This is a thought-provoking game, but so very depressing. If that's our future, I want no part of it. Which I suppose is the game's entire point, and it does a great job making that point. Sci-fi at its best, in other words.
Oh, look! A neat little mystery with a hint of the paranormal. Not a common theme in games, with the exception of classics like Gabriel Knight. An illustrated story, too, with plain writing that doesn't outstay its welcome. Appropriate, given the subject matter. On the minus side, the ending I got on first try was rather far-fetched, and left me wondering. What *did* happen to the girl? And the other people who were after the item? Couldn't a holy place closer to home take care of things just as well?
Videville is a decent early effort, by a group of authors who already have a distinct voice. It's just that sometimes a few extra details would help explain how the protagonist makes those sudden decisions. It would also be more interesting if I could poke at the scenery myself. That would make me feel like a real detective, and would extend the play time as well. Maybe in a sequel?
Here's a game that sits between the gamebooks of old and _Legend of the Red Dragon_. It doesn't take itself seriously, which makes it surreal, but is quite complex, with a combat system that makes use of spells and potions, and involves actively defending from attacks. There are minigames along the way, too, in the form of brief detours through some dungeon or other, and a plot of sorts that ties everything together at least. If there was just a little more text, and just a little more serious, it would be perfect. Still a lot of fun; the demo is well-balanced in length and difficulty, just enough to require attention while being a relaxed way to pass the time. Last, mobile support is a bonus. A keeper!
Oh look, a game that manages to capture the elegant simplicity of old text adventures while adding a revolutionary user interface. Did I mention the presentation is top-notch, too? More games need to take a hint from _Detectiveland_.
Truth and Blasphemy is a surprisingly compelling Twine about some lame kids who gather for a sort of party, start talking religion, and quickly discover a dark secret about the big old house their host lives in. (After that I ran into a maze, became hopelessly lost and gave up.) The dialog-based format with long breaks between choices suggests it was written as a visual novel initially, and there's some weirdness in places that could just as easily signal implementation errors or subtleties I failed to pick up on. Possibly both -- it seems to be a fairly large game. All in all, an intriguing piece, and since the choices I made seemed to matter, that might just be reason to try again. Worth a play.
It's a bit odd to review an unfinished game. Hopefully I can revise this later. For one thing, this is supposed to be a boy's love game, but for now it ends before getting to that part. Still, you've been warned. It's also a simple, feel-good story, about a future where robotic servants are becoming ubiquitous... and they turn out to be more human-like than they were supposed to. Hardly original, but then a familiar setting can be a good thing. The writing is to the point, yet there's a lot of text between choices, suggesting a mostly-linear story -- perhaps written that way initially. Still, the few choices allowed me to engage in a bit of roleplaying with regard to the protagonist's personality. By the way, the game is also written in third person -- unusual for CYOA, but hardly unheard of. All in all, a bit of an odd duck, but one I would really like to see completed. Recommended (if you like the genre).
