I mean really, have we succeeded in the field of psychological themes in video games past this point? Every single detail is so planned out despite it all feeling incredibly casual, and it all acts as a reflection of every one of the main character's subconscious. And, like, yeah, everyone has said this, but seriously, it's every detail. Corpses wearing certain clothing, certain camera angles on characters, what seem like innocuous props for a scene having perfect thematic purpose for being there, the interactions between James and the others, it all flows perfectly from one scene to the next as a downward spiral into one's own psyche. Beyond that, this game deserves all the praise in the world for handling topics like familial abuse, sexuality, bullying, suicide, and morality with more finesse than a vast majority of contemporary games claiming to do so. James, Angela, and Eddie don't feel like mouthpieces to show how "caring" the developers are, they feel like real, tangible people who are going through their own struggles the same as you. Perfect game, perfect story, perfect characters, perfect atmosphere, perfect music, passable combat, and maybe my vote for best video game ever made. It really doesn't get much better than this, man.

Reviewed on Oct 19, 2022


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