We’ve all seen it, right? The ‘This is fine’ meme and its subsequent ‘This is not fine’ counter? Most likely. Do you know much about it? Unlikely. In short, the meme comes from a webcomic from the 1940s, or as historians like to put it, about 10 years ago. To make a game about a meme? That’s disastrous, right? Well, that is kinda the presence for This Is Fine: Maximum Cope, published by Numskull Games (Final Vendetta)
This has been out for a couple of months now, but it only recently hit my inbox after reaching out. I was intrigued. I didn’t know anything about Question Hound, but fully aware of the meme, and liking the Cartoon Network/Adult Swim vibe, it seemed like a no-brainer to give it a look. Is it fine? Yes. Depending on how much weight you put on fine.
As Question Hound, you find yourself in that predicament of danger and not necessarily oblivious to it, but vocally stimming that everything will be ok, when in reality, it’s the end. Interestingly, the original web comic was tied to mental health, so this makes sense. For those without empathy and impervious rhino skin who assume this is going to be gloomy, it’s not.
This Is Fine: Maximum Cope shares a bunk bed with The Perfect Pencil, or, earlier, The Company Man. The artwork and animation are great, giving off those 90s vibes in a way that feels quite wacky yet personal. The label does say that this is a Metroidvania, and while it isn’t fast-paced, I’d nod my head to the categorisation. Yes, that is fine. It feels like a Metroidvania. From a platforming perspective, there’s a reasonable amount of precision aspects, which is key, as you do need to rely on this for puzzle-related jumping, though I wasn’t as keen on the combat.
Question Hound is a simple mutt to begin with. He’ll punch and jump with acceptable response times, but I have to say that being able to turn on command was as welcome as a dog egg. I’d often peer below before jumping down (fall damage is a thing), timing my landing to snuggle in next to an enemy, to then whip around and thump them. However, there was frequently a lag when turning in combat, and it resulted in some sloppy corrective measures. Unfortunately for me, this is where the Metroidvania kicks in, as the damage you take is quite harsh. Despite the turning circles, platforming was mostly good, and the basic attacks were responsive, just paired with sudden movements; it didn’t work. This is key in boss battles, too.
Boss battles, in my opinion, are pretty decent and more fair than some of the basic encounters. There’s a reasonable window to learn their moves and work out each boss phase, making it doable when making allowances for the turning lag. Naturally, these battles are even more restrictive if starting with minimal health, but there are frequent rest spots to recuperate it, though the ‘vials’ in the game are coffee cups. When facing imminent doom, swig back a coffee and everything will be fine. This Is Fine. Anyways, coffee cups are consumables, stacked back up through the coffee beans you collect, which also serve as currency for buying upgrades to your arsenal.
Like similar titles, This Is Fine: Maximum Cope awards the player with new skills after boss battles that grant access to new areas, or to be able to unlock sometimes missable goodies. One of the things I liked most about the game wasn’t solely the art and animation, but the concept of each stage. Instead of an ice world, desert shenanigans, or urban setting, these biomes represent parts of Question Hound’s psyche – from humilation to regret, and paired with your conscience represented by an angel and devil respectively, though short on the narrative weave, this was a decent premise, and for that reason, I have to say that the lasting opinion was that This Is Fine: Maximum Cope is indeed fine. My only reservation would be the lag I experienced.
