Lazarrien: A Love Story

As a newcomer to the community, this is my very first time reviewing a work of interactive fiction. I stumbled across this game from a couple other reviews over on the IF community forum. I do not think there could've been a better work to introduce me to the media as a whole, being a queer tragic fantasy enjoyer. If you have not played it yet, I recommend not viewing the spoilers.

The story follows the titular knight Lazarrien on his journey across a cursed land. A journey with the purpose to lift aforementioned curse. Though a single playthrough is short, with my first one lasting roughly 15 minutes, it is a wholly satisfying experience that does not leave me feeling like there is something missing. Additional playthroughs only enhance this experience.

Lifting the curse, is of course, a Fool's errand. This is deliberate phrasing on my part, as the knight, along with the other characters, bear resemblance (or are direct parallels) to the Major Arcana. I personally quite like Tarot allegories, so this was right up my forte.

It is however, also a Fool's errand in the more literal sense. You can never truly lift the curse. (Spoiler - click to show)Lazarrien is forced to redo the trial over and over again. Forgetting the most crucial detail about the trial every single time. You as the player have no influence on this. You do not even have influence over what order you meet the four other characters in. This creates emotional value for replaying the story. And even though (Spoiler - click to show)I so desperately wish I could make Lazarrien remember to bring the ring, I feel adding a "good ending" would undermine the game in the end.

All in all, I loved this. I could talk about the emotional impact it had on me (I haven't touched on the love story part!), but this review is already getting quite lengthy. If you're looking for a short, but satisfying and emotional experience, take half an hour of your time and give it a try.