Manual Samuel Reviews
I can’t recommend Manual Samuel to anyone, it’s an awful game. A comedy game devoid of a sense of humour that is only interested in sucking all potential fun out of itself and replacing it with outright frustration. I mean, the game works and all but it’s never good, it’s a bad experience.
Simply put, Death is annoying and Sam is easy to hate.
Manual Samuel sounded great on paper, with the weird and wacky control scheme promising a tonne of potential for some fun gameplay elements. Unfortunately, the misses really drag down the overall tone. From the unresponsiveness of some button presses, to the cumbersome deaths caused by forgetting to breathe out while trying to control a manual car, to the humour-filled moments that seem to forget the humour - it just seems like a frustrating experience from beginning to end. The story is also weird, with each character playing a caricature of a usual stereotype found in other stories, but they do not seem to come together well at all. The only thing that does flow from scene to scene is the aggravating control scheme, coupled with the equally as annoying characters, and, as such, Manual Samuel is a tough game to sell.
Manual Samuel is a short but interesting title, however its gameplay gets very repetitive and infuriating quickly with the constant blinking and breathing. The game's controversial approach to humour also dampens the experience and makes it difficult to enjoy the best bits without feeling guilty for laughing at something you feel like you really shouldn't.
Manual Samuel has some enjoyable moments and for the first hour or so, you will really enjoy it. The combat ultimately becomes the games downfall. The great humor, clean visual style or the madness of having to control body functions manually can’t be saved by how terrible the combat is. The game quickly goes from fantastic to frustrating. Although I had a lot of fun at first, I really couldn't recommend this game to anyone.
For the masochists in our midst there are time attack runs if you want to perfect your time in each of game’s eight or so chapters, but I do genuinely believe that’s a big ask of anyone. Manual Samuel is perfect Twitch streaming fodder then, but there isn’t enough quality or variation there to make me want to see it through to the end, despite developer Perfectly Paranormal’s best efforts to mix things up. Sadly, the execution isn’t as strong as the idea is on paper. It’s sad to see because there’s a lot of potentially good ideas tucked away here and some fantastic artwork, so I’m keen to see what the devs can crack out next.
Manual Samuel is a fun little diversion. The control scheme perfectly reflects the absurdity of the premise, and the various objectives keep the game from becoming redundant. Not everything clicks as much as it could, but it's endearing in its own way. This is also the kind of game that's probably at its best when played with friends. If there were more levels, better written characters, and funnier dialogue, this would be a much easier recommendation.
Manual Samuel is a unique little adventure with some good moments and a bizarre (to its benefit) control scheme. It's notably short, and some levels do lean on the repetitive side, but it's rare to see something quite like this. It has a lot of soul to it, much of which is due to focusing so heavily on comedy. It's enjoyable overall and is worth looking into if you don't mind playing something a bit different than usual, even if it could have been executed better.
Because of its topic and to the absurdity of having to perform countless everyday acts, the game ends up becoming a hilarious act in itself. Unfortunately it doesn't quite achieve the same success when it comes to its short lifespan. Its strange motion controls make it feel very unusual and a high price tag means that this is not the most recommended piece of gaming at the moment, despite the marvelous humour and overall presentation.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Manual Samuel is a good-looking, genuinely funny button-pressing test of dexterity that starts out well, but unfortunately becomes increasingly complicated and frustrating as the game wears on. It's a nice idea, but one that will probably only appeal to those who enjoy games like QWOP.
The game is very fun, you catch love as fast as you hate it because of the frustration it brings. It's a short experience, too. And maybe the fact that it comes to an end as soon as I know a little.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A decent little budget game with a unique mechanic, but fix those crashes guys.
Manual Samuel is an adventure game for a specific type of player, who is fond of dark humor with a huge dose o absurdity. With brilliant dialogues and unique characters set in a grotesque world, the game manages to give some good laughs throughout its very short game time. Entertaining local co-op makes Manual Samuel a perfect addition to games for Switch.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Madder than a box of frogs, Manual Samuel is surreal, a bit dark and slightly sadistic, but will bring a smile to your face. There are annoying bits, sure, but overall, Manual Samuel is an enjoyable QWOP-alike that will put your dextrous digits to the test. Holy faeces!
Manual Samuel is a fun game with its quirky humor and innovative concept.
There are some great ideas in many of the mini-games and the humour is great, but the controls are frustrating and detract from the fun.
More than most games, I would urge potential purchasers to watch the trailer and see whether the sense of humour in this game appeals before buying. It is a lot of fun while it lasts and it provides a really interesting alternative to the increasingly automatic and cinematic fare of many AAA games, but it’s not for everyone. I can’t think of many more niche games than Manual Samuel, but it’s great that such projects still exist.
There are a few animation quirks, but for the most part the 2D style looks great and the games simple control scheme means almost anyone can pick it up. It’s just unfortunate that the momentum Manual Samuel builds in its earlier levels can’t be maintained for the entire course of the game.
What story there is over the handful of hours you’ll play tends to be odd as well, but the strange characters and the ever-present narrator commentating on what you’re doing (complete with celebratory hashtags for mundane achievements like taking a leak) do a good job of rewarding your continued efforts. If you can see the amusement of nearly killing yourself while simply trying to drink some water or narrowly avoiding running over little old ladies while struggling to control your car (of course complete with a manual transmission) the experience has its silly rewards. Given the likely polarizing nature of the game’s controls Manual Samuel gets a highly conditional recommendation. If you’re willing to roll with the punches, there’s definitely a unique good time to be had here, just be very aware of its intent to make controlling just about anything more challenging than you’d ever imagine.