The most interesting chapters were the ones that deviated from these the most or excluded them entirely. Combat controls were awful, so much of the exploration felt like it was meandering, and they often happened one after another with little story explanation on why it was necessary.
While I’m usually someone who implicitly hates fetch quests, everything about the execution felt clunky. Bendy and the Ink Machine falls into the nasty habit of tiresome fetch quests–at a point, even making a joke directed at themselves likely due to criticism. Speaking of repetitive, it’s difficult not to bring up the level design. But none of that happens - unlike Cuphead, the visuals remain largely the same and never enticed me to keep going to see what’s next. It would be cool to find a segment of the map untouched by the Ink Machine or to see an area designed with more disturbing animation styles as you sink further and further into the depths of the cursed studio. Though Joey Drew Studios takes more considerable risks when it comes to gameplay modifications, the same crates, enemies, and set pieces stick around throughout. Though this is all a significant draw from the get-go, visually things remain stagnant in each recurring Chapter. Hopefully, Joey Drew Studios’ newfound success will allow their sophomore project to go outside of these limitations. While the console versions of the game come with all the Chapters available right away, episodes still seem like they hinder the delivery of the story. However, like many other episodic games, Joey Drew Studios’ title is ill-served by the episodic format with lackluster pacing and often segments that don’t add to the plot or end on uncomfortable cliffhangers.
The story is likely the strongest component of Bendy and the Ink Machine, with the intro and the ending being notable highlights to the series. “Few indie games are able to command the internet’s attention on the level that Bendy and the Ink Machine has.” The products of this Ink Machine were monstrous, ranging from puddle-like demons to twisted versions of Bendy and his compatriots. Even worse, everyone and everything is gone, with BioShock-like audio tapes discussing the creation of an Ink Machine that breathes life into cartoon characters–a last-ditch effort by the Walt Disney-esque Joey Drew to keep his studio financially afloat. The walls, floors, and environment is cartoony and sepia tint, just like the Bendy cartoons themselves.
However, everything is wrong when you (playing as the creating animator Henry Stein) enter the studio. If you want a quick idea of what these Golden Age animations look like, look no further than some of Joey Drew Studios’ produced footage of a Bendy cartoon: The studio, which once produced massively-popular, Fleischer-like animations of the titular cartoon character Bendy. If you are new to the episodic game and its recent console release, Bendy and the Ink Machine takes place in the shuttered remains of Joey Drew Studios (not to be confused with the developer who shares the same name). However, unlike the previously-listed games, developer Joey Drew Studios’ Bendy and the Ink Machine is a lackluster experience–albeit one that is still worth playing. Doki Doki Literature Club, Five Nights at Freddy’s, and Undertale certainly make the list, but something about Bendy, the game’s Golden Age art style, and the elaborate horror story underneath has flooded store shelves and YouTube channels. Few indie games are able to command the internet’s attention on the level that Bendy and the Ink Machine has.
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