Introvert Quest

This game ignores a golden opportunity to address mental health issues and instead makes mean-spirited fun of the people who suffer from them. It starts by conflating personality types with psychological disorders and proceeds to paint the hero (who's introverted and agoraphobic) as an outcast and a freak. It's really impossible to overstate this sloppily made adventure's insensitivity.

Bryce, the young hero, is pathetic, and it's not because of his mental problems. It's more because his life consists of being knocked around by name-calling strangers, a self-absorbed older sister, and a sadistic psychologist who shames his patients instead of treating them. Though the dialogue occasionally offers some amusing, even insightful commentary about society's expectations, it's poorly written. Worse, it's peppered with more gratuitous cursing than a Tarantino film. Yup, everything's here but "f--k," and this sailor-like language is used to explore a series of bad-taste jokes regarding things like prostitution and STDs. If anything saves Introvert Quest from itself, it's the nicely done 2D character paintings, the funny music cues, the clever Pokémon-like duels, and the sweetness of the main character himself. They're not enough, though, especially when the game comes to an abrupt and unsatisfactory end, promising to deliver resolution in a separate download a few weeks from now. This could have been a smart and timely game about dealing with and overcoming mental health challenges. Instead, it's a collection of sloppy, snide one-liners.