The Perfect Pencil

Despite being another in an ever increasing genre stable, The Perfect Pencil brings a uniquely twisted world to the genre. Its mysteries can be a bit dense, but the eerie atmosphere, complex themes, and strange landscapes make it worth exploring.

The Perfect Pencil mixes a really cool hand-drawn style with a dark, symbolic story about inner struggles. The gameplay follows a familiar Metroidvania formula, but creative enemy designs and the analysis mechanic keep it engaging. Frustrating save points hold it back a bit, but it's still a solid and slightly unsettling experience.

It’s easy to see that The Perfect Pencil was made with a deep love for the genre, impressing its own unique spin on each element of the gameplay for better or worse. A well-written and deeply meaningful story ties all of these elements together spectacularly – don’t let the whimsical appearance fool you; this game doesn’t pull its punches. Sadly the game also loses half a star due to a lack of accessibility options.

The Perfect Pencil is a beautiful artistic and psychological experience that blends exploration with dark themes. Any fan of Metroidvania games will find it worth trying and immersing themselves in its terrifying world, we recommend it especially for the fans of this genre the only thing that’s need to check out is the price.

Undoubtedly a strange action adventure that does its own thing, but that doesn’t necessarily make it a home run either

Surreal Metroidvania that places you in a hand-drawn kingdom

The Perfect Pencil is a great metroidvania full of exploration, a rich story, and odd, hand-drawn characters that give the game a surreal feel you need to experience for yourself.

The Perfect Pencil is a triumph of artistic vision and solid game design. It takes the familiar Metroidvania template and injects it with enough personality and heart to feel fresh. While the combat might feel slow to some and the soundtrack is divisive, the overall package is a compelling journey into the human psyche that is well worth the price of admission. It is a game for the "artsy folk that ponder deeply," but also for anyone who just wants to smash weird monsters with a giant pencil.

The Perfect Pencil, ironically, is not perfect in the gameplay or pacing, but it does stand out in concept and delivery. While some moments are a trifle ham fisted, it nonetheless promises and delivers a unique metroidvania that keeps you moving, keeps you exploring and does a lot for fans of the genre wanting to try things from another angle. I’m not sure if I’m the ideal audience, but I listened, and I think I was able to hear John clearly. I hope others can, too.

The Perfect Pencil aims for a different experience within the Metroidvania genre, and for that it deserves praise. The creativity of the art team stands out, with very different environments and a world-building that, at the very least, is intriguing. However, this is not enough to sustain the entire experience. Seeking pillars through the power of words, it ends up becoming as fragile as the graffiti that scribbles on them, becoming repetitive in its themes and deprioritizing the genre elements that need to be given more consideration. The result is a slow, disjointed game that takes away the magic of the background art.