Ratings and Reviews by Tito Valenz
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A Harrowing Tale, November 6, 2021I thought the writing in this entry was very engrossing. It leans towards the legal thriller/true crime genre, which I don't usually gravitate to. However, I found this story to be very tense, keeping me in a state of anxiety for an extended period as I gathered more and more details. You play as a lawyer, in which your character looks over the records of a case. You get to discuss it somewhat with an NPC, but you don't seem to really have many choices. (Spoiler - click to show)Also, the game alludes to a meeting with a supervisor who will be eager to hear your impression of the case. It was presented in such a way that it really built up my expectations for a moment in which to utilize what I had learned and make a choice that will affect my character significantly. This made the ending feel abrupt and jarring at a moment when a different reveal seemed to be the focus instead. I played through twice more to see if any of the choices affected the story, but it only alters some of your character’s dialogue slightly. However, I still give it a high recommendation because of the emotional impact the game had on me. I am very curious to know if the details had any real-world connections, and if the way the procedures are depicted were accurate to the area and time period the story is set in.
No joy, November 4, 2021These games are hard! I was able to win poker from time to time, and I made some money sticking with the safe bet at the horse races. But the zombie game? The computer would always pick them off while I couldn't even get started. I was not able to figure out the parser game. I don't know anything about football, so I didn't do too good there. And the Keno game didn't pay out very much when I played the 20-spot. I didn't come anywhere close on the slots, and even when I made it to the bonus game, I immediately matched two zeros. Also, I had a terrible flight home. I got sat next to this annoying guy who was going on about how he beat all the games and made a ton of money. Next year, I'm using my vacation time to visit Amsterdam.
Try Everything, November 3, 2021On my first playthrough of Goat Game, I was really enjoying the direction the story was taking. There was a lot going on, and the game was described as taking two hours, so I started to settle in for a lengthy exploration of this world it was establishing. I got an ending in less than half an hour and it was really confusing. I thought that maybe I had made a choice that skipped me through a large chunk of the story. Also, I didn't know how to feel about what happened to my character--he seemed to be unhappy, even though his situation changed for the better. I couldn't think how any of the choices I made got me to this result. And it seemed like there were a LOT of things that were touched on that didn't get to develop. I played four more times and found three more endings. They were all pretty negative, even though I thought I was making choices that were good for my character. The game tracks three stats, but it appears that you only get one choice to change each stat. So I went from "low" to "medium" in each one, but never had an opportunity to move it any further. I am curious to continue playing to see different endings, but I'm kind of thinking they might all be bad.
One battle for all the marbles, November 1, 2021Here is a very brief game where the player decides what moves to make in a single fight scene. There is some story woven in to give the game stakes, and plenty of choices to try out on replays. You get three kinds of moves to choose from, and the game makes it clear when each one should be used if you want to win. However, you are given several reasons you may not want a flawless victory. The game builds as the fight and the story continue until (Spoiler - click to show)one competitor has a choice whether or not to kill the other.
However, as soon as the kill is made or rejected, the game ends quickly. It really felt like you would get to experience some consequences one way or the other, so the abrupt conclusion was jarring. There are enough variables to make playing again worthwhile. I thought it was pretty fun and implemented some good ideas.
Short text adventure, November 1, 2021Quick, fun game with teenage hijinks elevated by an impressive interface. It’s a parser game, but you are receiving what look like actual texts from the NPC you interact with. I don’t know anything about programming, but I hear that this isn’t an easy combination to write. I think most players are going to really enjoy the effect.
What is at the core of this biting commentary? Find out here!, November 1, 2021This game spends almost every moment describing messed up stuff. I thought it did a good job building up from the feeling that something is not right to more and more descriptive passages of increasingly depraved scenarios. The author references numerous people, locations, and job titles, none of which I recognized from having been raised Catholic. My deepest wish is that it was written to sound well-researched with some semblance of accuracy, but is actually complete nonsense. I found a little bit more content on a second playthrough, but only in one area. All other choices will take you through the same story. On an unrelated note, who recommended "Limerick Quest" as a related game????
A bear of very little fear, November 1, 2021I thought this was a fun little game with a simple story and fairly easy puzzles. It went by much quicker than I expected it to; I kept assuming that little details were going to come in to play at some point, when they actually didn’t(Spoiler - click to show), such as the transforming robot who never transforms. I went to the walkthrough twice. The first time, I had guessed what I needed to do, but must have done things in the wrong order (Spoiler - click to show) (using the music maker to light up the room). The second time, I don’t think I would have guessed what had to be done (Spoiler - click to show) (rescuing the doll with the car). There was a discussion at the end in which I had no idea what was being implied. All around, very sweet and memorable.
Somewhat trippy, November 1, 2021Well…the author DID categorize this as “surreal”. I thought it was interesting to have set the story in a place that really existed and populate it with historical figures. The main character seems to be traveling somewhat aimlessly, supposedly looking for someone in particular, but possibly unsure how to go about it. The first portion of the game is kind of a road story, but then he ends up in a very non-traditional college. He sits in on some classes and helps out with some chores, but he seems to act more like he’s at a commune than a school. I wasn’t really sure what to think about the ending, and I have not played through a second time to see if there are other possibilities. Recommended for readers who are looking for something laid-back and easy-going.
Why do I need to write a title?, November 1, 2021The main character of this story, Aiden, establishes right away that his goal is to win the love of his longtime friend, Laura, on the day of her wedding. Maybe I should have picked up on it right from the first scene, but it becomes clear over the course of the event and through some flashbacks that Aiden isn’t entirely a 100% reliable narrator. We are told numerous times that he is a “good guy,” and there are parts to the story where it seems like maybe he is. At other times, he seems like he isn’t very self-aware, and brings his problems on himself. The longer it went, the more inconsistent it seemed his character was, until the climactic moment. Then, (Spoiler - click to show)during the wedding ceremony, Aiden seems to go full-on delusional. We know by this point he has absolutely no chance with Laura. It was then that a surprising list of options were given that I genuinely believed could take the story in different directions. I was disappointed after playing through each of them that none made any difference. When I finally read the ending, I still wasn’t sure what to think. Maybe the epilogue was meant to be taken at face value, but when I read it back a second time, I wondered if the author intended for it to have multiple interpretations. Maybe one day I will discuss it at length with some fellow players and finally learn the true nature of Aiden Bestman once and for all.
Atmospheric Twine mystery, October 31, 2021I enjoyed this descriptive horror exploration game. It's the kind of writing that keeps things just vague enough at the beginning, but adds to the story as you progress. There are numerous optional pieces to the game, as well as several endings, making it worth replaying. Rather than racing to the most direct path to a solution, I wanted to take my time with this story, exploring everything. I thought the puzzles were very manageable and intuitive; I never felt stuck. The reveals rewarded my probing as the bigger picture came into view. Recommended.
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