Thirsty Suitors: Battle Your Exes in This Colorful, Dynamic Action Game
Thirsty Suitors is a stylish story-driven action title that puts a new spin on relationships, family pressures, culture and self-expression -- all in the framework of a turn-based fighting game.
Coming to PC via Steam, the game has you playing as Jala Jayratnae, a young woman who's come back home for her sister's wedding. Jala's exes get wind that the notorious heartbreaker is back in town and confrontations abound. Jala suddenly finds herself face-to-face with broken friendships, broken hearts, the demands of her parents, and perhaps the biggest question of all: What kind of person does Jala want to be?
Ahead of the release, I got to see a preview of the game. It's from Chandana Ekanayake, the creative director for indie, minority-led studio Outerloop Games.
In terms of gameplay, Thirsty Suitors presents this story in a fresh way by mixing elements of role-playing games and dating sims with exciting turn-based combat. You begin by determining your in-game stats via the sort of short quiz you might encounter in a teen romance magazine. This is also where players get familiar with Jala's skateboard, her main method of transportation. Along the way, Jala and her sister Aruni (presented as the game's narrator and Jala's inner voice) banter with razor sharp, witty dialogue that smartly delivers exposition without feeling like an information dump.
Jala has barely arrived in town when she faces her first battle, with Sergio, her boyfriend from third grade. The confrontation is hilariously creative and dynamic, with options to flirt with Sergio or spurn his advances, ways to use his "thirst" against him with Quick-Time Events, and more. With every battle, Jala can level up and earn rewards.
Check out the trailer here:
This might be reminiscent of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, but Thirsty Suitors is far from a knockoff. In Jala's battle with Sergio, vulnerabilities and honesty start seeping through his macho persona, and the player sees him as a person instead of a stereotype. In addition, Thirsty Suitors puts a spotlight on consent and emotional maturity. The exes all respect Jala's rejection, and not every ex wants to rekindle the romance.
Thirsty Suitors examines relatable issues through a unique, often overlooked perspective: Jala is a queer woman of South Asian descent. This carefully considered perspective lines up with Outloop Games' mission to tell stories of underrepresented cultures and themes.
According to Ekanayake, many parts of the game are based on the team's personal experiences. Ekanayake, who came to the US from Sri Lanka, said he hadn't seen many positive characters representing South Asia.
"Usually I was one of -- or sometimes the only one -- of a few minorities on a team," Ekanayake said of his two and a half decades in the video game industry. "Over the years, I've wanted to see more stories that represent myself and other minorities."
Ekanayake said that sharing immigrant stories, like his own parents' journey to the US, is important to him. Now as a parent himself, Ekanayake said he has a better understanding of the sacrifice his parents made for their children.
Family seems to be a big theme in Thirsty Suitors. For instance, during Jala's battle with Sergio, she summons a giant specter of her mother, who deals Sergio a mighty blow with her shoe. Jala's relationship with her parents is strained, and players learn this when she second-guesses calling her folks to ask for a ride home.
In addition to reconciling with her former flames, Jala must try to repair her familial relationships. This is done through action-packed cooking segments similar to how the ex battles play out.
Like the battles with her exes, the cooking segments look like they'll also be a bit over the top. Juxtaposing these funny, hyperbolic situations with serious issues of generational trauma, heartbreak, love and reconciliation makes Thirsty Suitors feel like something new.
"Even in dire situations, humans survive because they find moments of connectedness or humor, and I feel like there's a place [for that] in games," Ekanayake said.
Thirsty Suitors doesn't present answers with clear-cut rights and wrongs, nor will players find any outright bad guys. You'll merely encounter characters who've made mistakes and who try to figure out what comes next.
Source
Tags:
Blog Archive
-
▼
2023
(199)
-
▼
January
(84)
- Logan Paul Has Just Signed With The WWE
- Heat Pump Vs. Furnace: Learn The Difference Betwee...
- Soon You'll Be Able To Book Office Spaces Through ...
- How To Fix 5 Common Causes For Your Home Internet ...
- Polar Pro Venture3+ Lens, Filter Pack Helps You Ge...
- Find Out What's Coming In The Mail Before It's Del...
- This 43-Inch Amazon Fire TV Is Down To Its Lowest ...
- Save Up To $250 On A Premium Samsung Tablet Today ...
- Wordle: What To Know About The Viral Word Game
- Gaming Monitors From CES 2022 To Get Hyped For
- 2023 Honda CR-V Teased Ahead Of Summer Debut
- James Webb Space Telescope's Smooth Launch Extende...
- Save Big On Motorola Phones With Prices Starting A...
- Ouya Teams With Xiaomi To Bring Video Games To China
- The Best Cat Toys, According To Our Favorite Felines
- Nvidia To Buy SoftBank's Arm Chip Division For $40...
- 5 Great Last-minute Gifts To Make With Your 3D Pri...
- GM Announces Plans For National EV Fast Charging N...
- 2022 Kia Sorento Receives Price Hikes Across The B...
- T-Mobile Is Offering Unlimited Google Photos Storage
- Amazon To Acquire One Medical In Major Boost To It...
- Lenovo Glasses T1 Are Wearable Displays That Also ...
- 'MythBusters' Adam Savage Tests DJI Inspire 1 4K Q...
- Best Home Security Deals For Black Friday: Save On...
- TikTok Live To Feature Hour-Long Sketch Comedy Sho...
- Air Frying Vs. Baking: What's The Best Cooking Met...
- Crocheted Predator Costume Goes On The Hunt For Ha...
- Acer Goes After The Classroom With New Durable Spi...
- Google Store Stumbles During Pixel 6 Phone Launch
- WhatsApp Will Let You Move Chat History Between IO...
- Monitor OS X LaunchAgents Folders To Help Prevent ...
- Motorola Edge Plus 2022 Vs. 2020: It's Not An Easy...
- GoPro, Red Bull Partner To Capture The World Of Ex...
- Facebook's $37.5 Million Location Tracking Settlem...
- Apple Rumored To Be Working On A Foldable IPad/Mac...
- Asus ROG Phone 6, 6 Pro Gaming Phones Bring Samsun...
- Nintendo Of America Testers Allege Sexual Harassme...
- Kia EV9 Electric Concept Previews A 3-row Producti...
- These Stunning Pens Bring Back The Joy Of Writing
- 7 Ways To Save Money On Car Insurance
- Best Immersion Blender For 2022
- The IPhone At 15: How Apple's Phone Became The Cen...
- TikTok's China Equivalent Limits Kids To 40 Minute...
- You Can Now Play Wordle On NYT Crossword App
- How To Remove Wallpaper In An Old Or Period House
- 60 Super-cool Kitchen Gadgets You Can Get For Less...
- Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro Gets Graphics Boost Wi...
- MLB TV Review: Subscribers May Balk At Increased B...
- Monkeypox Outbreak: Symptoms, Variants And Trends ...
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Vs. Pixel 6 Pro: It's A T...
- Asus ZenBook Duo 14 UX482 Review: A Dual-screen La...
- Leaked Pics Of Huawei's Updated Freebuds Show Wire...
- Samsung QN90B QLED Vs. LG C2 OLED: Which TV Is Bes...
- Don't Swap Your Gas-Guzzler For An Electric Vehicl...
- 6 Important Things To Know About Your Social Secur...
- Universe's Most Massive Known Star Imaged With Unp...
- Xiaomi Mi Smart Projector 2: High Style, Low Brigh...
- Asus ZenBook 13 UX333 Review: New Asus ZenBooks Pa...
- WWE Hell In A Cell 2020: Results, Full Recap And N...
- Red Alert! New Honda Civic Type R Coming Next Year...
- Meta Has A Giant New AI Supercomputer To Shape The...
- 2022 Kia EV6 Review: Best Foot Forward
- Shop Coach Outlet's Varsity Collection With Prices...
- Pixar's 'Turning Red' Teams Up With Firefox To Cel...
- Shopping At Wayfair? These 3 Simple Tips Will Make...
- Facebook Is Growing Its Daily Users Again
- Moto G Fast Vs. G Power Vs. G Stylus: Motorola Bud...
- WWE Elimination Chamber 2022: Start Times, Full Ca...
- The IPhone SE, Not The Mini, May Be The Future Of ...
- RedMagic 7S Pro's Highlight Feature May Be Its Hid...
- 2021 Honda Accord Reveal: Fresh Style, More Tech B...
- Motorola Edge Plus Hands-on: A $1,000 5G Phone Wit...
- Best High-Tech Ski Gear For 2022
- Google In Hot Water For Sending Unwanted Ad Emails
- Hisense Recalls French-Door Fridge Due To Injury R...
- The App That Helps Prepare You For Death
- Your MacBook Trackpad Has An Annoying Setting You ...
- Acer Chromebook R11 Review: A Finger-friendly Hybr...
- The IPhone At 15: Steve Jobs Revealed His Greatest...
- Universe's Most Massive Known Star Imaged With Unp...
- Bored Kids? Get Them This Indoor Beginner Drone Fo...
- Thirsty Suitors: Battle Your Exes In This Colorful...
- HP's New Spectre Laptops Have A Webcam Kill Switch...
- Are USDA Loans Available To Everyone? How To Know ...
-
▼
January
(84)
Total Pageviews
Search This Blog
Popular Posts
-
Carta de motivação academica wayne, carta de motivação academica charter, carta de motivação academica virtual education, carta de motivação...
-
Ukuran hp samsung galaxy j1 ace neo, ukuran hp samsung galaxy j1 ace specifications, ukuran hp samsung galaxy j1 ace software, ukuran hp sam...
-
Contoh soalan fizik spm 2019, contoh soalan fizik spm 2018, contoh soalan fizik spm 2017, contoh soalan fizik kertas 3, contoh soalan fizik ...