painfully Addictive Nightmare

LISA: The Painful, developed by Dingaling Productions, is a horribly thought-provoking and darkly humorous RPG that takes players on a gritty, gory, and emotionally charged adventure. LISA is the type of game that’ll haunt both your nightmares and your waking consciousness alike, long after you’ve put it down; there’s no escaping this game’s addictively hypnotic pull once you’ve started playing. If you want a game that’ll stick with you for years to come, then LISA: The Painful is the right game for you.

With its unique blend of eerily immersive storytelling, insanely challenging gameplay, and incredibly distinctive art style, LISA: The Painful offers an unforgettable gaming experience that explores the depths of human nature and the consequences of our actions and beliefs as human beings. If you feel like questioning not only yourself, but the entire world around you (and launching yourself into an early mid-life crisis), then you should definitely hurl yourself into the unforgettable world of Olathe in LISA: The Painful.

Biggest Takeaways

• This game is not for the faint of heart; its insanely troubling narrative explores the very worst parts of human nature that many would likely rather ignore.
• It’s relatively challenging but in a refreshing way.
• No matter what you think is going to happen next, this game will always manage to catch you off guard.
• The amount of detail that is put into this game is insane. You could play it a thousand times and still never see everything it has to offer, let alone uncover all of its secrets.
• This game is sort of what it’d be like if Pokémon was a puzzle platformer and it had a baby with The Binding of Isaac.
• Every single choice you make matters. (thank God this game has Save points)
• Final Score: 8.5/10

The World of Olathe

You can’t have a review on a game without first reviewing the world in which it’s set. In this case, LISA’s story is set in the horrifying, post-apocalyptic world of Olathe, a war-torn nightmare realm full of grotesque monsters, radioactive pollution, and men. In fact, there are only men in Olathe, due to an unknown cataclysmic event known only as “The Flash” that wiped out all of the women.

As you can imagine, this catastrophic, population-halving event caused society and social structures as we know them to collapse. Nearly all of the men who were left turned into unrecognizable monsters, both literally and figuratively, and anyone whose heart wasn’t filled with malice and madness was preyed upon or outcast and left to die. A world filled with so much chaos has no room for mercy; only madness, and monsters. In Olathe, it isn’t every man for himself, but every beast for itself.

As one might expect in a world such as this, kindness and amiability are hard to come by. Because of this, those whose hearts are without hatred must stick together, as is the case with this game’s main characters (don’t get attached to them though, this game loves pulling on players’ heartstrings every chance it gets). The terrifyingly curious world of Olathe only expands the longer you play, which feels like both a blessing and a curse.

Nefariously Thought-Provoking Narrative

This game doesn’t just make you think, it makes you obsess. LISA’s narrative explores the darkest and worst parts of the human psyche, and forces players to question their own beliefs and moralities. This game seriously puts your morals and ethics to the test; there isn’t a single person who’s played this game and felt good about what they had to do to beat it.

The game’s distressing narrative revolves around Brad, a troubled and flawed individual barely scraping by in the post-apocalyptic world of Olathe. After discovering a random, abandoned baby in the middle of the desert, Brad realizes that he’s accidentally stumbled upon the only remaining female on Earth. He decides to keep the child, name her Buddy, and keep her a secret from the rest of the world. Along with his three most trusted companions, Rick, Sticky, and Cheeks, Brad does his best to raise and protect the girl.

While in a constant struggle with his tragic past and former drug addiction, Brad does whatever he deems necessary to protect her from Olathe’s dangerously depraved factions and survive in a brutal and unforgiving post-apocalyptic environment. LISA: The Painful delves deep into themes of sacrifice, regret, and the pursuit of redemption, delivering a narrative that is both heart-wrenching and thought-provoking.

Grisly Gameplay and Creative Combat

As you can likely imagine, this game features a lot of death. Mass murder and genocide generally go hand in hand with post-apocalyptic RPGs, but LISA takes it to a whole other level. It’s literally impossible to complete the game without essentially becoming a serial killer, if that tells you anything.

Despite the genocide, this game’s combat system is actually pretty fun. LISA: The Painful features turn-based combat that is both challenging and strategic. Players must carefully consider their actions, manage their meager resources, and utilize the strengths and weaknesses of their party members to overcome their many formidable enemies.

The game also incorporates multiple unique mechanics, such as the “Joy” system. This system allows characters to take a futuristic drug called “Joy” and gain temporary boosts, but suffer long-term consequences. The choices made in battles and the overall gameplay have lasting effects on the characters, the world, and even the storyline itself, adding additional layers of depth and consequence to LISA’s already-comprehensive narrative.

Game-Changingly Grim Aesthetics

Whatever these developers are paying their art and design team, it’s not enough. This game’s distinct art style, characterized by its hand-drawn visuals and a blend of dark and bold colors, perfectly complements the grim and desolate atmosphere of the post-apocalyptic setting. The attention to detail in LISA’s character designs and environments is utterly insane and only serves to further enhance the game’s immersion.

The attention to detail, the faded color palettes, the overshadowing, and the darkened design choices perfectly capture the bleakness and harshness of LISA’s forgotten world. Accompanied by a haunting and evocative soundtrack, even the sound design further immerses players into the emotional journey, creating a haunting and memorable experience.

It feels as though this game’s art style is purposefully simplistic and nostalgic, almost as if the developers want it to evoke a sense of regretful innocence in the game’s players; the innocent art style of Olathe’s characters and environments contrasts with the game’s depressingly grizzly narrative and forces players to focus on the bigger picture.

Dark Humor Galore

There’s more to LISA: The Painful than just death, doom, and gloom. For all the bad guys and existential dread that this game throws at you, it offers just as much humor and comedy. The comedy that this game employs is, of course, absurdly dark nearly 100% of the time, but at least it’s there!

The humor in LISA is a dark and twisted affair, perfectly intertwined with the game’s gritty and emotionally charged narrative. It cleverly employs irony, absurdity, and hefty doses of gallows humor to create moments that both shock and amuse players, which helps distract from the game’s ludicrously dark central theme.

The game’s dialogue is often filled with darkly comedic exchanges, often juxtaposing the dire circumstances of the post-apocalyptic world with dark humor and wit. The absurd situations and offbeat characters add to the game’s comedic elements, delivering unexpected and sometimes uncomfortable laughs. LISA strikes a delicate balance between tragedy and comedy, using humor as a coping mechanism in a bleak and unforgiving world, and effectively creating a unique and memorable gaming experience.

LISA: The Painful vs. LISA: The Joyful

One of the most gratifying parts of LISA: The Painful is that it gives its players closure in the form of LISA: The Joyful. LISA: The Joyful is a continuation of LISA: The Painful and cannot be played prior to completing LISA: The Painful.

LISA: The Painful sets the foundation, introducing players to the harsh post-apocalyptic world and the troubled protagonist, Brad. It explores egregious themes of loss, regret, and the struggle for redemption. LISA: The Joyful serves as an expansion and conclusion to the story, shifting the perspective to Brad’s adopted daughter, Buddy. It dives deeper into her backstory and character development, shedding light on her unique experiences and providing closure to the overarching narrative.

The Joyful delves into themes of resilience in the face of adversity, extreme personal growth, and the complexity of human relationships. The games complement each other, showcasing the consequences of choices made in The Painful and revealing the broader implications of those actions in The Joyful. Together, they create a cohesive and emotionally resonant journey that explores the depths of human nature and the enduring power of hope and determination.

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LISA: The Painful is an exceptional game that defies expectations and leaves a lasting impact on its players. Its deliciously dark and poignant storytelling, complex characters, challenging gameplay, and captivatingly nostalgic art style come together to create an emotionally charged and thought-provoking experience.

While not at all for the faint of heart, LISA: The Painful offers a journey that explores the depths of human resilience, sacrifice, and redemption. For those seeking a unique and immersive gaming experience, LISA: The Painful is an absolute must-play!