VA-11 Hall-A really is a unique game in its genre. Cyberpunk is a very unique genre to stand the test of time with its pronounced cynicism and brutalist worldbuilding. It's an awesome way to look at the less-than-ideal parts of our ever-evolving technological society. But one thing frequently lost in the translation is the little details of it all. Sure, cyberpunk stories are filled with bounty hunters, ne'er-do-wells on the edge of society, cybernetic gunfights, and all manner of crime and debauchery. But surely there is some life in these worlds of technological decay.
VA-11 HALL-A perfectly captures that niche. You get everything it describes: chill vibes at a bar with serving drinks to strangers. The worldbuilding that goes into VA-11 HALL-A's world is comprehensive and unique, explaining enough through diegetic storytelling to fill out its spaces while leaving so much mystery and intrigue in the bizarre dystopia on offer. It expertly mixes pessimism with optimism, futuristic folly with humanist realism. It's comfy while also not shying away from being honest and real. It can serve as an oasis while most of its peers in the genre which focus way too hard to look and seem cool and aesthetic; VA-11 HALL-A earns its coolness through simple, earnest writing and presentation.
In terms of gameplay, VA-11 HALL-A is unfortunate a bit sparse. The whole mechanical appeal is that of being able to mix up cocktails for your guests. Some ask for particular drinks, which you can whip up easy enough; others force you into a puzzle where you have to tease out what they might want from you with vague language. It's all, on the whole, quite easy, and you won't find much struggle. The simplicity of the system is also part of the games downfall. The mechanic itself is fun at first, but can become extremely simple. There's not enough variety. I'm not even sure if the game NEEDS more variety, but it definitely emphasizes the drudgery of a day job well. The issue is that while a game like Paper's, Please is able to refine that drudgery into a compelling experience of choice and consequence, VA-11 HALL-A never really goes that extra mile, leaving it with a lack of variety.
The game also struggles due to the presentation of its narrative. While it is super dense and enjoyable basically the entire way through, there are some portions where the game really lags. I'd find myself kind of annoyed that the various characters are rambling on. This is a weird sensation, since character dialogue is the whole foundation of the visual novel portion of this game, so that should be the whole appeal. Perhaps its the casual language, perhaps its that some of the conversations can drag due to that casualness, or perhaps there were some characters I resonated with more than others, but it does give the sensation of narrative padding. Again, it's not that I didn't love it, because I did. It's just a feeling of frustration that was interspersed in my playthrough that I can't fully explain. Maybe it's the minimalist art-style, the lack of voice acting (I prefer the lack of voice-acting, personally), or some other factor. But it is something I did note.
But there is nothing more negative to be said here. If you're coming into this looking for a unique mechanical experience, you'll probably be let down. But if you're here for the narrative experience, for a really good story with fantastic and unique characters that are very well fleshed out and all seem to stand on their own effortlessly, you're in the right place. The soundtrack is a banger that will earworm its way into your mind for days, and the nuance of the world presented is one that will linger for weeks onward. It really captures the genre at its best, not by showing the wild and crazy antics cyberpunk has on offer, but rather showing a real and relatable experience of average people living in a world not of their choosing. And sometimes that slice-of-life experience is all that's really needed to get you in touch with your own experiences.
VA-11 HALL-A perfectly captures that niche. You get everything it describes: chill vibes at a bar with serving drinks to strangers. The worldbuilding that goes into VA-11 HALL-A's world is comprehensive and unique, explaining enough through diegetic storytelling to fill out its spaces while leaving so much mystery and intrigue in the bizarre dystopia on offer. It expertly mixes pessimism with optimism, futuristic folly with humanist realism. It's comfy while also not shying away from being honest and real. It can serve as an oasis while most of its peers in the genre which focus way too hard to look and seem cool and aesthetic; VA-11 HALL-A earns its coolness through simple, earnest writing and presentation.
In terms of gameplay, VA-11 HALL-A is unfortunate a bit sparse. The whole mechanical appeal is that of being able to mix up cocktails for your guests. Some ask for particular drinks, which you can whip up easy enough; others force you into a puzzle where you have to tease out what they might want from you with vague language. It's all, on the whole, quite easy, and you won't find much struggle. The simplicity of the system is also part of the games downfall. The mechanic itself is fun at first, but can become extremely simple. There's not enough variety. I'm not even sure if the game NEEDS more variety, but it definitely emphasizes the drudgery of a day job well. The issue is that while a game like Paper's, Please is able to refine that drudgery into a compelling experience of choice and consequence, VA-11 HALL-A never really goes that extra mile, leaving it with a lack of variety.
The game also struggles due to the presentation of its narrative. While it is super dense and enjoyable basically the entire way through, there are some portions where the game really lags. I'd find myself kind of annoyed that the various characters are rambling on. This is a weird sensation, since character dialogue is the whole foundation of the visual novel portion of this game, so that should be the whole appeal. Perhaps its the casual language, perhaps its that some of the conversations can drag due to that casualness, or perhaps there were some characters I resonated with more than others, but it does give the sensation of narrative padding. Again, it's not that I didn't love it, because I did. It's just a feeling of frustration that was interspersed in my playthrough that I can't fully explain. Maybe it's the minimalist art-style, the lack of voice acting (I prefer the lack of voice-acting, personally), or some other factor. But it is something I did note.
But there is nothing more negative to be said here. If you're coming into this looking for a unique mechanical experience, you'll probably be let down. But if you're here for the narrative experience, for a really good story with fantastic and unique characters that are very well fleshed out and all seem to stand on their own effortlessly, you're in the right place. The soundtrack is a banger that will earworm its way into your mind for days, and the nuance of the world presented is one that will linger for weeks onward. It really captures the genre at its best, not by showing the wild and crazy antics cyberpunk has on offer, but rather showing a real and relatable experience of average people living in a world not of their choosing. And sometimes that slice-of-life experience is all that's really needed to get you in touch with your own experiences.