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Portal
Portal
The Last of Us Part II
The Last of Us Part II
Mirror's Edge
Mirror's Edge
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Disco Elysium
Disco Elysium

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This review contains spoilers

Writing of the game was pretty good, but I have a narrative complaint. About 2/3 through the game, your protagonist learns about the plot conspired against her. Despite discovering what fate awaits her at the Barrow, the protagonist proceeds forward and spills her blood to fulfill Saxton's request. This doesn't make any sense. We do not see any inner dialogue from the protag to hear her reaction nor do we see any sort of explanation for her decision. She hears from Arthur what will happen to her, and instead of fucking off out of there, it's like she didn't learn anything at all. I think the ending of the game really hingers on the player not thinking too hard about this detail.

I'd also say there are some cosmetic issues with the game. Lots of the textures of characters, items, scenery etc blend in with each other too well, making the visuals super flat. Pixel art requires a delicate balance between hi and lo resolution which is understandably difficult. Sadly I feel like the artist doesn't have a firm understanding of pixel art arrangement (or possibly just hasn't found their particular identity in the medium yet). I can tell the artist is traditionally trained, but that does not always translate directly to the notions pixel art requires to not only be legible, but stylized. Dialogue selection / UI text is under-designed and seems to have been neglected by the design team. This is one detail that could have easily been given more personality and overall "juicing" up the game in a meaningful, more immersive way.

I think this game has great bones and clearly a dedicated writer. The cutscenes stretched towards something cinematic but could not quite reach it, perhaps they needed more time to linger in their unsettling effects. If this game had more time in the kitchen, it could be something really unique. I can tell the devs care about this game, I hope they continue on to improve from here.

This review contains spoilers

I can at least appreciate the unique gameplay mechanic that utilizes webcam integration. Else, the story of the game is a bit too direct and contrived. I did not feel particularly connected to any character or theme presented in the context of the game. Ultimately I felt solicited to have an emotional reaction which had the opposite effect on me. The presentation of the narrative could have been more poignant had it felt more personal or perhaps less typical. I'm not even sure what exactly I am supposed to gather from the ending. I recognize that a lot of players were moved to tears at the climax, but I don't necessarily understand what exactly about it that is so provocative. Maybe people sense from the swelling of the music, the death of the protagonist, and a sweet anecdote from his mother that This Is Supposed To Be A Sad Moment. I can tell this project was a sentimental art piece from the lead designer so while I respect his intentions, I don't love the shallow writing style.