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Review
This is how I think all IF's should be. After the first reading I was shocked at the conclusion but was utterly entranced. After finishing it I stopped, and replayed it immediately. This was a work of pure and utter genius. (Spoiler - click to show)I loved the switch in perspective, when I died
At first I thought this was going to be your run of the mill hero finds the princess (albeit his daughter in this case) but I was so wrong yet happy about it.
I was captivated by the elegant prose (English isn't this guy's first language?!) The way the talking was done made it feel so natural and allowed me to think about every option at length. This reminded me of a text version of Heavy Rain (a game which, although a revolution in facial graphic programing, is just as heavy in moral philosophical content as well); half way through I got the point but was not deterred. This game had me questioning so many moral issues without me even knowing it.
On my first reading I got a pretty piss-poor ending due to me not knowing some in world secrets, but on the second reading (since I finally understood who I was) I got a very bittersweet ending which I not only found satisfying, but it made me wistful, sad yet hopeful. The main thing that made this game great was the prose, which shone bright in the conversations which you hold with various people. Due to this unconventional interface, frequent IF players will have to readjust, however once you get the hang of it you'll see just how much potential this kind of IF presents for heavy, story based, IF's. My favourite line is: (Spoiler - click to show)>Kill self (2)I do it for you (1)Yes. I am strong enough. Was this the easy way out? (2)No. I was the hardest sacrifice I ever made
My only criticism is:
The castle ruins are a little difficult to navigate (but again soon you figure them out) and when you leave your house you say >down
but then it asks if you want to go to the ground or the garden but as of yet the player shouldn't know this. It should allow a little smoother movement.
Overall this game is a masterpiece. Some other reviewers have attacked it for it's simpler interpretations of Nietzsche and Freud but just read it and see for yourself how much thought has been put into this brilliant story.
