GameHag rewards below 500SG #3: Conan the Mighty Pig

Having trouble getting enough SG? Got your big rewards and still have some SoulGems to spare?
In this new series of small reviews i'm doing called "GameHag rewards below 500SG" i'm going to test and review some of the gamerewards you can get on GameHag for 500SG or less.
In this third episode I will be looking at Conan the Mighty Pig, an exploration platform game which boasts to have action while being relaxing to play.
Conan the Mighty Pig has a "Very Positive" rating on Steam but is this really objective or did something nefarious happen to give it that status?
Find out more about it by reading the review and stay tuned for more!

PHENOMENAL PORK OR SHOVELWARE SPAM?

Conan the Mighty Pig describes itself as a "relaxing action-adventure exploration game'. Personally i fail to see how "relaxing-action" is even a thing since most of the times a game is either "relaxing" or has "action". Maybe this wordplay is used because Conan is mostly a slow-paced exploring platformer with dreamy, almost trippy relaxing music. Although somewhat lacking in the adventure department it does deliver on the exploration part in an almost metroidvania style if i can use that term loosely.


THIS LITTLE PIGGY WENT TO THE...

What the exact story is for Conan the Mighty Pig is open to debate. The story itself is told using visuals without dialogue and so is very open to the player's own speculation. Basically for some reason Conan is fed up with his life on the farm and goes on a quest of exploration to find truffles. Looking at Conan's nickname "the mighty pig" you are tempted to expect that Conan is a real badass and embarks on his quest strapped with armor while wielding some mythical weapon, crushing foes along his journey. Sadly the opposite is true since Conan's mad prowess consist mainly of cowering and sneaking in the grass while sniffing for truffles and other herbs or vegetables that grant some abilities. Overall the story, or what you make of it, feels a bit underwhelming. I'm guessing that it is aiming to be mysterious to fit in the whole relaxing/dreamy theme but in the end this is not a game you should get for the story.



PECULIAR PIG

The game mechanics are like so many others and may feel recycled from previous and more popular titles. Using some ability, in this case sniffing, to reveal hidden objects throughout a level and sneaking or hiding are things that have been done before and often done better. I could make an extensive list about all the games that utilized double-jumps and any available powerup Conan can sniff out are usually found right there where you need them the most, basically eliminating any strategy that could be involved for using them.

So what about the action? Because most of the gameplay consist of strutting around in slow pace while mostly hiding or avoiding any truffle-stealing hazards you may encounter it almost feels like the "action" was put in the genre as a keyword to attract more players than it deserves. Conan doesn't seem to be in a hurry to get anywhere quick, a trait which is emphazised by the relaxing background music containing numerous nature sounds fit to the theme of the level.


PRETTY PORK:

On the graphical side Conan the Mighty Pic is on par for a game of its type and size. There are many themed levels ranging from forests to arctic lanscapes providing you with some much needed variation. The ingame characters such as the enemies and Conan himself are lacking all but the most basic of walking animations. Despite of that you can see that at least some effort has been put in on the graphical side of things because Conan has it's own unique visual style and features realtime lighting effects.



DREAMY MUSIC

Although the soundFX are nothing really special, the background music does deliver when it comes to being relaxing. Remember those those tapes and CDs from the '90s and early '00s containing sounds of tjirping birds, winds rushing through leaves or singing whales over a fairly ambient soundtrack. Conan's music is just that and will calm down your nerves or might put you to sleep entirely.


WHAT OTHERS SAY

Conan has a "Very Positive" rating on Steam but after taking a closer look at most of the positive reviews who literally praise the game as being the best thing ever one might suspect some shady tactics have been applied to force users to rate this game above its actual quality.


CONCLUSION

Not recommended: Conan the Mighty Pig started its life as a Flash game which got expanded a little and published for a low price on Steam. You can even try out a limited version for free on various flashgame websites such as Kongregate. Try it out yourself by clicking here.
Because its symplistic and slow gameplay it might be more appealing to younger players and is very suited for small kids. For the average gamer the most redeeming factor will be the inclusion of various Steam trading cards that can be obtained from this game.

Pros:
-Excellent non-violent game for little kids
-Multiple endings
-Original music
-Steam trading cards

Cons:
-Slow uninspiring gameplay
-It's so relaxing it might stress you out
-Cash grab on mediocre flash game


Conan the Mighty Pig is available for only 400SG here on Gamehag.