My Grizzly Bear teaches us all the great deal of responsibility that goes into raising a lovable-but-feisty 300-kilogram wild animal.
Digital pets are fun ways to kill time while waiting for dental surgery or court appearances. Giving cute little creatures treats and head scratches has also been shown to reduce stress in my cousin who no longer punches holes in my wall.
But sometimes it feels like the genre has reached a high-water mark. The endless tapping of icons to satiate your beloved geometric pet can only go so far before growing tedious. That’s where My Grizzly Bear comes in as a musky breath of fresh air.
In My Grizzly Bear players let a full grown version of the titular animal into their homes. Of course, being the grizzly bear that it is, it immediately tries to destroy the place and kill you. This takes the tried-and-true formal of virtual pets and adds the constant threat of sudden death.
Luckily, fast-fingered players can dodge the beast’s meaty paw swipes by touching the “defend” icon at just the right moment. You are also given life packs to recover from injuries. However, too many maulings and it’s straight to the ER for you! Whenever you’re sent to intensive care you are locked out of the game for two hours, away from your beloved pet.
Players are given toys and food to help befriend the bear, but also must try to keep the place clean by removing claw marks and other stains from the apartment. This all has to be done while narrowly avoiding death too.
I tried out the game and found that the graphics and sound were both in good shape. I felt the snarling fit the overall ambiance well and the rendering on the sausages was quite impressive.
▼ It stands to reason, as My Grizzly Bear is made by Japanese studio Milkcorp,
creators of the acclaimed (by me) Sausage Legend fighting game
The controls for My Grizzly Bear, however, left something to be desired. They weren’t bad per se, but considering the high speed at which the bear comes at you, it would be much appreciated to have a more responsive control scheme.
Here’s what others had to say about it:
“I feel sorry for anyone who thinks this is a cute virtual pet game lol.”
“It’s a cute title. Very innovative!”
“Can I equip one of those grizzly armor suit things for defense?”
“It sounds like the bears from Skyrim.”
“I tried it but got tired of it after about 10 minutes.”
Indeed, while the concept is novel, there doesn’t appear to be much to keep you going with My Grizzly Bear for too long. It’s entertaining, but lacks the depth of other smartphone virtual pet games like Raise a Japanese Doll. But for hardcore virtual pet owners and grizzly bear fanatics alike, My Grizzly Bear will be sure to bring a smile to your faces even if only for a short time.
You can download My Grizzly Bear at the App Store or on Google Play.
Source: MilkCorp via My Game News Flash
Images: YouTube/MilkIncGames