I love games that poke fun at the boring and uninspiring work conditions faced by multinational corporation interns. I loved Going Under due to its incredibly relatable premise. Especially since I, just like many others, have worked as intern in such boring and exploitative conditions in the past. Do you remember how much you’ve always wanted to say “NO” to everyone asking you to grab them a cup of coffee or do something equally lame and unproductive? This is the premise behind Say No! More.

The first thing you do in this game is create your own avatar with a shockingly hardy character editor. I wasn’t expecting for a game that looks like something that could have easily been mistaken for one of the wackier Japanese releases of the PS1 and Dreamcast era to have a character creator with literal tens of thousands of possible combinations. Why am I talking so much about something so menial in most games? Well, to be fair, that might actually be the best thing Say No! More has to offer.

At first, it’s very funny. You’re an intern in his first day of work. You’re also a bit of an introvert, not able to properly communicate with others and completely unable to refuse an order from a superior. You find a magical walkman with a cassette tape that summons a muscular deity, or whatever that guy is supposed to be, who teaches you the sacred powers of the word “no”. From that moment on, the game is all about saying that word ad nauseum to anyone who comes near you, in a rail shooter kind of way.

Say No! More will constantly teach you new “ways” to say “no” to people, with new facial expressions and tons of satire. You’ll also learn how to perform some sarcastic remarks to irritate your coworkers, such as forced laughter and doing a snobbish golf clap. The core gist remains, however: keep saying “no” until the game tells you to stop. It’s not hard to realize how quickly this single joke wears off, right?

For a game so shallow in terms of scope, Say No! More features tons of storytelling and fully voiced cutscenes. They pretty much act as rewards for destroying everything in your path with the power of negativity. Those scenes are completely absurd, bordering on surrealism. I won’t lie, they’re so weird that they’re amusing to watch. But sadly, in order to get to them, you need to get through the aforementioned repetitive gameplay loop. Thankfully, Say No! More is a pretty short game.

There’s no denying that Say No! More is a funny game. At first, I was laughing like an idiot at its completely absurd premise. Sadly, this comedic game is a one-trick pony and its sole joke wears off after a few minutes. There’s just not a lot of substance to justify playing it for more than a few minutes at a time. That’s all you’ll do. You’ll say “no” until the game tells you to stop, or more likely, you decide to turn it off.

 

Graphics: 7.0 Say No! More features a retro art style that can best be described as “just like those wacky Japanese games from the PS1 and Dreamcast”.	Gameplay: 4.5 All you can do in the game is yell “No” in a handful of ways, occasionally accompanied by an ironic gesture. It’s funny at first, but that’s all the game has to offer.
Sound: 8.0 You’re able to say “No” in many languages and the voice acting, despite being cheesy as hell, is surprisingly funny.	Fun Factor: 4.5 It’s a really funny game, but it’s a one-trick pony. Plus its sole trick wears off very quickly. Its bizarre cutscenes are amusing to watch, however.
Final Verdict: 5.5

Say No! More is available now on PC and Switch.

Reviewed on Switch.

A copy of Say No! More was provided by the publisher.