Moving to a new town is tough, especially when you’re a kid. Fennel, a low-poly fox who loves video games and comic books, has been a little reclusive since he moved. Fennel’s mother is worried that he’s been locked up inside his room since they moved and Fennel hasn’t made any friends. All that is about to change though as a hapless errand to pick up a sandwich from the Mart Mart sends Fennel on a quest to become the Gobabot champion in Subliminal’s Button City.
Button City
Developer: Subliminal
Price: $20
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 5, Xbox Series X|S(reviewed)
MonsterVine was provided an Xbox code for review
Button City is part of a wave of new wholesome games that are getting attention on a larger stage. Thanks to showcases like the Wholesome Games Direct we’re seeing games with less shooty/killy mechanics taking center stage in the indie scene. Button City takes place in a quaint town filled with anthropomorphic animals named after various spices and herbs. Though you’ll be running all over town, the arcade named Button City will be your primary destination and the focus of the entire game.
Button City’s story is told through the eyes of Fennel, being the fresh face in a new town. Fennel is adopted by a group of kids who need a fourth for their Gobabots tournament game. While the arcade has several games you can play, Gobabots is clearly the arcade’s center stage. Gobabots is a simple premise, represented with a character who can attack and use a special ability, your goal is to simply gather fruit and throw it in a blender. There are Gobabots you can collect throughout the game and collecting them allows you to play them outside of the story battles.
Once Fennel helps his new teammates, known as The Fluff Squad, win their first tournament game against the Tuff Fluffs, he begins to hang out with each member. Sorrel, the de facto leader of The Fluff Squad, has trouble babysitting her little brother. Chive, who has to pull shifts at the Mart Mart for her grandparents, isn’t having the best upbringing. Finally, there’s Lavender, an artistic and creative panda who has little faith in herself. All three members of the Fluff Squad have troubled but familiar home lives and, despite the issues they have, they’re very supportive of each other.
Their rivals, The Tuff Fluffs, despite primarily being foils, are also incredibly adorable. The whole dang game is so cute. When The Tuff Fluffs enter or leave a room they strike a pose and all say “Tuff!” in unison. Fennel is also downright wholesome, trying to be nice to everyone he meets, and being somewhat troubled himself by an inattentive mother. Some tough subject matter exists and I won’t try and make Button City out to be happy all the way through, it’s not, but if ever there was a feel-good game, this is it. Every story needs its conflicts and when Button City has them they’re fairly grounded, if not in our reality, in the reality of the game world.
Presented in a low-poly, bright pastel-colored world, Button City is gorgeous. It pops with bright colors and even the dark and less colorful scenes have these big ridiculous polygons representing pieces of the world that add character and depth. The world itself is presented in tiny set pieces that you travel between by doing what’s called zoomies. Each set piece is a small square of land with a building on it. The only place that doesn’t conform to this standard is downtown, presented as a single long street with several buildings on it.
The music is unfortunately lovely, which is only unfortunate because of its composer. Pedro Silva, noted abuser and general toxic person, composed the soundtrack. Though Subliminal released a statement regarding their work with Silva, it must still be noted. That said, it is a beautifully composed soundtrack that fits the game very well, and Subliminal has made it very clear that no money from purchasing the game goes to Silva.
The Final Word
If you’re willing to let your guard down, open up your heart, and accept Button City as it is, you will get a very wholesome experience with lots of laughs and some very charming art. Fennel’s journey with his friends, The Fluff Squad, had me smiling the whole way through. A hilarious and heartwarming experience awaits you in Button City, what are you waiting for?
MonsterVine Rating: 4 out of 5 – Good
