Ratings and Reviews by Anya Johanna DeNiro
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a grimdark haiku, April 26, 2021Jetbike Gang is a masterclass in finding that sweet spot between concision and evoking a world right on the edges of one's sight. The choices are quick, and the story keeps its foot on the pedal, so to speak, which adds to the sense of this being a world that's fast and dangerous. Right up there with ASCII and the Argonauts (which you should also play) for doing so much with so few words.
a capstone to loose trilogy and a major achievement in interactive fiction, December 13, 2017(I had IFDB erase a nice long review--thanks!--so this is much abbreviated).
I played all four parts of Known Unknowns in one fell swoop and was to put it frankly blown away by it. I could see how it might seem a bit underwhelming serially but if you haven't had the chance to lose yourself in this richly imagined world, I highly recommend it. Set in the same universe as Bell Park Girl Detective and Birdland, I would say that Known Unknowns is the equal to Birdland, downplaying the supernatural elements to an extend and going deeper into the characterizations.
And the characters are amazing. A game like this lives and dies by the strength of its writing and it's probably not much of a surprise that Known Unknowns is running on all cylinders, with a gut-wrenching range of emotions with a HUGE cast. I'm sure you will find your favorites (shout out to my pal Olivia).
The game expertly switches from dialogue/conversation mode to exploration mode, as the two feed off each other.
Finally, this game is really really queer, and the range of people in this high school trying to figure their own identities out is tender, hilarious, melancholic, and ultimately human. And the choices you are given reflect that high school rollercoaster at every turn.
This game is a treasure and you should play it. It's one of the most affecting works of IF I have ever played, in fact.
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