If I were to try to describe Outerloop Games' new title Thirsty Suitors in one sentence, it would be something akin to “A turn-based RPG with a skateboarding game baked into into it that also has cooking sim elements, and which has a plot somewhere betweenVenbaandAlan Wake IIwith a core of Scott Pilgrim.” It’s not exactly an easy one to describe, but it may be one of the year’s most unique games, to say the least, and is certainly one of the more bonkers ones…on the surface, at least. And while being unique, creative and over-the-top are pluses for any game in my book, does that still end up translating to a truly good game in the end?
The plot in Thirsty Suitors centers around Jala, a young woman returning back to her Northwestern home of Timber Hills after a particular messy breakup has left her kicked out. Unfortunately, Jala isn’t exactly that excited to come back, as she’s apparently burnt several bridges upon leaving (on top of more bridge already burnt over the years) and thus she has to face the wrath of her family. And all while having to deal with the upcoming wedding of her sister Aruni, which complicates things as she can’t seem to find Aruni to talk with them, plus family matriarch Paati is coming for the wedding, putting even more pressure on Jala and her already stern mom, and all of Jala’s six big ex-lovers want to confront her. This includes main ex Tyler, who ropes Jala into investigating a possible cult of skater punks operating out of an abandoned theme park where someone in a bear suit is recruiting misfit teenagers, because why not.
That does feel like a lot to take in, and it may even be missing a few details (such as Jala’s critical inner voice taking the form of how she imagines Aruni), but everything still tends to come together well. Thirsty Suitors is a tale of self-discovery, as Jala begins to figure out themselves further by trying to make amends with everyone she’s left behind, and in turn helps those she encounters work through their own issues and learn more about themselves. Granted, a lot of this self-discovery involves psychodramatic battles where you engage in combat, but it helps nonetheless. Throughout all of this, players make dialogue choices as Jala that not only reveal new insights, but can also provide points that can alter Jala’s stats in different ways, which provides a nice touch that has you choosing your words wisely.
Much like the aforementioned Venba, there’s a huge focus here on the themes of family and the troubles that a family of South Asian immigrants have faced over the years, with an additional focus on generational trauma here. And as the game advances, we also learn about all of the trouble Jala’s exes have faced as well, such as dealing with divorce and loss from their parents, keeping a hold on their culture or being accepted as LGBTQ by their family. Jala has…not been the greatest person over the years to them, to say the least, and the game nicely builds of to the reveals of their misdeeds and the impact from them with each battle. Thirsty Suitors deals with a lot of tough subjects, but it tackles them well, as Jala eventually works towards making up with everyone.
It helps that Thirsty Suitors also balances out the heavier bits with a plentiful dose of humor as well, ranging from the various comebacks all of the cast members have to the exaggerated world and actions on display here. Timber Hills is a place where practically everyone handles everything with martial arts movements, from cooking to even just taking off their jacket. That’s not even getting into the mental worlds that pop up during major battles, which are colorful and over-the-top in the best ways, showing off each character’s bombastic personalities. Indeed, it’s the cast that easily makes the story here shine the brightest, filled with a ton of likeable folks on all sides (even if it takes a good fight to get to know them further).
When not dealing with the exes, though, Jala will also be engaging in battles with numerous other suitors that Paati has sent, looking for an arranged marriage, as well as the bear-masked cult members as well, encountered through interactable spots in each hub areas. It’s standard turn-based combat with QTE twists to deal attack and defense boosts, but with an additional twist in that you can also use Will Power for taunts, hoping to reveal your enemies' hidden weaknesses. Jala can leave them with statuses such as thirsty, heartbroken, shocked and more, each with not only their own set of unique effects, but also leaves them open to more damage from certain special moves. The catch is that each taunt only works once on an enemy per battle, so there’s a nice element of strategy added to things.
That said, one issue with the combat is that things started to get too easy by the end of the game. Maybe it was just because I was actively aiming for the top rankings on all of the cooking challenges or looking to defeat all suitors in in area, if only to get extra voicemail messages from Paati that furthered their development (which is another testament to the writing), but by the later chapters, I was at least a good eight or so levels above some of the other enemies. All I had to do then was just use two of the unlockable summons per battle, which refill after each fight. The basic enemies also struggle from repetition, though less due to the battles, and more because of their re-used dialogue.
Outside of the combat, there are also two main side activities to engage in, that being the previously-mentioned cooking and the skate challenges offered up cult leader Soundie. Both are optional, though they do offer up various rewards. The cooking bits are basically more QTEs, as you attempt to build up the approval of Jala’s parents by succeeding in each step, using Heat gained to spend on various advantages. Not only is it nice, simple and fun, but each initial dish cooked reveals more into the parents' background and the relationship with their kids, once again getting in great dialogue. On top of that, the various dishes look scrumptious, and while not as detailed as Venba in showing off the steps, gives nice insight into what work goes into each snack.
The skate challenges, however, were something I mainly opted out of, if only because the way Jala seemingly snaps to the nearest rail seemed to get in the way of precision. Then again, it could just be that I’m not a regular when it comes to sports games. Still, it’s worth checking out some of them, and they’re a nice addition overall. That said, I wish skating wasn’t presented as the only way to get around the town and amusement park areas, as while there’s always a thrill in grinding on a fountain edge and landing a major combo, the skating tends to get in the way when you want to explore an area with more precision, and it always feels awkward when bumping into scenery.
Overall, though, Thirsty Suitors still delivers when it comes to fun on the gameplay front, despite flaws. On top of that, it also delivers big time in the visual department, with a nice spread of vivid colors, cartoonish effects and movements, and a lot of detail in both the battles and the real world that perfectly captures a ton of different cultures, from Indian to South African. The music is also astonishing, mixing in a lot of traditional South Asian sounds with indie beats, making for a ton of memorable tunes. Overall, Thirsty Suitors might be the deepest RPG in terms of length and challenge, coming in at around a relatively small-for-the-genre eleven hours, but it more than makes of for it it with styles and an exceptional narrative, which make this one relationship worth considering.
Closing Comments:
Thirsty Suitors has well-crafted RPG mechanics and satisfying combat, but its gleefully wild and colorful style and superb dialogue and characters are truly its biggest strength. It’s the type of game where you find yourself tempted to try every activity possible, either to see a loving ode to South Asian cultures, a well-written character moment or both. It’s an inspired bit of lunacy that still has a ton of heart at its core, creating an emotional journey in the end that still has a lot of room for more humorous bits. Jala’s life may be a mess at the start of the game, but cleaning up the mess leads to a grand amount of fun.
