One of the best cases for video games are art. Extremely moving story revelations, had literal shivers down my spine multiple times. I was on edge the entire last 2 hours of the game. After the game wraps up the only thing you want to do is go hug your loved ones. And if making you feel intense emotions, causing you to want to take real action in your life, and making you contemplate a message for hours or days after experiencing a piece isn't art, then I don't know what is.
The art style works on multiple levels. The mix of 8bit graphics and hand drawn pieces in between gives the game this uncomfortable nostalgia as if you're trying to remember the past but in a way that you want to, not in a way that the past actually was, which serves the story well. Going in I thought the horror elements would be more at the forefront, but they were less scary horror and more psychological damage horror. There are a few jump scares, but the breakdown of the video game medium is used to make many parts of the game feel extremely uncomfortable.
The music is fun upbeat and catchy during the bright sections, somber and wistful when referencing pleasant memories, and intentionally ear bleed inducing when facing the darker topics. Very well designed audio for what is intended, not a soundtrack I'd listen to outside of the game though.
Biggest complaint is length and accessibility. It's pacing is not great, to say the least. I'd say the game is almost twice as long as it needs to be to convey the same message it sets out to. I'd honestly have a really hard time suggesting anyone play this. I'm surprised the BL review score is so high since I'd imagine this game is extremely divisive and bounces off many people HARD. It's a game I'm glad I played and I'll continue to mull over for the next few days, but it's not something I would say I "enjoyed" or would ever play again.
The art style works on multiple levels. The mix of 8bit graphics and hand drawn pieces in between gives the game this uncomfortable nostalgia as if you're trying to remember the past but in a way that you want to, not in a way that the past actually was, which serves the story well. Going in I thought the horror elements would be more at the forefront, but they were less scary horror and more psychological damage horror. There are a few jump scares, but the breakdown of the video game medium is used to make many parts of the game feel extremely uncomfortable.
The music is fun upbeat and catchy during the bright sections, somber and wistful when referencing pleasant memories, and intentionally ear bleed inducing when facing the darker topics. Very well designed audio for what is intended, not a soundtrack I'd listen to outside of the game though.
Biggest complaint is length and accessibility. It's pacing is not great, to say the least. I'd say the game is almost twice as long as it needs to be to convey the same message it sets out to. I'd honestly have a really hard time suggesting anyone play this. I'm surprised the BL review score is so high since I'd imagine this game is extremely divisive and bounces off many people HARD. It's a game I'm glad I played and I'll continue to mull over for the next few days, but it's not something I would say I "enjoyed" or would ever play again.