LISA: The PAINFUL

2023 October -- Originally published in Issue 67 of Exploits by Unwinnable

Throughout LISA: The Painful, players are faced with choices that challenge their moral principles, often leading to a sense of emptiness and disappointment. The woeful protagonist, Brad Armstrong, represents weakness at its climax while his daughter, Buddy Armstrong, is the product of that weakness. Brad neglects her, then later on she’s kidnapped and abused by her captors. In the world of Olathe, Brad’s journey reconvenes the theme of restoration in a shiny red bow, only to be trampled by the weight of disparity and desperation. In a world where survival is not seen as a priority, and fulfillment justifies the means to an end, it's easy to see why various characters are maddened and depressed.

Addiction to that fulfillment comes in the form of pills called "JOY," which allow whoever takes them to feel nothing. And taking enough of it turns users into freakishly grotesque mutants. The gravitation to that sensation of "nothing" is to break the moral compass, and certain decisions in that world feel unbearable when considering the emotional challenges and backstories that these characters have done to cope with their reality. JOY makes irrational decisions relative to time, where if characters question the impact of their acts it leads to a slow cause and effect – with the latter embracing violent tendencies to make their emotional baggage disappear.

Another subject to highlight is the absence of femininity, which signifies the loss of innocence and lack of trust to cultivate primal nature. Laced with sweat, killings and showboating, the world shows the disconnect of masculinity between expression and status. In Olathe, several characters crossdress – such as Terry and Queen Roger – to portray their idealized femininity from a masculine perspective. However, authentic emotional connections are limited and overshadowed by a sense of control because it is seen as a sign of weakness. The idea that emotions can only be expressed through a feminine point of view amplifies men's loss of control over their masculinity. It creates an area for toxic masculine traits to bloom, sowing the seeds for the destruction of the human psyche and the growth of selfish desires.

Survivability influences the melancholy nature of temptation in Olathe and becomes what fosters lunacy. Buddy is hunted for a hopeful reset of the world because her existence is the "hope" they desire. This escalates further when players realize that they have to be the face of a loving parent and a resilient guardian, but the game reminds the player that Brad is none of those things. The saying goes, "Monsters will breed monsters," and that compliments the state of Olathe where purposeful tasks become pointless. Consequences are permanent and allude to the negative connotation of grit despite trying to make light of a situation. Brad may be protecting his daughter from danger, but how far will he go and how will the world of Olathe affect the personal development of Buddy?

Trauma, self-hatred and depression can have lifelong effects and hinder one’s ability to recover, so Brad may label himself as "weak" due to societal pressure to fix unfixable things. That ultimately leads to him being a prisoner to his regrets – an imperfect person.