Ratings and Reviews by Danielle

...it might look something like STARSHIP FABULOUS. See, one thing I've always loved about Bruce Coville's alien books (which I encountered as a kid and still love as a grownup) was that the aliens were very much *alien*--though likeable and good, their sensibilities, customs, and expectations were always foreign. The characters you encounter in FABULOUS are written in a similar vein which I really enjoyed--Rain introducing themself, for instance, as a scent rather than a name. (I would have enjoyed seeing more interactions where they make mistaken assumptions about you might have been fun as well!)

I found some programming bugginess from time to time (I was given access to a character on Day 2 that I hadn't met on Day 1; some responses referred to Male Character X as a she), but I was happy to overlook them for the sake of the experience. I enjoyed my ride on the ship and look forward to replaying.

I would *not* be opposed to someone else trying their hand at this concept!

Didn't want to rate this--it felt more like branching poetry to me (so I may not be the ideal audience)--but I enjoyed the choice of text styling and "special effect lighting" done on the text enough that I wanted to comment. Easy on the eyes, with a glow effect that makes it special.

Last night I picked this game at random from the IFComp2012 folder hanging out on my laptop. And lucky me--I stumbled onto a gem!

BODY BARGAIN, while informed by Lange's musings on (Spoiler - click to show)plastic surgery and body modification, isn't a game weighed down by these topics. Approach this piece like you would, say, an episode of MONSTERS, or a particularly wild TALES FROM THE CRYPT comic, and I think you'll see what I mean.

The game's scenario is set in a sci-fi world, that scenario is tinged with horror (the kind of horror depends on how you play--(Spoiler - click to show)some decisions lead you towards a slasher-style story, other decisions a quieter, more disturbing tale).

Applause to Lange for her great handling of this game's atmosphere. BODY's tone is well-executed in both setting and its star NPC, Dr. Overclock (Could that name get any cooler? No.). Previous IF horror works (like DIVIS MORTIS) sometimes trip themselves up by inserting goofy jokes that detract from apocalyptic settings, but all the off-kilter stuff you find in BODY fits with the world of the story.

I was obedient during my first playthrough, unsure of where the scenario was heading. Upon replaying, I was delighted to find that a variety of decisions and scenarios had been implemented, dramatically changing the outcome of the story. Kudos to the author!

As one-off comics, TALES FROM THE CRYPT never gave you any more info than needed to get the scare across. What's really fun about BODY is how the extras fill in more backstory. Curious about Overclock? There's something there for you!

Regarding the content: (Spoiler - click to show)I don't go in for gore and splatter. (Did I read the author warning? Heck no! I just jumped in and played!) But the nice thing I find about reading horror (versus watching it) is that, in text, my inner director can adjust the gore level as needed. Sowas it squirm-inducing? Yes. But was it overkill? Nope. The author's choice to use clinical language for these bits was pitch perfect, in my opinion.

In short: a short game, smartly done--if you're the right audience for it!

Remarkable how the succinct sentences evoke such vivid images. I also enjoyed the structure of the work, especially with the Twine format...In parts where (Spoiler - click to show)there's only a link-sentence onscreen, and when you click it, it changes to another link-sentence it gives a really exciting sense of motion.

(Spoiler - click to show)Music scared the crap out of me, though!

I have little idea of what happened, but I enjoyed the ride! I think I'm turning into a fan.

(Happy Porpentine's Day to you, too, Porp!)