shempains
TBD
After playing through the first chapter I can only say that I'm completely enthralled by it. The atmosphere feels cold and yet there is so much warm and care put into it. They've created scenes filled with symbolism that transmit emotion so strongly and beautifully. I wish I could express what I feel for this piece with better words. Needless to say, I'll paciently yet eagerly wait for the continuation of this piece of art. I am a bystander, but I still walk by his side.
"It was originally called Pretty Woman, but too many people complained there should be a Piano Woman if there was a Piano Man." If you enjoy the joke, you'll probably like VA-11 Hall-A as a whole. Most of its humor, aside from the constant sex jokes, is this same concept repeated to infinity. It rolls its eyes at people feeling hurt or offended by language "while the World burns" so to speak. This idea could theoretically work if, in juxtaposition, they engaged in a meaningful way with any of the dystopic situations they present as normality in this universe (being Dorothy's appearance and job the clearest example). Unfortunately they fail to do so. While I don't doubt the story itself could develop into something fun in later stages, I can't get myself to continue playing it. I just wasn't the intended audience for this kind of shallow bad faith writing.
While the story and the way gameplay is utilized in service of the theme (specifically in the Vault) is compelling, the overall experience is frustrating in a way I didn't enjoy. That being said, I could hold Christine's hand so not everything was bad ♡
2022
Original gameplay mechanics that are well executed, strong concept and defined atmosphere, but sadly "Who's Lila?" ultimately lacks depth when it comes to the actual text. I was also negatively surprised when the credits rolled and saw that most of the faces had been AI generated. Immediately asked for a refund.
While in theory this game is appealing, the art was jumbled together through Midjourney, giving it an off-putting vibe and inconsistent visual style. I played it for long enough that I can say the experience is overall disappointing. Heavily inspired by "Her Story" and "Obra Dinn", but doesn't manage to live up to them. Neither the story nor the mechanics bring anything new to the table, which makes it feel like an extensively derivative product.
The collectables, puzzles, and how timelines interact are very fun. Unfortunately I find that the gameplay drags when it attempts to implement other mechanics. Fights require a dynamism that couldn't be accomplished. That being said, this issue (which is actually the only drawback that merits being pointed out) did not take away from the overall experience of the game. It’s a story that deserves being played, rather than told about.
2022
Dystopian exploration game that attempts to showcase humanity's failures in the kindest way possible. A love letter to routines, and the little day-to-day things that are ultimately worth remembering, despite everything that's wrong with our society. Imitation as the highest form of flattery.