COMPLETED Super Charisma IV

[VinnyVideo]

I've had a very busy day, and I must slumber soon. I'll write a more detailed post tomorrow.

This game has some very clever gameplay elements and some fleeting moments of witty dialogue. It also has some mildly frustrating sections, as well as a lot of humor that falls flat. In particular, the lengthy conversation about feces was sophomoric and stupid.

Also, it would've been appreciated if you'd at least asked permission before using real-life photos of me, especially when it's a game with nonstop crude humor.

Addendum
I realized that I promised I'd write a more detailed review. I'd already written down some notes, and while I don't want to bump this topic at this point, here's a more detailed summary of my thoughts:

Spoiler

I can tell you put a lot of effort into this game. I wanted to like SCIV, but there are so many things you could've done that would've made this a much more enjoyable experience.

300 MB is too big, especially for a joke game. There are probably many ways to better optimize the file size. Even if most people have high-speed Internet these days, Internet connections vary in quality, and massive downloads can still be a turnoff to some.

Multiple sections of the game are grating to listen to. I find loud profanity to be the most unpleasant sound in the universe, and two levels have characters screaming clipping-inducing foul language. Ew.

The DDR sequence was a good concept, but it was frustrating. Often you're required to press three keys at the same time, but computer keyboards make this difficult to do! It would've been better to do something like Left-Down-Right keys in quick succession, rather than simultaneously.

The S sequence was the funniest part of the game. This was the only part of the game that really felt like a Charisma game. The Inspector Gadget parody also made me smile.

Part of what makes the official Charisma games so effective is they're relatable to a surprisingly wide audience. While Charisma is, at its heart, a series of games about a group of friends and their in-jokes, the games' humor is accessible to those who aren't familiar with the jokes. SCIV, on the other hand, relies far too much on obscure references to carry itself. SCIV's references typically sailed several feet over my head, and I often found myself more confused than anything.

This game also would've been more effective if it hadn't relied so much on jokes at other people's expense (for example, the Kritter jab wasn't particularly funny and made the group seem more immature than witty).

The release of this game definitely ruffled some feathers, and understandably so. While Charisma is ultimately about a group of friends having fun, and nobody "owns the rights" to the concept, Vitiman is still unquestionably the person who tied them all together. This game would've gone down better if you'd acknowledged the existence of Dudim (who is, after all, the only character to appear in every Charisma game) and Miles (another Charisma mainstay who's appeared in almost every game).

Course clear! You got a card.