Dealing with life with the few ways we know how

The world can feel like a soul crushing place from time to time. Financial burdens, losing loved ones, failing to be accepted into society and dreams being crushed can bring despair into the soul but the reprieve from it all is far fewer. For the people of the experimental Glitch City, there's not much but VA-11 HALL-A. A small hole in the wall where we take the role of Jill, thickheaded but earnest bartender. VA-11 HALL-A really nails its intentions with incredible pixel art reminiscent of old japanese adventure titles, a soundtrack that perfectly encapsulates the joyous and bleak times to be had in a bar, with great characters that each have their own story of making it through this cyberpunk dystopian world.

The music and the art would be all fluff without the story and characters and that's the pièce de résistance here. Jill has her own problems and is a fully realized character herself with her own arc and her own reactions and experiences to what the regulars will convey to her on a daily basis. The only times you'll choose what she says isn't purely from speech but from the drinks you make your patrons. Everyone has their own story especially in Glitch City and everyone that comes in VA-11 HALL-A comes from all walks of life. Rich women to grizzled mercenaries, it's up to you to serve them the right drinks and listen to their woes. The amount of characters you'll see is surprising but I think the variety and intricacies of each one is what made the game engaging and not boring to read at times. Jill does have her own arc that coincides with being the main story in how she deals with it but I feel like everyone's stories almost holds as much weight as well.

Using a tagline from the likes of the Metal Gear Solid series, Cyberpunk Bartender Action is accurate in some sense. The game essentially plays out like a visual novel in many ways one would expect with mixing drinks blended in too. Some regulars will make it easy to make the drink they want from just telling you which drink they want specifically and looking it up in the recipe book to being extremely vague and giving you a specific taste or feel they want. You have complete freedom in whatever drink you want to make and some drinks give you secrets, unique dialogue and so forth. Be sure to do your job well too if you want your bills paid as there is a reason to spend money when you finish a shift. Returning to your home, you'll have a variety of options before going back to work. Reading the Augmented Eye which acts as general news for the world you're in or danger/u/ which acts like a 4chan equivalent in the world without the images. Jill can also buy some things for her apartment at JC Elton's, a store that sells a variety of stuff and useful if you want to keep Jill focused throughout the game. Like some people sometimes, there's something you want that you can't keep your mind off of and unless you get it, you can't focus on much else. Failing to get something for the day will make Jill completely forget her orders at work with no way to remember so something to keep in mind. Nonetheless this is a relaxing experience through and through with little to worry about. Take your time, the game wants as much for you to take it easy just like the patrons of VA-11 HALL-A does.

The cyberpunk pixel aesthetic is nailed here with how detailed your work area is, how detailed each character is from cybernetic enhancement on some of them to how their expressions are in response to several things. Always a pleasure looking at the game and just as much of a pleasure as it is to listen to it too. Everyday when Jill starts her shift and when she comes back from her break is when she can adjust the jukebox is a surprising form of player expression. I went for the happier and upbeat music early on and as the game was nearing its end and arcs were mostly being resolved is when I put on a bit more melancholic and somber music to fit the mood. An outstanding soundtrack that I found it hard to really dislike any of the songs and with the choice of what you want to listen to during your shift really helps this.

Saying goodbye to this world is pretty tough especially when you serve some of your favorite regulars for the last time considering you'll never see them again, fully resolved to continue on. Life will continue on in this world with or without us and we can only hope the best for the people there and in our own too. A relaxing experience set in a cyberpunk dystopian world viewed through the eyes of a bartender. Things are never pretty completely set in reality but it's nice to have own little heaven to escape to, our own little VA-11 HALL-A.