In world where you're supposed to say "Yes" to every order. It takes real character to refuse unreasonable demands. "Say NO! More" is a narrative game that reminds us, it's okay to say "No" sometimes, and I found the story it tells to send us this message really enjoyable!
The game puts you in the shoes of a character you create. You just got a job in a company as an intern. To celebrate, your best friend makes you a lunch box. He also asks you to help him pay his rent, as he's still looking for a job. You're too shy to refuse, so you say nothing and go to your job.
As one of the three new interns, you get assigned a supervisor who teaches you the importance of saying "Yes" in this company. Later, he comes to you to ask for your lunch. He takes your shyness as a "yes" and takes the lunch box from you. Angry at him, and yourself, you discover a Tape that teaches you the importance of saying one particular word: "NO!"
You go after the supervisor to take back your lunch box, saying "No!" to every unreasonable request along the way. Thus starts the story of "Say NO! More. A movie-length experience with comedic twists, and a satisfying saying "No" mechanics!
The main gameplay mechanic of this game revolves around screaming "No." As the story progresses, you'll see how other people at the company react to you screaming that forbidden word on them. The game is short enough so this never becomes boring, and since you can control the way toy say "No," the timing of it and the intensity, it's satisfying nonetheless.
The story is divided into various chapters and they flow seamlessly into one another.
As you progress, you learn more ways of saying "No." There's the Hot/Angry "No." The Cold "No." The Lazy "No." And the Wacky "No." I haven't noticed any difference between them, story-wise, they all function the same, but having options doesn't hurt, right?
In this setting, "No" has became a forbidden word. People seem to have forgotten how to say this word that's "not-yes." It's forbidden to the extent of some character treating names that have "no" in them as cursed names. Other characters don' use it as much, but there are better characters at saying it than the player character. By the end of the experience, it feels like "No" has a complete Power-Levels system around it.
Say NO! More is very comedic and wacky, unrealistic, but in a good way!
A few characters that stood out during my playthrough. The main character and his friend had a realistic relationship, but the other interns were my favorite.
One of the interns is a very reasonable person, and he felt like the second audience surrogate after the player character. The third intern becomes sort of the antagonist of this game. She's the biggest advocate of saying "Yes" and the biggest twist of this game revolves around her.
While the game is fun. I felt that the message of the game took priority during its development. Say NO! More can be heavy handed sometimes. I can't count how many times someone said *"It's okay if no one is hurt" or things to that effect.
I really loved the final arc of the game. The player character gets to fight the real CEO of the company, and finally gets to confront his friend. You manage to flip the comnpany's policy on its head!! There's a cool message there, and it felt relatable to listen to the game's commentary on it.
"Saying No to lunch stealing jerks, or bad bosses, that's one thing. But saying No to your best friend who's in need, even if you're pushing your limits, and they're being a jerk themselves... It's... impossible." -- The No Tape Guy
Did I mention that all the voice actors did an amazing job?
Most of Say NO! More is in English, but ir also features voice packs for "NO!" in various languages. Your character will be able to say "No" in a male or female voice in any language you like. I enjoyed using Arabic for my second playthrough. The best part, is that the language you select also reflects on the loading screen. Of course, the game's actual dialogue is still in English, though.
The game does have a bunch of secrets, despite having only one action as a player. You can decide when to say "No" and when to stay silent. For example, you'll face a few people in a Staring Contest, and if you abstain from saying No to them long enough, you'll be able to win. Another secret I loved is when I didn't say "No" to a person who wanted me to try their video game, and I got to play a short prototype inspired by Pokemon.
What Do You Think?
Say NO! More is a short game I'm glad I got to experience. The low-poly 3D and the wacky narrative work hand-in-hand to the game's favor. The message of this game is a timeless advice we should all listen to. Saying No more, doesn't mean to never say "Yes" and doesn't mean to alway say "No" but to recognize when to say either, and to not let yourself crash under unreasonable demands from other people.
Thanks for Reading~
Salam (Peace.)
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