Putrid Shark – A Retro RPG with a Strange Twist
Putrid Shark is an 8-bit role-playing game that places you in the shoes of a female protagonist on a quirky quest to stop the demise of a creature known as the putrid shark. Styled after early Game Boy titles, it evokes the nostalgic feel of classics like the original Pokémon games, using a minimal pixel-art style and a grayscale aesthetic.
Old-School Graphics, Contemporary Tone
Created by Carly Besterman, this indie title features a custom chiptune soundtrack composed by a music collective of the same name—Putrid Shark. It blends retro visuals with a more modern tone in its dialogue, delivering a strange mix of classic presentation and current-day sensibilities.
Gameplay That Encourages Exploration
While the world is small and visually simple, the game encourages players to explore and interact with its sarcastic and eccentric NPCs. Early on, the objectives aren’t clearly defined, which may leave new players a bit lost—but this sense of ambiguity is intentional. Players gradually unravel the story through a series of interconnected tasks, where helping one character sets off a chain reaction of side quests.
A Narrative That Stumbles at the Finish Line
As the story unfolds, characters remain relatively flat, with little development beyond their initial personalities. The climax builds up to a dramatic encounter with what is supposed to be the titular shark—only for it to reveal itself as a dolphin, delivering philosophical dialogue that feels out of place. Players can then choose to either confront or converse with this character, but neither option leads to a particularly satisfying payoff.
Short, Strange, and Slightly Charming
Despite its storytelling missteps, Putrid Shark offers an amusing experience with its odd humor and retro vibe. It’s a brief game that doesn’t overstay its welcome and is best suited for players seeking a nostalgic visual style and light, exploratory gameplay. Just don’t expect the plot to make too much sense.
