SuperBiasedGary
1994
I played this because it's one of the earliest visual novels and it's said to have inspired the Zero Escape games. At it's base it's a murder mystery in a ski lodge, but then it opens up to a bunch of genre shifting divergences in the flow chart. Based on early choices you can end up pivoting into a spy story, a purgatory loop, creepy pasta. It's very pulpy stuff but it's fun seeing how the pieces get reshuffled from one branch to another. And amazing to see how well realised the idea of a branching narrative was so early.
I'd love more games that do such significant tone shifts. I know that some route based games that turn up certain sliders but still ultimately fit in the same genre like Fate Stay Night. But I'd love to play more games that just totally diverge into wildly different ideas.
Sound
I'd love more games that do such significant tone shifts. I know that some route based games that turn up certain sliders but still ultimately fit in the same genre like Fate Stay Night. But I'd love to play more games that just totally diverge into wildly different ideas.
Sound
Very long and poorly paced. Having already played the Zero Escape games, those do similar things but better (even when they're also rough). The plot is fully about the twists, which get hinted at too often and too early, so none of the reveals really hit. They were just a relief as each reveal brought me closer to the end.
2015
Solid puzzle game, good aesthetic but pretty disposable.
(not yet finished, may play more)
Good stories wrapped in bad systems. I'd rather a more visual novel or 80 Days style interface. I don't feel like the travel adds to my understanding of the sprawling country. And the fireside chats where I need to produce the "right" story are an exercise in failing forward. I don't remember what the tone of half my stories are, sometimes I have nothing that fits and sometimes my read on the stories is just wrong anyway. Nevertheless I make progress despite repeated failures, why not make it more conversational at that point?
Good stories wrapped in bad systems. I'd rather a more visual novel or 80 Days style interface. I don't feel like the travel adds to my understanding of the sprawling country. And the fireside chats where I need to produce the "right" story are an exercise in failing forward. I don't remember what the tone of half my stories are, sometimes I have nothing that fits and sometimes my read on the stories is just wrong anyway. Nevertheless I make progress despite repeated failures, why not make it more conversational at that point?
2012
The opening 2 hours couldn't have done a better job of putting me off. It was clear that this was more ME2, rather than the ME1 I loved.