vikdarkbomb
Invasion of the Body Snatchers with Terminators in Blade Runner. The result may seem derivative but Snatcher is anything but. In fact, Snatcher is one of the best VN's available on the 4th Gen systems. It is confident in it's inspirations but capable enough to bring it's own spin to the genre, albeit in a different medium.
The game has a slow start, taking a while to set the characters and settings into place. Sometimes figuring what to do in investigations is frustrating. However, the story quickly picks up and stays as such until the end once things get more complex. It's also inter-spliced by shooting galleries. Nothing special, but it is a nice break. The issue with these galleries is they are ramped up oddly in the end and feel more filler than natural. Snatcher's writing is punchy but wordy yet it is the best part about the game. Although the game was lauded for being important in developing maturity in video gaming storytelling, age has not made the story any less enjoyable.
The artstyle is reminiscent of a cartoon, but the direction is given enough personality to be unique. The audio is the best part of the presentation, with a wide-ranging soundtrack that always fits the scenarios you come across. The introduction in particular is a stand-out. In terms of gameplay, there is nothing complex there. It plays out like any other visual novel but it is not the central focus of the game. However the game can be linear with how you have to look at and investigate scenes. I got lost once or twice because I didn't do something in a particular order, so it is not a bad idea to have a guide to look at. It seems that the developers were prepared for this as repeating actions once or twice gives unique dialogues that all have the same meaning.
The story isn't afraid of asking unique questions, as with many Kojima titles. It explores ideas of contention, AI and others. Snatcher is perhaps one of Kojima's best works in regards to writing as the game is tight-knit with everything coming into place conveniently and eloquently. The third act feels a bit rushed, however given the budget reasons behind it they did well with what they had. Characters are well-realised albeit a bit on the nose with where they are based on. The voice acting is also a nice addition, and doesn't feel that cheap with decent performances. The tone is also well-kept with the game capable of seamlessly moving within serious or zany within a scene or two without it being unnatural. In one scene, you'll be investigating a junkie's room but only a few minutes later you'll be having the unique food of Neo Kobe City. The game is personable even in it's smaller moments.
Unfortunately, the best version to play (the Sega CD) is expensive now, costing 400-500$ for a decent copy, so you are better off emulating. There may be some mild censors, but it's nothing major, mainly nudity. This is the only western version of the game with voice acting and a third act, which other versions lack. But it shouldn't stop you from playing one of Sega CD's best titles.
The game has a slow start, taking a while to set the characters and settings into place. Sometimes figuring what to do in investigations is frustrating. However, the story quickly picks up and stays as such until the end once things get more complex. It's also inter-spliced by shooting galleries. Nothing special, but it is a nice break. The issue with these galleries is they are ramped up oddly in the end and feel more filler than natural. Snatcher's writing is punchy but wordy yet it is the best part about the game. Although the game was lauded for being important in developing maturity in video gaming storytelling, age has not made the story any less enjoyable.
The artstyle is reminiscent of a cartoon, but the direction is given enough personality to be unique. The audio is the best part of the presentation, with a wide-ranging soundtrack that always fits the scenarios you come across. The introduction in particular is a stand-out. In terms of gameplay, there is nothing complex there. It plays out like any other visual novel but it is not the central focus of the game. However the game can be linear with how you have to look at and investigate scenes. I got lost once or twice because I didn't do something in a particular order, so it is not a bad idea to have a guide to look at. It seems that the developers were prepared for this as repeating actions once or twice gives unique dialogues that all have the same meaning.
The story isn't afraid of asking unique questions, as with many Kojima titles. It explores ideas of contention, AI and others. Snatcher is perhaps one of Kojima's best works in regards to writing as the game is tight-knit with everything coming into place conveniently and eloquently. The third act feels a bit rushed, however given the budget reasons behind it they did well with what they had. Characters are well-realised albeit a bit on the nose with where they are based on. The voice acting is also a nice addition, and doesn't feel that cheap with decent performances. The tone is also well-kept with the game capable of seamlessly moving within serious or zany within a scene or two without it being unnatural. In one scene, you'll be investigating a junkie's room but only a few minutes later you'll be having the unique food of Neo Kobe City. The game is personable even in it's smaller moments.
Unfortunately, the best version to play (the Sega CD) is expensive now, costing 400-500$ for a decent copy, so you are better off emulating. There may be some mild censors, but it's nothing major, mainly nudity. This is the only western version of the game with voice acting and a third act, which other versions lack. But it shouldn't stop you from playing one of Sega CD's best titles.