Manuel Samuel is a ridiculous game about death and his new acquaintance Samuel. Samuel has a string of bad luck and ends up dying, he’s allowed to come back to life if he can take on his own bodily functions. Death tags along to assist and also to end his misery. He might follow along but don’t expect too much.
This form of death is different than most in that he has a baseball cap and a fresh attitude. He’s not really up to helping out this man and does intentionally set him out on quite a difficult mission. Death in this game is more apt to work on his kickflips and say inane things than to actually help out Samuel, making him a terrible sidekick. It is refreshing to see such a vivacious Death though, one who can quip like it’s his job, and does what he wants.
This game and all of the player’s successes and failures are also documented by a narrator. It’s great to hear what the narrator says when the player’s fail as his dry tone effectively makes his words all the worse to hear. I wouldn’t have expected a narrator but it does help the game feel just a tad fuller. Though with six hundred plus lines this game surpasses many with its voice acting presence!
The gameplay of this game is quite a dance because the player literally has to keep him alive. The player controls his breathing, movement, and other bits. Samuel isn’t going to have it easy, as the body itself is mangled after his vicious death, but somehow with a little, no a lot of help, Samuel will live once again.
Maneuvering through this game is arguably the worst part about it. Players need to keep him breathing while also making sure he moves forward. He literally has no control of his body and it is sad watching him live. Death constantly watches and doesn’t help at all, enjoying this guy struggle to do the most basic of actions. It’s a little sick really but adds to the game itself.
The concept of the game is what makes it worth playing, however. I would never expect that living life could become a puzzle game of sorts but here we are. Samuel as a person was truly an awful man, so hopefully, through the course of living like this, he realizes that maybe he needs to change his ways. Though with how the game starts out this outcome does feel unlikely.
For those feeling daring, this game also has a co-op mode. Why someone would bring a friend in to play this game is beyond me but I’m sure that playing with someone else could make the game more enjoyable. This simply just makes it so the players share the control of this sad man, and that honestly would make the game less of a burden. Though it does also introduce cooperation and in a game where the character has no control of their bodily functions, could lead to his death happening far sooner.
When players feel they have mastered the game they can also jump into a terrifying mode. To me anyway, playing this mode as time trial sounds like one of the worst ideas ever. This game does require some amount of precision and adding a timer would at least for me destroy any hope of me completing any of it. If someone is willing to push through more power to them.
The music in this game is also interesting. It does, in fact, add to the atmosphere of the game, but it is because it seems to fit it so well. Kudos to the musicians for making this sickening game at least a little more enjoyable.
Manuel Samuel is a rather strange game, one that thrusts the player into quite a crazy situation. Having to control all of the bodily functions of a human is actually a lot of work. Players will certainly have a hard time of it at first, and the narrator won’t help by constantly talking about how awful Sam is getting on. Sam needs some help getting through just one day of this hellish existence, will the player help him out, or will Death end it all like he should have done from the get-go.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided