Reviews by ChanceOfFire

The Fleet is probably somewhere between Interactive Fiction and a choicescript battle simulator, but not a game which fits either category completely.

Most decisions in the game are centered around battle decisions or management decisions in preparation for said battles. The story and plot is very barebones, most characters do not receive much development and there is little done in exploring the setting and the different races/factions you're allied with or fighting against.

There are a few interesting choices around dealing with rebellions, betrayal and politics, but these are a small minority. Most of your choices will be around combat strategies or combat resource allocation. As far as I can tell, the stat system appears fairly deep and the combat system gives you plenty of options. Still, I was (seemingly) able to beat these battle checks most of the time, so I'm not sure how the game's difficulty really works.

If you want a choicescript game which is heavy on battles and battle management, this is it. However, I do think it could have benefitted from more exploration of the setting and the different factions in the game.

The story starts out with you trapped in a videogame universe, trying to figure out what just happened. For the first part, you travel through several videogame worlds, meeting some other characters seemingly in the same predicament while being treated to various videogame references and jokes. It's an interesting start, although there is one very annoying spaceship puzzle which gave me a lot of frustration on my first run (it took me three attempts to beat it, on a blind playthrough) and alone really deterred me from multiple playthroughs.

There are two romance interests in the game. Be warned, there is no happily ever after here. Trying to keep things spoiler free, the game splits into two separate paths depending on your selection, with one RO path having much more content than the other. Here, the game explores some really thought provoking themes of AI, reality, existence and so on. I felt it was really well done, although folks after a happy ending would likely disagree.

There is plenty of branching at the second half of the game, and the writer released a full flowchart. However, if you want to see most of it, this necessitates playing through the earlier chapters all over again and doing that annoying spaceship puzzle all over again. Having checkpoints or a save system (seriously) would have made exploring more endings a less daunting proposition. For me, I played the game twice (one with each RO) and was too lazy to go back for more.

It's definitely a unique game in terms of genre and structure, and one that really gets you thinking. I liked it a lot, but it's definitely not for everyone.

And please give me the option to skip that spaceship puzzle on second playthroughs! (I know the game gives you an option to skip it, but I only got it after failing the puzzle twice.)

It's a pretty quick but enjoyable romantic short story, where you enjoy a few romantic activities with your partner before concluding it with a moment of passion.

Character creation is pretty detailed, especially for a game of this length. The writing is sweet and evocative, although a little more on the descriptive side. Overall, I enjoyed reading about the romantic activities, and would say this is good for a quick read.

Science nerd puns and jokes galore! You’re a brain in a jar, working for a dubious corporation as a brain for hire. Clients need your help, and as a brain, you’ll have to do some of the thinking for them. Of course, spending the rest of your existence being a brain-slave is not on your plans. In the meantime, you’re plotting to escape and save the other brains.

The story and plot isn’t too difficult to follow, although it won’t win much interest among the fans of fantasy and superheroes which make up a large portion of the choicescript fanbase. The pacing gets a little quick at times, but otherwise, I enjoyed it.

The stat system is a headache, however. Like Choice of the Dragon, it uses an opposed stat system. However, it was hard to guess what choice affected what stat (if any) most of the time, and I wound up with a pretty balanced (read: useless) character in the stat department. Some of the stat checks at the end are also pretty tough.

There’s some branching and multiple endings. If you like science humor, you’ll probably enjoy the writing here. It was a fun read for me, largely of the science variety.

In Divine Ascension, you play as a powerful deity, working to spread your faith and gain greater power for yourself. Unfortunately, this world isn't quite fully at your disposal. There are also other deities around, whom you can choose to form alliances with or destroy over the course of the story.

There is a stat based management system here. It works like a currency, where you gain a certain amount of it, and can spend it on a stat check when the need arises. It would be good if the game could describe what some of these stats meant in story terms, but you'll work it out along the way.

There are multiple options and paths in the final battle, and the game will also give you some hints as to your chances and the easier and harder options. I managed to get a fairly good ending on my first attempt, siding with some deities and annihilating others.

Games which allows you to play as a deity are still pretty rare in the Hosted Games space. All in all, it's a short and fun game, with fun stat management elements and decision making.

Under different circumstances, I would’ve given this game four stars. However, there is one major problem which led me to give its current rating.

You play as a fresh-faced new arrival in Prohibition Era New York, hoping to find fame and fortune on Broadway. However, the road to stardom is a perilous one as you try to scrape a living in the city while hoping for your lucky break.

The setting and writing is actually pretty good, and I enjoyed the story quite a lot. However, there is one major flaw with this game.

Romances feel secondary in this game. In a Heart’s Choice release, that does feel self-defeating. There are two romance options, but there just seems to be little in the way of romance with these characters, and interactions in the game make them feel more like business associates for the most part. There is a fairly intense sex scene in the story, but with the lack of romantic buildup, it feels like it was merely there to check a box.

If you’re here to read a good story, Jazz Age provides one. But if you’re here for romance, which I presume you are if you’re looking at the Heart’s Choice label, this might not be it.

This is a surprisingly cute and entertaining game. Likely inspired by spore, you start from a microorganism in a rock pool which gradually goes through various stages of evolution, building a civilization and going on to rule the galaxy. Most decisions are reminiscent of the game, from choosing evolutionary paths to deciding whether you want to befriend other species or eat them. The writing is also humorous and conveys the feeling of the 2008 game well. If you’ve played Spore, this is certainly an interesting choicescript adaptation to try out.

I have a terrible weakness for fur babies, so this game gets five stars. Especially after the onslaught of cute cat pictures.

Anyways, you play as an aspiring cat breeder, and can choose from different breeds to raise. This involves meeting with an interesting cast of characters with their own backstories, and cats. There is a slight bit of resource management here, where you can decide what sort of goodies you can buy to spoil your cats with. There is also some discussion on disability, which I also felt added to the game’s depth. I think there’s an optional romance as well, but I wasn’t able to trigger it on my playthrough.

Gameplay is pretty straightforward and fun, and the story is engaging. I largely splurged on the most expensive things for my first playthrough and landed in the negative for a while, but managed to pay back my debt and then some by the end of the game.

It was short, but a good bit of fun. It seems that the game managed to find my weak spot.

An apocalypse (of an unspecified nature) takes place, and you decide that it’s best to take refuge in a Zoo. I’m not sure I buy the game’s reasoning, but let’s keep going anyway.

Much of the game consists of making decisions to maintain this zoo and manage the animal inhabitants within. You may also get a companion to join you, for better or worse when it comes to the zoo. There is some level of branching, as well as a final battle of sorts where you can reach a bad end.

Unfortunately, it’s just hard to have an engaging story and gameplay with this sort of setup. The writing is good, and it is interesting to think about choices regarding the different types of animals within, as well as to learn more about them. The product, as a whole, just isn’t as entertaining. The game’s branching does allow for some replay value, but it was difficult to motivate myself to go for another round.

All in all, it’s a polished and competently made game. Just that it wasn’t something which I really enjoyed.

This is a fairly solid title where you play as a starship captain, working alongside an obnoxious onboard computer to achieve mission success. The story and ethical dilemmas, while not the most original, do a fair job.

Your job here is to aid humanity in a conflict against an unusual alien race. Along the way, you find out more about the motivations of the different players in the conflict and the stakes involved. Some of the revelations did leave me scratching my head a little, but it was mostly ok. For the record, I picked the ending to wipe out the enemy completely, gaining vast riches in the process.

There is a fairly deep skill and upgrade system in the game. I had probably failed or messed up a good number of checks, but still managed to reach the end of the game.

It’s not difficult, and the story is likely aimed at a younger audience. It’s not the most outstanding game out there, but it does a fairly good job.