Kyle is Famous: Complete Edition [Nintendo Switch] | REVIEW

It’s a little bit difficult to review a game like Kyle is Famous: Complete Edition. It’s text-based, it’s weird, and it can definitely feel a little repetitive, but it’s also genuinely funny and brings with it some preposterous situations that will make you want to keep playing. It has been available on the PC since 2019 in its original form, but it’s now available as the ‘Complete Edition’ on the Nintendo Switch. Is it worth checking out or is Kyle’s life one that you should stay the hell out of?

Check out a gallery of screenshots down below:

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Kyle is Famous: Complete Edition puts players in the role of Kyle, a successful TV host that’s about to interview a very special guest. Of course, he has to prepare for this interview and make sure he’s in ship-shape to perform on the night, so it’s up to the player to lead him through his day by making individual choices. With thirty hours to work through (I don’t know how long days last in Kyle’s world?!) and each choice taking up an hour of his time, it’s up to the player to think creatively to make this interview Kyle’s greatest yet.

At its core, Kyle is Famous: Complete Edition is a text-based adventure, with cards of text on display in the centre of the screen and Kyle’s options displaying around them. There’ll occasionally be extra images on the screen to help illustrate the weird tone and there are some colourful backgrounds on display to add a bit more vibrancy to the game, but yeah, it’s mostly reading and clicking boxes. It is worth pointing out that the main story is narrated though, which is expertly done in an almost deadpan kinda way that feels befitting of the wackiness of the experience.

“Kyle is Famous: Complete Edition puts players in the role of Kyle, a successful TV host that’s about to interview a very special guest. Of course, he has to prepare for this interview and make sure he’s in ship-shape to perform on the night, so it’s up to the player to lead him through his day by making individual choices.”

Whilst that might not sound like the most thrilling of concepts to most gamers, it’s the absurdity of Kyle is Famous: Complete Edition that makes it so entertaining to play. See, Kyle’s choices aren’t your typical sort; the first option you make in the game sees you deciding whether you want to ‘Exit the Bed’ or ‘Wither Away’, so you can literally die from the get-go. Alternatively, you can either prepare yourself a nice breakfast or just eat the whole f*****g fridge. That’s right, you can EAT THE FRIDGE and then follow up on it by eating your neighbour. The end result? You’ll end up throwing up during the interview, of course.

It’s clear then that it’s a really, really, REALLY, weird game, but it’s one that becomes addictive to play thanks to the fact that your choices actually matter and can affect Kyle’s further options. For example, if you let yourself die in bed at the start you will become a ghost, which allows you to simply float through locked doors. Handy, right? Alternatively, if you spy on your neighbour, you’ll find out her secret identity as a superhero and can use it against her. These are just some of the early options you can make too, with the game getting weirder and weirder the more you play.

“Kyle’s choices aren’t your typical sort; the first option you make in the game sees you deciding whether you want to ‘Exit the Bed’ or ‘Wither Away’, so you can literally die from the get-go.”

There are 117 endings available in total, with each spread across the different scenarios you find yourself in. Don’t eat breakfast at the start of the day? You’ll pass out during the interview. Forget to put on clothes? No one wants to be interviewed by a nudist. Prepare plenty of worthwhile questions? The interview will go well… sort of. There are plenty of different ways that your choices will shape the story and it almost feels like a puzzle game at times as you try to work out which ones you need to choose in order to unlock endings you haven’t achieved yet. You’ll also unlock new options as you progress through the game, with Kyle is Famous: Complete Edition expanding much further than simply preparing for an interview by the time you’re done with it.

I haven’t seen everything that the game has to offer yet, but I still find myself laughing at the absurdity of it. I think I’ve made it clear already that it’s an utterly ridiculous game, but it still finds way to keep making me chuckle as I unlock more and more endings. It’s rarely clever in its approach, but the outright silliness still offers PLENTY of entertainment.

“There are plenty of different ways that your choices will shape the story and it almost feels like a puzzle game at times as you try to work out which ones you need to choose in order to unlock endings you haven’t achieved yet.”

Still, there were times where I found the game a little repetitive, especially when recycling through familiar options over and over again to make small changes. Whilst the game does let you skip through some sections, you’ll still do a lot of the same things as a means to try and unlock additional endings or to change different aspects of your day. It’s not a big problem, especially since you can complete a playthrough in minutes, but it does mean that Kyle is Famous: Complete Edition is better to play in smaller bursts.

One thing I will say is that Kyle is Famous: Complete Edition feels perfect for the Nintendo Switch. Playing it for fifteen minutes or so at a time on handheld mode felt like a great way to experience the game and I’ve found myself coming back for more over the last few nights as I try to grab some extra endings – it’s something I can see occurring on a regular basis until I FINALLY get them all.

Developer: John Szymanski
Publisher: New Blood Interactive
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), PC
Website: https://newblood.games/kyle