I found out about the LISA series at a pretty young age, so much so that I knew I wouldn't be allowed to play the game, nor did I know how to download it or its fangames. However, I did consume a lot of content about it on YouTube, and that led me here all those years ago.

Finally, in the year of our savior 2024, I played Hopeful, and my god it is JUST as good as NitroRad made it out to be all those years ago. 

The humor, art and music perfectly capture the unabashed awkwardness of the original game, while maintaining a uniqueness that separates it from Painful, giving forth its own ideas and character that adds to the spectacle of the game.

One thing I am particularly impressed with is the games ability to make me feel for the main trio. LISA The Painful is as described, painful, and really hits you in the gut to the point that I'm throwing up my own tears. Although Hopeful is less Painful (haha), it surprised me during its more somber moments, especially around the end. Lanks' last scene really surprised me, despite my exposure to scenes from Painful.

The only criticism I could give to this game is that at times, you can feel a little directionless. In Painful, it's rather linear to get from one area to the next, with small detours here and there, but for Hopeful I was often left a little confused as to where to head next. Also the game is quite difficult in some areas, though I see this less a flaw and moreso a feature of the LISA "genre." 

Finally, ugh, the characters- The dynamics at play between Beltboy, Liam and Cyclops feel so realistic to me, the tiny disagreements that bubble into something more, the instant regrets, etc. It's so wonderfully done. Beltboy is a really charming character, and I feel like his attack sprites give him SO much personality. I love it all.

All in all, I'm so glad that after 7 years of this game sitting dormant in my brain, that I was able to play it! Thank you so much for this labor of love <3