Banban’s Back
I am both relieved and disappointed.
With the release of Garten of Banban 7, Xbox has reached parity with PC in terms of releases. For the time being, this is the last one to come out for a while. Some six games in and I now have to wait for the next one. Relieved then in the sense that I can take a break from this fever dream of a game that has varied wildly in terms of quality.
But disappointed because I need answers. And once again, Garten of Banban 7 poses more questions that are left unanswered.
After the shocking events of Garten of Banban 6, any tense alliances have completely fallen and you find yourself alone. Albeit for a short period, because it isn’t long before yet another new character is introduced with very little backstory. This is Syringeon, a doctor-like character with four arms, surgery tools attached to each. And he is this sickly pink colour. As usual, it isn’t made clear if you can trust him, but you are forced into doing so anyways.
The Doctor Will See You Now
And with a new character comes a new area, once again not in keeping with what you would expect to find in a kindergarten. This time around it is a small-town area, complete with apartments, shops, a theatre and a bar. You will be exploring all these areas in the 60 – 90 minutes it takes to complete this instalment.
Syringeon tells you of the plan to defeat Sir Dadadoo, but to do so you need to find Jumbo Josh who hasn’t been seen for a while. There are a number of informants found around the town area that can help you find what you need in order to find Jumbo Josh. But finding that is never straight forward.
As usual with Garten of Banban games, there are set pieces to ratchet up the tension, and credit where credit is due, they typically do just that. However, this time around they feel a bit copy and paste from previous titles. One moment has you being chased by two birds along a long corridor that is anything but tense. Other sections involve Naughtified versions of previous enemies doing the same as before. After seemingly hitting its stride in Garten of Banban 4 and 6 (remember Garten of Banban 5 doesn’t exist), this new issue suddenly feels like it is running out of steam.
Garten of Banban 7 Delivers a Gut-Punching Moment
But, and I can’t believe I am about to say this, Garten of Banban isn’t afraid to hit you with some emotion too. These are characters we’ve spent a lot of time with, and for all the backstabbing and U-turns that go on, there is still a certain affinity to a lot of them. Banbaleena can get in the bin though. After a particularly tense chase sequence there is a moment of real emotion and one of my favourite parts of the series so far.
By the end of the game though, once again I am questioning my choices. Not just who can actually be trusted in the kindergarten, but also why I am six games deep into a series and still clueless as to what is really going on with no end in sight. The final moments of Garten of Banban 7 feature another betrayal and another new character introduced. Effective as it is in terms of setting up the next game, it does still feel that the end is further away than ever.
Fiendish Achievement Incoming
And a word of warning for achievement hunters: Normally, these games are generous in their Gamerscore but Garten of Banban 7 features one of the most nefarious achievements I have ever come across. A section towards the end of the game will require you to memorise silhouettes of some of the characters you’ve encountered. The first two are easy enough. The final one that you need for the achievement features around 20 silhouettes, all shown in rapid succession. You get one attempt at it for the achievement. It is nearly impossible to do it with the naked eye.
Directly following this puzzle is a section ripped liberally from another horror game. If I was to say to you Resident Evil 8 and baby, many of you are already conjuring up some disturbing memories.
A Step Backwards with a Glimmer of Hope
Unfortunately, Garten of Banban 7 is a step backwards for the series. It features a few too many sections that feel similar to previous entries; generic chase sequences and a school-like situation. It has an exciting conclusion, but once again that comes at the cost of really progressing the story. That said, it’s tough to overlook the emotional gut punch that occurs halfway through. This is easily one of the best moments in the entire series, and if you have played the others, this moment alone is worth the admission fee.
Non-Scary Links
Garten of Banban 7 Crawls onto Xbox: The Kindergarten’s Creepiest Chapter Yet? – https://www.thexboxhub.com/garten-of-banban-7-crawls-onto-xbox-the-kindergartens-creepiest-chapter-yet/
Buy Garten of Banban 7 on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/garten-of-banban-7/9NPQPZLXH8B7
