honestly, not a terrible game. but if i were to look back at the +7 hours i spent on this game, i wouldn't recommend anyone to play it. watch the matrix trilogy instead, about the same amount of time and it's way more rewarding. also, david cage has to chill, dude thinks he is the one and only Game Director in existence. he even compared himself to citizen kane in this game ffs.

fahrenheit indigo prophecy has a decent first half, things are well-paced enough to keep you hooked. but the second half is just rushed to the point of making all the stakes in the narrative laughable. you simply don't care about what's happening anymore since the narrative keeps throwing exposition after exposition and so many different threads to the narrative that it feels like cage couldn't make a decision so he put everything in. plus the carla and lucas romance/sex scene was literally just thrown there for that HOT GAMER MOMENT (probably what cage had in mind).

oh yes, the quick-time events are bad, but that's just david cage games.

inscryption thrives at conveying a sense of foreboding tranquillity despite its dark ambience and sound design. everything production-wise for this game is aligned perfectly with its fun gameplay and puzzling narrative, there's not a single choice i could point out that would've been better if they made any changes.

but! there's always a but. i can't shake the feeling that the overall mystery of the game (including the ARG) did not conclude satisfyingly. feels like it should have had an extra hour or two exploring the themes of the cursed game/overpowered script/malevolent company, and of course some more exploration of the character we are playing as throughout the game.

despite my gripe, i absolutely recommend this game.

finally we can all agree that giraffes were always real and the true holographic creatures are the scheming politicians hidden behind their illegally-logged wooden tables full of memorabilia of times long past where authorities and monarchies "made the world better" according to their crooked ideals and words.

'the sea will claim everything' is not even trying to hide the politics in its narrative, it is overtly leftist and revolutionaire. it is not trying to say that the only way forward is a specific leftist revolution, but it is saying that for us to get through the constant degradation of society and the world, we all need to unite and trust each other through kindness and collaboration. the final message is not one of certainty of victory against the system, but one of revolution against it, and hope that if we get through it, we can make a better world.

as for the game, it has very cute aesthetics and quirky and clever writing, the characters are more than just quest-givers and have fun personas, the gameplay is typical of a point & click so there's not much to add, i just wish it had more puzzles related to the UI and more interesting ways to complete quests instead of just finding ingredients, brewing potions and handing it over.

if you played disco elysium, this game will certainly be right up your alley. and remember, we are the sea. ✊