It is borderline impossible to play to a T without a beaming smile plastered across your face the entire time. This is one of the most joyous, feel-good games on PS5, and all it takes is a teenager stuck in a permanent T-pose.
From the Katamari creator Keita Takahashi and his team at Uvula, the quirky adventure is a bit like Heavy Rain — yet simplified, even more eccentric, and with a dash of song and dance. You follow Teen and their dog as the two navigate life in the form of a letter T.
The story explores how Teen became the shape they are while they attend school and turn bullies into friends. In terms of how you assist them along that journey, it’s all about helping them perform everyday tasks, from going to the toilet and brushing their teeth to eating breakfast and picking out the best pair of shoes for school.
Simple button presses bring those activities to life, and then you explore a small town either on foot or riding a unicycle. The game guides you from one scene to the next, but you do have the freedom to tour a few blocks and meet more unusual characters and partake in bizarre activities.
The general gameplay loop is enjoyable, but it’s the interactions, music, presentation, and narrative surrounding it that truly elevate the experience. to a T is a complete joy to play across its roughly five-hour runtime. From the moment the theme song kicks in at the start of each episode, you’re guaranteed one strange situation after another. It’s the best type of weird there is.
Some objectives can prove slightly too peculiar, resulting in struggles to work out what to do next. You also don’t have any camera control, which makes finding your way a struggle as the perspective becomes too tight on Teen. This can make it very difficult to see where you’re going.
These are, however, minor blemishes on a truly delightful undertaking. No matter how outlandish the plot gets, it remains close to home with messages to embrace who you are — especially through the difficult teenage years.
From one odd scenario to the next, to a T manages to be just as quirky and ludicrous as it is personal and touching. The overriding emotion, though, is one of joy. to a T is the perfect pick-me-up, guaranteed to make you smile no matter the circumstances.