Suppressed

It’s pretty depressing to think about the fact that there are still totalitarian regimes around the world even today, some of which commit extreme atrocities toward their citizens. North Korea is a classic example of this, and it’s particularly sad when you realize that they are neighbors with highly civilized countries, such as South Korea.

Suppressed is a 2D platformer in which you play the role of a young boy trying to escape from a totalitarian regime after his family gets persecuted and even killed by the government. However, the game is actually trying to make a few statements about the current situation in countries like North Korea, and the regime in question is actually modeled on the one that rules there.

It all starts when the main character decides to return home after playing outside all day long, which is when he finds his father dead and a squad of agents in his house. Things degenerate pretty quickly after that, but the child gets a chance to escape and he takes it, which is why he decides to go all the way and run out of the country altogether.

As far as the gameplay is concerned, there’s not much to it, since it would appear that the game is mostly symbolic and artistic, rather than actually engaging. Hence, the character moves slowly, and his body movements are quite chaotic as well, making it difficult to control him properly. On top of that, the controls are imprecise and laggy, so the whole situation is pretty annoying and disappointing.

On the other hand, the artwork is very powerful and abstract, and there are plenty of static drawings that just beg to be admired for minutes on end. The same goes for the level design, which is fantastic in most cases. Unfortunately, the actual platforming bits are very badly integrated, which means that you often get stuck or you find yourself unable to climb on certain ledges without a lot of luck.

In the end, it’s nice to see game developers taking a more direct approach when it comes to raising awareness about social and political issues. However, Suppressed is a bit too unpolished when it comes to gameplay, so it probably won’t appeal to anyone other than casual gamers.