I want to preface this by saying that making a video game is a tough process regardless of the scale you're working at. Programming is hard, writing is hard, animating is hard, et cetera. A lot of work went into this game, and as far as I can tell, it's developer AsleepOnStream's first game ever. So I want to start with what I liked about the game and then go into some constructive criticisms.
First of all, I enjoy the premise. It's almost like a reverse isekai, where the adventure comes to the protagonist and not the other way around. I think the characters work well for what they are, mostly archetypes. You have the tsundere, the stuck-up boss, the tired service worker, the creepy guy, the happy-go-lucky sidekick. They all do a good job of providing interesting dynamics for the world since they're so different. I also like the animations that precede each chapter of the game, particularly the Kamen Rider send-up. The music was also well-done, and each track incorporated recurring motifs that added life to the game. The aesthetic, while simple, was very fitting and gave me PSX vibes.
Now, I want to get into the things I didn't like so much. One major thing was the gameplay. The game billed itself as an RPG and even had RPG stats in the menu, like HP and MP, so I was expecting a combat element to the game, even if it was just for comedic effect. But there were no combat encounters to be had. The titular RPG tropes utilized in the game are quests and a shopkeeper. The quests are okay in theory, but they're a bit of a hassle in practice. The first quest can easily softlock your save if you don't do it correctly. The second quest is incredibly oblique, as it asks you to spot visual differences in a hub world you were just introduced to no more than ten minutes ago. Some of the differences are obvious, granted, but some are so hidden that it took me forever to find them. The rest of the game is more or less like a visual novel, which is fine, but I would have liked to see more interactivity in the latter chapters.
The writing could have used a bit more polish, in my opinion. The game has a very tongue-in-cheek tone, which works for the most part. However, the commentary from the characters on the video-gamey tropes and archetypes never evolves beyond "I can't believe this is happening" or "No thanks, I'm too busy for that." Not to suggest that satirizing RPG tropes is inherently bad--as I said up front, I love this premise! But I feel like the moment-to-moment dialogue never fully capitalizes on the potential of it.
The game also tends to state its themes directly rather than let the characters convey them through their actions. The credits sequence, which includes an extended dialogue scene, flat-out explains the entire thesis of the game in very plain terms. The lack of subtlety sticks out like a sore thumb for a game that relies heavily on its writing to hold player interest. I'd like to say that this criticism, in particular, comes from a place of love; I am a screenwriter, and one of my biggest vices is telling rather than showing. I want AsleepOnStream to keep this in mind for their next project, so if you don't hear it from anyone else, take it from me.
Overall, I am intrigued to see more from AsleepOnStream and fully support them in their next endeavor. This game was pretty ambitious for a first title. If they can carry on that ambition in the future with a bit more polish, they have the potential to make something truly great.
First of all, I enjoy the premise. It's almost like a reverse isekai, where the adventure comes to the protagonist and not the other way around. I think the characters work well for what they are, mostly archetypes. You have the tsundere, the stuck-up boss, the tired service worker, the creepy guy, the happy-go-lucky sidekick. They all do a good job of providing interesting dynamics for the world since they're so different. I also like the animations that precede each chapter of the game, particularly the Kamen Rider send-up. The music was also well-done, and each track incorporated recurring motifs that added life to the game. The aesthetic, while simple, was very fitting and gave me PSX vibes.
Now, I want to get into the things I didn't like so much. One major thing was the gameplay. The game billed itself as an RPG and even had RPG stats in the menu, like HP and MP, so I was expecting a combat element to the game, even if it was just for comedic effect. But there were no combat encounters to be had. The titular RPG tropes utilized in the game are quests and a shopkeeper. The quests are okay in theory, but they're a bit of a hassle in practice. The first quest can easily softlock your save if you don't do it correctly. The second quest is incredibly oblique, as it asks you to spot visual differences in a hub world you were just introduced to no more than ten minutes ago. Some of the differences are obvious, granted, but some are so hidden that it took me forever to find them. The rest of the game is more or less like a visual novel, which is fine, but I would have liked to see more interactivity in the latter chapters.
The writing could have used a bit more polish, in my opinion. The game has a very tongue-in-cheek tone, which works for the most part. However, the commentary from the characters on the video-gamey tropes and archetypes never evolves beyond "I can't believe this is happening" or "No thanks, I'm too busy for that." Not to suggest that satirizing RPG tropes is inherently bad--as I said up front, I love this premise! But I feel like the moment-to-moment dialogue never fully capitalizes on the potential of it.
The game also tends to state its themes directly rather than let the characters convey them through their actions. The credits sequence, which includes an extended dialogue scene, flat-out explains the entire thesis of the game in very plain terms. The lack of subtlety sticks out like a sore thumb for a game that relies heavily on its writing to hold player interest. I'd like to say that this criticism, in particular, comes from a place of love; I am a screenwriter, and one of my biggest vices is telling rather than showing. I want AsleepOnStream to keep this in mind for their next project, so if you don't hear it from anyone else, take it from me.
Overall, I am intrigued to see more from AsleepOnStream and fully support them in their next endeavor. This game was pretty ambitious for a first title. If they can carry on that ambition in the future with a bit more polish, they have the potential to make something truly great.