Dang this shit is like Earthbound meets David Lynch on freakin' crack!
...but for real, I think I respect this game a lot more than I actually connected with it. The music and backgrounds really do come together to create an atmosphere pretty unlike anything else in the medium, and I was surprised how many frightening or disturbing moments were made just through having unsettling little RPG maker sprites shuffling around. More broadly it's fascinating how so much is done with so little, the game's lack of any real guidance, looping environments, and seemingly random events provide a great sense of dreamlike msytery.
Speaking of mystery - the metanarrative surrounding the game is certainly just as interesting as the game itself. It's not often a work is both as anonymous and ambiguous as this one. Part of it's lasting reputation is I think in part due to this - we'll probably never get any sort of definitive authorial statement on "what it all means." I think this is a good thing. Whether you're trying to derive the author's intent or simply take away whatever meaning jumps out at you personally, the obtuse nature of the game forces you to really think critically to arrive at your own conclusions, which is often more powerful than having the answers handed to you.
But that's also where Yume Nikki fell a bit short for me. The game is so vague that while it did get me thinking about the various themes presented therein (in my reading focusing on social isolation, depression, body dysmorphia, and suicide), I never really felt the game was saying much of anything about these things. For that reason it didn't really evoke any strong emotional reactions in me, I felt at a distance from the clearly very intensely felt pain of it's author. I think my opinion could change over time on even this though, and I only see this game getting more respect from me the more I dwell on it, even if I don't quite ever get that emotional connection (though that could still happen too!)
With all that being said, I'd still recommend this to anyone, if only to broaden their horizons as to what games can be artistically. While it didn't hit with me personally I absolutely could see it doing so for many and from a game design perspective I think a lot can be learned from the ways this game that clearly isn't "fun" manages to keep people so invested. I'm very glad I took the time to experience this.
...but for real, I think I respect this game a lot more than I actually connected with it. The music and backgrounds really do come together to create an atmosphere pretty unlike anything else in the medium, and I was surprised how many frightening or disturbing moments were made just through having unsettling little RPG maker sprites shuffling around. More broadly it's fascinating how so much is done with so little, the game's lack of any real guidance, looping environments, and seemingly random events provide a great sense of dreamlike msytery.
Speaking of mystery - the metanarrative surrounding the game is certainly just as interesting as the game itself. It's not often a work is both as anonymous and ambiguous as this one. Part of it's lasting reputation is I think in part due to this - we'll probably never get any sort of definitive authorial statement on "what it all means." I think this is a good thing. Whether you're trying to derive the author's intent or simply take away whatever meaning jumps out at you personally, the obtuse nature of the game forces you to really think critically to arrive at your own conclusions, which is often more powerful than having the answers handed to you.
But that's also where Yume Nikki fell a bit short for me. The game is so vague that while it did get me thinking about the various themes presented therein (in my reading focusing on social isolation, depression, body dysmorphia, and suicide), I never really felt the game was saying much of anything about these things. For that reason it didn't really evoke any strong emotional reactions in me, I felt at a distance from the clearly very intensely felt pain of it's author. I think my opinion could change over time on even this though, and I only see this game getting more respect from me the more I dwell on it, even if I don't quite ever get that emotional connection (though that could still happen too!)
With all that being said, I'd still recommend this to anyone, if only to broaden their horizons as to what games can be artistically. While it didn't hit with me personally I absolutely could see it doing so for many and from a game design perspective I think a lot can be learned from the ways this game that clearly isn't "fun" manages to keep people so invested. I'm very glad I took the time to experience this.