Lisa: The Re-release
Serenity Forge has announced that they’re bringing cult classic Lisa: The Painful and its DLC, Lisa: The Joyful, to consoles as Lisa: Definitive Edition. It will be released on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on July 18th.
Lisa: The Painful originally came out in 2014. It took the general aesthetics of the Mother (Earthbound) series and twisted them into a traumatizing mix of whimsy and tragedy. You play as a man who travels a post-apocalyptic wasteland in search of his adopted daughter; one of the last remaining women on Earth.
I have a friend who counts Lisa: The Painful as one of their favorite games of all time. I can’t do it, though. Back in the day, I bought it, played a bit of the intro, and then realized that continuing would absolutely wreck me. I used to be all about depressing experiences, but as my mental health declined, I just couldn’t do it anymore. So, the conscious decision was made to just not play it. I guess I could always go back to it one day when I’m really feeling the self-destruction.
Don’t believe me? Lisa: The Painful describes itself as a “life-ruining gaming experience” on its Steam page.
Life-ruining game experience
For those of you willing to delve into the realm of hopelessness, Lisa: Definitive Edition will do more than just compile the game and its expansion onto consoles. It will also include a lot of new content, including bosses, enemies, new endings, and new storylines. You’ll find all the modern comforts, such as 120FPS and HD rumble where supported. The Dualsense will also use the adaptive triggers, which…Where? How? Why?
Then there are additions such as “Brand-new campfire conversations, allowing you to mourn the deaths of party members even more.” Nooo…
Seriously, experiences like Lisa: The Painful are important to expand our understanding of the trials of others and promote empathy. From everything I’ve heard, it’s an extremely meaningful and well-made narrative. That doesn’t mean you need to play it, though. Always take care of yourself.
If you’re down with the despair, Lisa: Definitive Edition will drop on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on July 18th.
