Info about Troublemaker:

Official game description:
Go to school, make new friends, beat old enemies up, solve world-class problems (like grades and girlfriends), and don’t let your mom down by getting arrested or worse - flunking out!
Troublemaker is an action-adventure-beat-'em-up game about the most important and terrifying part of everyone's life: High school. As Budi, the new transfer to one of Indonesia's finest high schools, literally fight your way to the top of the social food chain through the school's annual student fighting tournament, aptly named Raise Your Gang.
*   Inspired by beat-'em-up classics, Troublemaker is all about smooth and over-the-top combat in Indonesia's greatest adolescent combat arena. Punch, kick, break, smash, or gently swing Budi’s way up to the top with more than 30 iconic moves.
*   Square up with your best friends and mortal enemies, there can only be one winner!
*   Budi won't be fighting across the school alone. Parakacuk, his gang, will be there to help him out.
*   Rani the class boss will lend her smarts, Zaenal his might, and Boby...well, Boby's just Boby.
*   Together, they'll face the crushing mortal challenges of high school (or, you know, die trying).
*   Spend time with Budi’s girlfriend, increase his popularity at school, do homework with his friends, and learn what an over the top life could be like in a 21st century Indonesian high school.
*   Beating up your peers is all fun and games, but patience is necessary.
*   Kickflip into the fray and create personal combos by mixing up Light, Heavy, Advanced, and Sick move styles
*   Take things slow, let bruises heal, and take a stroll across the school to see the sights while gathering 20 different collectables.

Release date: 31 Mar, 2023

Categories: Beat 'em up, Action-adventure, Single-player Story, Character Progression, Collectibles, Mini-game Collection, Social Simulation


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Compelling story and well-developed characters (weight 0.79): The game's story and characters received significant praise. Players found the narrative to be deep, touching, and full of meaning, often relating to its themes of not giving up and Indonesian high school life. The characters were described as well-written, charismatic, and relatable, with natural dialogues and expressive portraits.
- Enjoyable and charming indie game (weight 0.63): Players generally found the game to be a good, enjoyable indie title, especially considering its origins. They appreciated its charm, simple concept, and overall fun experience, often describing it as a pleasant way to pass the time.
- Humorous and entertaining content (weight 0.35): Many players highlighted the game's humor, finding it very funny and full of cool references, easter eggs, and memes. The comedic bits, meta-jokes, and hilarious moves contributed to a memorable and entertaining experience.
- Attractive and unique art style (weight 0.23): The game's visual presentation, including its unique and colorful art style, comic-style dialogues, and expressive 2D character portraits, was highly appreciated. Players found the artwork pleasing and the character designs visually appealing, with animations and cutscenes also receiving positive remarks.
- Proudly Indonesian game (weight 0.19): The game's Indonesian origin was a significant positive for many players. They appreciated its relatable cultural context, the use of native language, and saw it as a commendable step forward for the Indonesian game development industry.
- Satisfying and engaging combat (weight 0.16): The combat system was generally found to be satisfying and enjoyable, offering quick action, combo attacks, and strategic elements. While some noted it as 'mid,' most found the fighting mechanics to be good and pleasant, contributing to an engaging gameplay experience.
- Passionate and promising developers (weight 0.11): Players recognized and appreciated the passion and effort put in by the development team, especially considering it might be their first game. This dedication was seen as promising for future projects.
- Yakuza-style combat and pop culture (weight 0.1): The game's combat and overall style drew comparisons to popular titles like Sega's Yakuza series and Sleeping Dogs, appealing to fans of those genres. It also incorporated Japanese pop culture references, particularly anime and manga.
- Unique and complete developer vision (weight 0.08): Players appreciated that the developers delivered a finished game that matched their vision, offering a unique experience not typically found in the AAA market, which some completed quickly due to its engaging nature.
- Detailed and atmospheric level design (weight 0.06): The level design and environmental details were praised, with players noting the care put into creating an atmosphere that supported the game's theme and showed developer attention.
- Good and suitable music (weight 0.06): The game's background music was found to be suitable and effective, enhancing the intensity of the gameplay and generally being well-liked by players.

Common complaints:
- Outdated and Inconsistent Graphics (weight 0.94): The game's visual presentation, particularly the 3D character models and graphics, was widely criticized. Players found the models janky, lacking expression, and inconsistent with 2D art. Graphics were described as outdated, ugly, and sometimes pixelated, even on high settings, contributing to an overall unpolished look.
- Repetitive Gameplay and Pacing Issues (weight 0.93): Many players found the gameplay loop and overall experience highly repetitive, with frequent rematches against the same enemies without variation. The game also suffered from poor pacing, with extremely short chapters and overly long, constant cutscenes that felt like padding.
- Poor Story, Characters, and Dialogue (weight 0.88): Players heavily criticized the story and characters, finding them poorly written, inconsistent, and unlikable. The dialogue was frequently described as 'cringe,' nonsensical, and excessively vulgar, with many feeling the profanity was forced and misplaced.
- Clunky and Repetitive Combat (weight 0.55): The combat system received widespread negative feedback, being described as stiff, clunky, repetitive, and unengaging. Players found it often devolved into button-mashing or spamming single moves, with issues in parrying, blocking, and overall responsiveness. Sound effects for combat were also noted as flat and unsatisfying.
- Significant Bugs and Lack of Polish (weight 0.39): The game is plagued by numerous bugs and technical issues, leading to an unpolished and unfinished feel. Players reported various glitches, including display blackouts, missing cutscenes, broken graphics, and general clunkiness, which significantly detracted from the experience.
- Overpriced for Quality (weight 0.31): Many players felt the game was overpriced for its quality, especially given its perceived lack of polish and numerous issues. There was a strong sentiment that the game did not offer good value, leading to buyer's remorse for some.
- Poorly Designed Minigames (weight 0.25): The minigames were largely criticized as buggy, unbalanced, and poorly designed. Many felt they were included for content creation rather than genuine enjoyment, with specific examples like the 'crazy bird' minigame being deemed unfair and frustrating.
- Stiff and Unresponsive Controls (weight 0.24): Players reported clunky and stiff controls, with delayed responses and heavy character movement. These issues contributed to an unsatisfying game-feel and highlighted questionable design decisions that negatively impacted gameplay fluidity.
- Poor and Inconsistent Translation (weight 0.11): The English translation was criticized for being unnatural, sometimes laughably bad, and inconsistent. It often included Indonesian inside jokes that did not translate well, making the narrative difficult for non-Indonesian speakers to fully understand or appreciate.
- Lack of Language Localization (weight 0.08): The game lacks support for several major languages, including Chinese, Korean, and Portuguese (Brazil), which limited accessibility for a significant portion of the potential player base. This was a point of frustration for non-English speaking players.
- Niche Cultural References and Questionable Themes (weight 0.07): Some players found the game's themes and cultural references too niche, relying heavily on Indonesian inside jokes and memes that did not resonate broadly. Concerns were also raised about potentially problematic messages regarding school and a perceived lack of authenticity in depicting Indonesian youth culture.

Gameplay feedback:
- Combat difficulty is low (weight 0.2): The combat difficulty is perceived as low, with enemies exhibiting slow attack patterns and often attacking one at a time. While the game has an energy mechanic, its impact on overall difficulty is minimal, and investing in energy regeneration can make combat trivial. Despite some skill being required for proficiency, the hard mode is not challenging.
- Strong resemblance to Yakuza/Bully (weight 0.16): The game is frequently compared to the Yakuza series due to similar brawler mechanics, fight transitions, and upgrade systems. It also evokes a 'Bully'-like school life atmosphere, positioning itself as a niche campus action game.
- Core combat mechanics and special moves (weight 0.14): Combat primarily revolves around dodge, counter, and heavy attacks, with a limited number of combos. A special 'Gerakan Gokil' (Crazy Move) system adds unique, often humorous, ultimate moves that can be executed after filling a bar, though long animations can be canceled.
- Game length is very short (weight 0.09): Players found the game to be quite short, with completion times often under 10 hours, even on harder difficulties. The main storyline, which is a significant part of the game, can be finished in just a few hours.
- Miscellaneous technical and content notes (weight 0.07): The game contains strong language but is suitable for mature audiences. It supports mouse and keyboard controls and includes NVIDIA DLSS, though it lacks AMD FSR or Intel Xess support. Dialogue is in Indonesian.
- Money and stat upgrades are vital (weight 0.07): Money is crucial for character progression, as it's needed to increase stats, particularly health and damage, which are considered the only truly useful upgrades. Most other consumable items are deemed ineffective or unnecessary.
- Varied mini-games, some problematic (weight 0.07): The game features a variety of mini-games across its chapters, but some are difficult, and one specific mini-game (the crow game) has been reported to cause motion sickness.
- Replayability for achievements (weight 0.06): Replayability is primarily driven by the pursuit of achievements, which are obtainable in New Game Plus. A small amount of grinding is necessary, but not from scratch after the initial playthrough.
- Problematic target lock system (weight 0.03): The game's lock-on system is problematic, as it automatically switches targets when an enemy is about to attack, leading to a messy and frustrating combat experience.

Performance notes:
- Performance is acceptable with minor bugs (weight 0.07): Players report that the game generally performs adequately on lower settings and mid-range hardware (GTX 1650, 16GB RAM). However, minor bugs like NPCs getting stuck are still present, indicating some areas for optimization.

Recommendations:
- Overall negative player experience (weight 0.35): Many players expressed significant dissatisfaction, with some uninstalling the game quickly or regretting their purchase. Several would not recommend it, citing issues that made the game almost 'untolerable' or only enjoyable for a very short period. Some even advised against playing due to performance issues or a lack of immersion.
- Conditional positive recommendations (weight 0.3): Despite some negative feedback, a notable portion of players recommended the game, especially when purchased on discount. They praised its storyline, interesting combat, and suitability for casual, stress-free gameplay. Some gave it positive ratings, indicating a good experience for certain player demographics.
- High anticipation for sequel (weight 0.26): A significant number of players are eagerly anticipating a sequel, specifically 'Troublemaker 2'. They hope the developers will learn from the first game, improve various aspects, and continue the story, aiming for a game that appeals to both casual and dedicated players.
- Buy only on deep discount (weight 0.15): A strong consensus among players is that the game is only worth purchasing when it is heavily discounted, ideally during a Steam sale or for a very low price. This suggests that the current full price is not perceived as good value.
- Support local Indonesian developers (weight 0.09): There's a strong sentiment among Indonesian players to support local game developers by purchasing the game. However, some advise non-Indonesian players or those unfamiliar with Indonesian culture against playing, suggesting the game's appeal is culturally specific.
- Suggestions for future game features (weight 0.05): Players offered suggestions for future games in the series, such as incorporating elements from 'Bully' (e.g., mandatory classes) while retaining Yakuza-style brawling, and expanding the game world to include city areas, rival schools, and police chases.
- Inferior to Yakuza 0 (weight 0.02): One player suggested that 'Yakuza 0' offers a much better experience for twice the price, implying that the game in question does not provide comparable value or quality.
- Desire for specific character pairing (weight 0.02): A specific request was made for a romantic pairing between characters Zaenal and Rani to be featured in the sequel, indicating player investment in the game's narrative and characters.

Other player notes:
- Inconsistent visual and audio quality (weight 0.31): Players expressed disappointment with the game's visual and audio presentation, citing a mismatch between 3D models and 2D art, average graphics, and a lack of polish in voice acting, music variety, and sound effects. The game's attempt at photorealistic graphics was noted, but the overall quality was deemed not AAA.
- Hope for future improvements and sequels (weight 0.18): Despite some criticisms, players expressed a desire for future improvements and sequels, indicating a belief in the developer's potential. They hope for better story, gameplay, and overall polish in subsequent titles.
- Yakuza-like Indonesian setting (weight 0.16): Many players compared the game to the Yakuza series, specifically an 'Indonesian high school Yakuza.' Other comparisons included 'Indian soap opera' and the movie 'Crows Zero,' highlighting its unique cultural setting and narrative style.
- Inconsistent world-building and language (weight 0.11): Players noted several inconsistencies in the game's world-building, including anachronistic character designs, incorrect dates on posters, and a mix of internet slang with a rural setting. There was also criticism regarding inconsistent language use.
- Presence of various technical bugs (weight 0.08): Players reported several technical glitches, such as interaction buttons getting stuck, doubled sound effects in the shop, duplicated border indicators for restricted areas, and characters getting stuck when too close to others.
- Engaging and culturally relevant story (weight 0.07): Despite other issues, the story was generally found to be interesting and engaging, with players appreciating its realistic portrayal of 'taboo' real-life stories and its cultural context.
- Players completed the game (weight 0.04): Some players completed the game, with a few even playing through it multiple times, indicating a level of engagement despite criticisms.
- Many cats in the game (weight 0.02): A minor observation was made about the presence of many cats within the game world.

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.19): Players expressed disappointment due to the game's overall low quality, including its unpolished state, numerous bugs, and technical issues. Specific concerns included clunky combat, stiff gameplay, inconsistent visuals, poor story writing, cringe-worthy dialogue, and uninspired voice acting. The game's short length, lack of unique offerings, and perceived poor value for money also contributed to this sentiment.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.19): Satisfaction stemmed from the game's engaging story, relatable characters, and the perceived effort and passion from the developers. Players also enjoyed the overall quality, music, graphics, and the game's ability to provide a fun and immersive experience, especially considering its indie nature and origin from Indonesian developers.
- Frustration (weight 0.18): Frustration was primarily caused by persistent bugs, technical issues, and poor performance, leading to problems like game crashes and lost save data. Players also found the combat system repetitive, clunky, and unbalanced, with issues like high camera sensitivity and inconsistent inputs. Misleading advertisements and confusing dialogue further contributed to this negative emotion.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.11): Players found enjoyment in the game's overall experience, including its charming characters, engaging storyline, and humor. The game's unique cultural representation, fun minigames, and suitability for casual play also contributed to a positive experience, often despite acknowledging its flaws.
- Excitement (weight 0.06): Excitement was largely driven by anticipation for a sequel, with players expressing hope for future improvements and continuations of the story and characters. The game's engaging plot, fun gameplay, and its potential as an underrated gem also generated excitement.
- Anger (weight 0.03): Anger arose from the game's perceived poor design, low overall quality, and poor value for money. Some players also expressed anger regarding developer claims and perceived political messages within the game.
- Hope (weight 0.03): Hope was primarily focused on the future, specifically for a sequel that would continue the story and bring significant improvements to the game's quality and mechanics.
- Joy (weight 0.02): Joy was experienced through the game's humorous elements, memorable characters, and comedic moments. The game's ability to evoke positive feelings and even have a positive life impact for some players also contributed to this emotion.
- Mild frustration (weight 0.02): Mild frustration was caused by minor technical issues such as camera system problems, specific bugs, and occasional lag during cutscenes. The voice acting also contributed to this sentiment for some players.
- Mixed (weight 0.02): Players experienced mixed feelings due to a combination of factors, often involving aspects of both gameplay and the overall story or experience that were neither entirely positive nor negative.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Amusement was derived from the game's unique flaws, humor, and even its 'cringe' elements. Players found entertainment in the game's jankiness and comedic aspects.
- Annoyance (weight 0.01): Annoyance was caused by specific elements such as the excessive use of certain words, issues with audio mixing, and the presence of vulgar language in the game.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.01): Nostalgia was triggered by the game's depiction of high school life and its ability to evoke memories of youth and past school experiences.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion arose from excessive and seemingly misapplied harsh language in dialogue, as well as an inconsistent use of swear words. Some players also expressed confusion as to why others enjoyed the game.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Appreciation was shown for the care and effort put into the game by the developers, especially considering it was an attempt at a 3D action game from Indonesia. Players also appreciated the challenging and unique experience it offered.
- Curiosity (weight 0.01): Curiosity was sparked by the game's cultural context and the potential for future localization, indicating an interest in understanding its background and broader appeal.
- Emotional connection (weight 0.01): An emotional connection was formed through the game's compelling story and well-developed characters, allowing players to deeply engage with the narrative.
- Anticipation (weight 0.01): Anticipation was specifically directed towards the upcoming sequel, with players looking forward to the evolution of its gameplay and story.
- Relief (weight 0.01): Relief was experienced when players found workarounds for issues or when performance updates were released, resolving previous problems.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Boredom was caused by the game's repetitive gameplay loop, uninteresting fights, and unimpressive 3D models, leading to a lack of engagement.}