YIIK: A Postmodern RPG

Despite stunning art direction, a kicking soundtrack, and some interesting story points, it's not an enjoyable game for the most part, thanks to its clunky combat, tedious grinding, and poor puzzle design.

YIIK might have been able to get away with some of its issues if other areas were able to pick up the slack.

Unfortunately, YIIK ultimately fails to deliver in its execution, and it's difficult to recommend for anyone that isn't willing to sit through 25 hours of drudgery for a few hours of psychedelic brilliance.

YIIK: A Postmodern RPG, sadly, never shines as brightly as it does during its opening hours. There's enjoyment to be had here, sure, especially for anyone with love for the '90s – but all of the references to Chrono Trigger and Pogs in the world can't balance out the pleasure-less battle system and overly complicated levelling up mechanics.

YIIK: A Postmodern RPG is a dazzling explosion of stylistic presentation and compelling strangeness. This might go down as “EarthBound for a new generation,” and much like EarthBound, the quality is difficult to score, since it is based less on the precision of design and more on an intangible, heartfelt payoff. While some gamers may not see anything special going on here, YIIK will likely really resonate with some players. If a Weird Stuff RPG appeals to you, strap in and prepare for a wild ride. Surreal themes aside, if you're simply looking for an RPG experience on the Switch with far-out visuals, YIIK should satisfy your turn-based desires.

An old school RPG that falls short of its ambitions in both story and gameplay.

A surreal, weird, and original RPG quite unlike anything else in the (Soul) space, YIIK's heart beats stronger than its technical shortcomings.

Despite a few wonky issues with combat at times, YIIK: A Post-Modern RPG more than succeeds in delivering a fascinating and unique tale that isn't afraid to get bizarre and humorous while still making you sympathize with its cast and keeping you on the edge of your seat.

I may have been quite late in getting to covering YIIK, but in the end, was this worth the wait and time for me, as an RPG fan and a fan of 90s games and visuals? Honestly, I did come out really enjoying the art style for its cool quirky looks, and some of the music is legitimately awesome, but on the other hand, you have a horrid battle system and some voices that sound as if they were recorded from a tin can. It’s a weird mess all around, and even now, I don’t recommend you check this out. Just buy the soundtrack if you have to get anything out of this game.

YIIK: A Postmodern RPG is certainly full of good intentions and it promises a lot in what it could turn out to be...nevertheless, intentions alone don't make a masterpiece and while its 1990s-tinged environment, its attempts at an innovative fighting system and a few of its musical tracks are certainly worthy of praise, the game drags itself for too long, feels frustrating and confusing too often and the experience is just too inconsistent for its own good. Something which could have turned out much better and whose potential can still be harnessed for something remarkable.