Stranger Things may have concluded on Netflix, but its world lives on as we approach the 10-year anniversary of the hit series' arrival on Netflix.
Hot on the heels of the animated adventure Stranger Things Tales from '85, an official Stranger Things arcade game has started popping up. Alas, it seems that this is one spin-off that some fans would like to consign to the Upside Down (see our guide to Stranger Things fonts if you're making your own fan projects).
As far as offshoots go, a Stranger Things arcade machine makes great sense, gelling nicely with the series' 1980s setting. The Palace Arcade is a key location in Season 2, with classic arcade machines like Dig Dug and Dragon’s Lair lending a nostalgic authenticity while representing the carefree side of childhood in contrast to the dark supernatural events that will unfold.
Stranger Things Arcade is described by its creator Raw Thrills as an electrifying family-friendly masterpiece for 1-4 players inspired by the Netflix series. Players get to battle Demogorgons, Demobats, Demodogs and Vecna himself... by thowing balls at them.
The game uses the developer's proprietary Thrill-Scan ball sensing system, which is intended to improve accuracy in its ball throwing games. But it's this mechanic that's causing controversy among players who weren't banking on such a family-friendly approach.
"Thought I was going to be able to shoot some Demogorgons, but instead I threw balls at them," one person lamented on Reddit.
"It’s so silly. You just throw little foam balls at circles," someone else complains. "We made the mistake of grabbing 5+ at a time and throwing them all at once. Once the game starts, it blocks you from getting any of the balls back. So what you get at the start is all you’ll get all game."
"I guess they ran out of ideas. Usually this company makes pretty good arcade machines like the Terminator, Walking Dead and Alien ones. I guess you can just make that many good arcade machines before you get a flop like this. Sad that the flop was a ST one," someone else wrote.
Anyone Else Highly Disappointed With This Game? from r/StrangerThings
To be fair to the developer, it does stress that the game was developed to make it suitable for all the family. An AAA Stranger Things horror shooter in family entertainment centres may have generated its own controversy, but it seems many fans of the series would like a bi more action.
For more game design news of the week, check out everything you need to know from PlayStation State of Play.
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