creating a realistic emotional core is difficult, especially in video games. a major perk of the spectator of the story having some input is the connection the player creates, but that connection is hard to upkeep when the player can also... be wrong, or worse, purposely try to wreak havoc.
coffee talk takes a pretty novel approach to this dilemma. you take the role of a spectator as a spectator. kind of a spectator inception. the fun of the game is creating the drinks that you see the characters drink, how those drinks may change based on a character's development, and watching them grow alongside their coffee.
now, the problem with this approach is easy to see; by allowing the story to run its course naturally, the player has very little actual input into how the story moves along; you have to fuck up pretty bad before anything truly consequential happens. this makes, y'know... playing the game... not all that fun at times. it all hinges on the writing, which, granted, is very good, but 4 hours of TV with some coffee-making in between can only keep my attention for so long.
i'm cool with games taking some agency from me. i like RPGs, where most of the time, you're just someone playing a preset role in a larger scheme. coffee talk takes that concept of a preset role and dials it up to 11. RPGs give you some agency - there is still a game to be played, and a good story is only part of that. coffee talk feels less like a game and more like an interactive movie, like the old king's quest/night trap-type games. i'm sure that this approach works better for other people, but i just don't mess with it.
now, the reason i still enjoy this game is the excellent writing. there's a great emotional core here, the intertwining stories work together perfectly, and your player-character isn't a personality-less void. all that contributes to a rock-solid narrative that, despite the actual game trying its hardest to stop it, creates an engaging experience.
i complained a lot during this review, but that doesn't mean i dislike this game; my rating should show that. this game is still fun, and has some of the most mature and well-written stories of the last decade. just go in with different expectations than i did; get in the mindset of watching TV or a movie instead of a video game. you'll enjoy it much more that way.
coffee talk takes a pretty novel approach to this dilemma. you take the role of a spectator as a spectator. kind of a spectator inception. the fun of the game is creating the drinks that you see the characters drink, how those drinks may change based on a character's development, and watching them grow alongside their coffee.
now, the problem with this approach is easy to see; by allowing the story to run its course naturally, the player has very little actual input into how the story moves along; you have to fuck up pretty bad before anything truly consequential happens. this makes, y'know... playing the game... not all that fun at times. it all hinges on the writing, which, granted, is very good, but 4 hours of TV with some coffee-making in between can only keep my attention for so long.
i'm cool with games taking some agency from me. i like RPGs, where most of the time, you're just someone playing a preset role in a larger scheme. coffee talk takes that concept of a preset role and dials it up to 11. RPGs give you some agency - there is still a game to be played, and a good story is only part of that. coffee talk feels less like a game and more like an interactive movie, like the old king's quest/night trap-type games. i'm sure that this approach works better for other people, but i just don't mess with it.
now, the reason i still enjoy this game is the excellent writing. there's a great emotional core here, the intertwining stories work together perfectly, and your player-character isn't a personality-less void. all that contributes to a rock-solid narrative that, despite the actual game trying its hardest to stop it, creates an engaging experience.
i complained a lot during this review, but that doesn't mean i dislike this game; my rating should show that. this game is still fun, and has some of the most mature and well-written stories of the last decade. just go in with different expectations than i did; get in the mindset of watching TV or a movie instead of a video game. you'll enjoy it much more that way.