Choice of Kung Fu

This is the 'old school' Choicescript at its best, like Choice of the Dragon. This is a power fantasy stretching over decades from your time as a student to (in my game) your final question to the legendary Dragon Sage.

The game is set in a fantasy version of China. The author is a blackbelt in Shaolin Kempo Karate. I wondered about cultural appropriation a bit, but the game turned that on its head near the end in an enjoyable way.

You have quite a few stats, and you can get them very high. Following your stats lets you win several fights. There are other challenges where you need to play to your strengths, but I found that consistent roleplaying let me solve these challenges the 'right' way every time, as opposed to a lot of other games I've seen where you have to just guess what the author's thinking.

There were several romantic options in this game, but I didn't have spend much time with them, as I chose an arranged marriage and devoted most of my time to monkly things.

The game isn't super long but it felt like a complete story arc with a significant investment in the overall story. I look forward to reading the other games by the same author.

I received a review copy of this game.

Choice of Kung Fu is a pretty enjoyable game, with strong writing, featuring plenty of adventure and a sense of progression. It provides a good amount of content for the word count.

There was plenty I was able to do, despite failing an initial three-part test in the game. I managed to set up my own school to train in the combat arts, avert a conflict, meet the Dragon Sage and romance a lovable fox spirit. Overall, there was plenty to like here. Despite my initial failures, I was able to overcome most of the game's challenges. Additionally, another part I liked was that you always had the option to display magnanimity and honor towards your enemies.

Still, some things grated on my nerves. I'm no professor of Chinese linguistics and culture, but I did notice that some names seemed to combine pinyin and wade-giles romanization systems, such as Bao Ho, a character, and Kuei Xian, a city. I would recommend using pinyin in general for a story like this. What I wouldn't recommend is using both together without consistency.

In another part of the game, the player can note that eight is a lucky number, nine is a symbol of longevity but eighteen is supposedly neither lucky nor unlucky. For that, check the wikipedia article on the number 18 and scroll down to the part on chinese tradition. (Although the number 18 could also have a certain negative interpretation.)

That said, I liked this one. It's definitely good for an easy and substantial read.