LISA: THE FIRST

LISA: THE FIRST is this free, short RPG Maker game that's basically the origin story for everything that happens in LISA: THE PAINFUL. You play as this young girl Lisa, who's clearly dealing with some really heavy stuff at home. The game doesn't show anything directly, but the vibe is super clear from the start. She basically escapes from her reality by retreating into this super messed up world inside her own head. The whole point is to explore this psychological nightmare landscape, which is filled with all these twisted symbols of her abuse, mostly relating to her dad, Marty. You're just wandering through, trying to find items and piece together what's happening, but it feels less about fixing things and more about just surviving the horror of it all. It's based on Yume Nikki and that inspiration shows in how you just wander through a weird dream world with no explanation.

The gameplay is all about exploration and light puzzle solving. You walk through these different areas, each one weirder and more disturbing than the last, picking up keys and items to unlock new paths. It's made in RPG Maker 2003, but it's not a traditional RPG at all, there's no fighting or leveling up. The main «enemies» are these creepy spider things with Marty's face on them that you have to avoid. Sometimes they just patrol in a set pattern, which is like a simple puzzle, but other times they actively chase you and that part can be genuinely stressful and annoying because their movement can be hard to predict. It's more about the atmosphere than challenging gameplay.

Speaking of atmosphere, that's where this game absolutely shines, the visuals are incredibly effective. It's not about fancy graphics; it's about using simple, gritty and gross imagery to make you feel super uncomfortable. There's a area filled with bubbling bile, rooms with Marty's face plastered everywhere on the walls and just some truly bizarre and unsettling sights. The sound design is also really minimal but does a perfect job of making you feel isolated and creeped out. It's a short experience, maybe an hour or two, but it says exactly what it needs to say without dragging on.

 

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