De Baron

De Baron
by Victor Gijsbers profile

Fantasy
2006

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Reviews and Ratings

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(65)
3 star:		(33)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(4)

Average Rating:

Number of Ratings: 160
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- Max Fog, March 25, 2024

- Artran (Taipei, Taiwan), February 16, 2024

- theAKScott , February 6, 2024

- egostat (1st Level, Abyss), September 18, 2023

SPAG

What I expected from The Baron wasn't what I got. In his introductory text, Gijsbers does a good job of preparing the player. Actions should be taken because they're meaningful in the situation, not because they "solve a puzzle". My first reaction was "sure - I've heard this before." [...] So, even though the author warned me that it wasn't a game, I tried to play it like a game. I expected something dark and sinister. I expected torture, helplessness, suffering, and perhaps victory in the end. The story delivers these things, but in an unconventional way... in a disturbing, shocking, and tragic way.

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- Kastel, April 16, 2023

- jaymesjw, February 7, 2023

- Laney Berry, June 27, 2022

- Titania Lowe, February 6, 2022

- thiefnessman (Massachusetts), November 30, 2021

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

So much potential, November 19, 2021

by Clever Screen Name

My experience with this game went something like this:

(Spoiler - click to show)First "scene"... Ok, this was way more fantasy-themed than I expected, but I'm digging the writing... wait, this seems to be un-winnable... One of those flash-forwards?

Later on: Nope... I guess that part was like a dream or something... perhaps an analogy for the PC's main quest in life... how he sees himself and his situation. Wait, they're **really** laying it on thick here... are we still in a dream?

Later: OK, I guess it **was** still a dream... oh crap, I bet I'm going to turn out be be *that* guy and that'll be the big twist.

Later: CRAP! I AM that guy! That IS the big twist!

So the twist didn't really have the impact on me that I think it was meant to have.

There was so much about the game that I really liked, but once that twist happened, the game pretty much lost me. I just didn't care about the PC anymore, so the rest of the game was basically choosing the best of bad options.

There's some dialog that makes it clear that you're intended to replay the game to explore alternatives. I did that once or twice, but the magic was gone; it was all out of curiosity at that point.

I think there might be a way to turn this game around, but I'm not sure it could be done on any IF platform I know of. The intended replay is a bit like the movie *Groundhog's Day* where the main character experiences the same day over and over; exploring every possible alternative. But that movie worked because the character changed from a real a-hole to someone the audience cared about. I'm imagining an alternate version of this game where after exploring enough alternatives through replays, things start changing. New options appear, and the "real" character is given the chance to become more like his fantasy self (albeit, more realistic).

This game shows that the author has a lot of talent, and the courage to take some big risks and I'd be very excited to see more of his work.