An experimental first person permadeath adventure set in the post-industrial wreckage of a Midwestern town. It is concerned with crisis and mythic violence in the twilight of idols, and with the terrible grace of the wretched world to come.
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seems like a solid prototype for harlequin fair, but i played this after the sequel and couldn't get past a couple of runs. permadeath with the slow loading screens kinda pulled my focus away from learning the AI; if i want more of this, i think i'll just replay harlequin fair.
One of my all time faves. First game to ever make me feel physically ill
The only way out is through
I think the idea of basically condensing Pathologic's formula into a shortform roguelike is a really compelling one- a game filled with slow, deliberate walking in a sinister town works just fine when the actions of the other actors in its story are somewhat predictable and won't change from game to game, but here the lies you're fed and who's plotting against you change each playthrough, which leads to even the quieter moments feeling incredibly tense. At any time, one of the other "knights" could round a corner and gun you down before you can draw your weapon, abruptly erasing all your progress because he thinks you're hiding an item he needs. It's impossible to shake the paranoia the game engenders, and it perfectly puts you into the mindset of the terrified, violent cosplaying weirdos you're up against, and that the game forces you to become one of.
walking sim art game shit compared to Harlequin Fair. cannot wait to see what Garden makes next.