One of the highlights from Summer Games Fest was something not on my radar at all. Mr. Records from Glee-Cheese Studio, published by Wired Productions and Gamersky Games. There was something about that little old man and the music that immediately captured my imagination.
We are in a time where there have been a lot of music-themed or rhythm-based games. I always love a game that can transport you to a time or place, a fantastic nostalgic trip where you can use the power of your imagination.
Mr. Records lets you walk in the shoes of an old man named George (which happens to be my late father’s name, so there is even more nostalgia here). He’s set in his ways but is a music aficionado who has decided now is the time in his life to open a music store. Before putting any of the records on sale in his boutique, he gives each a private listen, which drops you/him into a fantasy platforming world. Here you jump, slide and kick your way through the level, all to the beat of the song.
The next morning you head downstairs to your shop, and customers will come in to ask for help. You will use the clues to find them the perfect album. At the end of the day, buy new records with the money you earned, and repeat the process. Each time you interact with the customers, you get to know a little more about their life. I love a game that gets me invested.
The music and their accompanying videos had me tapping my toes and bobbing my head. This was 2-fold, I genuinely enjoyed the music, but also it helped me track the beat to make sure to hit my marks.
All songs are original and produced in house. They are also copyright-free, and this is good news for those who want to stream the game once it launches. The music I played in the demo covered genres like psychedelic pop, classic rock and R&B. The environments take inspiration from the songs, for example the song called “Sausage Blues” had ketchup and mustard bottles all around.
The art style is equal parts whimsical and wacky, and seeing George wander around in his underwear in his apartment at night brought a real sense of this man living a simple life with his dog, Buzz.
The demo is currently available on Steam and will take you approximately 30 minutes, depending on how many times you must restart a level or choose to replay a level for a better score. This means I didn’t get to see how intense the shop management part can be, as it only spanned 2 days and a total of 4 records to choose from, but I am intrigued by the puzzle component of choosing the right album for the right customer based on their clues. I only got to meet 2 of George’s customers, and I am looking forward to seeing more of them.
In those 30 minutes, I got to meet George and his friend Paul. I can’t help but feel a slight nod to the Beatles, both in names and musical feeling. I also got to think about my dad and our shared love of music. That alone has me intrigued enough to check out the full game when it launches.
Until next time…be good to yourself and be good to each other.
**Special thanks to Wired Productions for the review code**
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