When evaluating video games rooted in mythology, franchises such as Hades and God of War likely come to mind. However, a fresh challenger emerges, blending Hellenic hubris with the whimsy of Bennett Foddy’s creations. Does the endless toil of rolling a massive boulder up an imposing mountain precipice provide an apt metaphor for the futility and perseverance that define our human experience? Within the supply chain’s notorious labyrinth, this task can be a Sisyphean nightmare, with the added insult of game development’s merciless mockery, as each failed attempt is met with taunting indifference.
initially launched on Sept. 10, and as of Sept. The Pac-Man high score remains untarnished at 17, a feat yet to be surpassed. The sport performs a surprising trick upfront, revealing an endpoint at the summit of a steep incline. As the slope’s incline proves treacherous, Sisyphus struggles to maintain control as the ball teeters on the brink of escape, threatening to plummet back into the void once more. As athletes approach their initial objective, challenges invariably escalate in difficulty.
“Fashionably flailing, these notorious ‘falling video games’ become a phenomenon due to their inherent problems and inevitable failure to deliver on expectations.” Foddy takes delight in tantalizingly displaying a carrot just out of reach, only to snatch it away at the last moment, subsequently poking fun at the player’s gullibility for momentarily believing it was a real prize. As Sisyphus meets his demise on those unforgiving precipices, a foreboding “You Shall Not Pass” notice ominously materializes … only for Zeus’s mighty hand to revive him, plunging him back into the never-ending cycle of suffering and despair.
available on Steam, with the outline noting that there’s actually an ending. “You’re unlikely to succeed.” I’m intelligent enough to recognize when defeat is inevitable. For those who revel in the thrill of the ascent, the allure of a never-ending summit beckons as the ultimate prize.
