Return of the Obra Dinn
The first half of the game is amazing:
1) Every artistic choice feels in place and, more importantly, feels deliberate. From the inkish animations to these cute accentuations of the visuals – everything is a) cool and beautiful, b) immediately immersive, and c) unique to the point where it makes you stop and actively think that it's cool and beautiful. And this is especially true of everything about the voice acting.
2) The atmosphere hits you fast and strong like an Olympic javelin-throwing mermaid.
It isn't super unique per se, yet I really struggle to compare it with anything, which is doubly impressive for mystery as a genre that typically struggles to take off without feeling banal. Despite the obvious... gorily dying people, the beginning doesn't try to be dark or scary, but rather just unfolds, which subconsciously hints to you that grimmy-spooky revelations are out there and are to be found. By you.
3) Oh yes "By you" indeed. The game really excels at making you feel like a full metal Sherlock: the first time you identify a person not by hearing his name, but by noticing a tattoo you saw on a hanging hand 30 minutes ago – that is pure bliss.
But then the second half of the game comes.
3) You're Sherlock, remember? Well, literally. The vast majority of late-game findings are SUPPOSED to be made either by noticing something like unique socks or by a tedious process of elimination. This sounded fun to me when I was buying the game, but, trust me, it is not. It feels much less "cognitively challenging" than simply annoying. There are characters who have to be identified purely through elimination and visual (=ethnic. I'm sorry) clues, and these artificial limitations are justified by nothing gameplay-wise. I haven't decided where to put the word "sloppy," but it's pretty much it.
I really doubt that a single (neurotypical) person made it without brute-guessing or googling at least 10% of the things. And worst of all, some answers really don't make you feel sorry for cheating.
2) Remember that God hath promised you some juicy grimmy-spooky revelations? A complex mystery that will cleverly recontextualize the entire narrative?
[SPOILER ALERT!]
There's no mystery.
1) And, finally, remember that amazing drawing style? So that you can fully appreciate it, you will now be looking for a smoking bloody pipe. Yes, it is small, and, yes, it absolutely is indiscernible from any (neurotypical) angle.
Never thought that I would say this, but I wish the devs had made the game easier. Just so it could remain as it started.
Still, if you like solving puzzles and acting all smarty-detectivy, this is a must-play.
To put it concisely: «Не то чтобы по вкусу вкусно, но по сути – вкусно» ©
1) Every artistic choice feels in place and, more importantly, feels deliberate. From the inkish animations to these cute accentuations of the visuals – everything is a) cool and beautiful, b) immediately immersive, and c) unique to the point where it makes you stop and actively think that it's cool and beautiful. And this is especially true of everything about the voice acting.
2) The atmosphere hits you fast and strong like an Olympic javelin-throwing mermaid.
It isn't super unique per se, yet I really struggle to compare it with anything, which is doubly impressive for mystery as a genre that typically struggles to take off without feeling banal. Despite the obvious... gorily dying people, the beginning doesn't try to be dark or scary, but rather just unfolds, which subconsciously hints to you that grimmy-spooky revelations are out there and are to be found. By you.
3) Oh yes "By you" indeed. The game really excels at making you feel like a full metal Sherlock: the first time you identify a person not by hearing his name, but by noticing a tattoo you saw on a hanging hand 30 minutes ago – that is pure bliss.
But then the second half of the game comes.
3) You're Sherlock, remember? Well, literally. The vast majority of late-game findings are SUPPOSED to be made either by noticing something like unique socks or by a tedious process of elimination. This sounded fun to me when I was buying the game, but, trust me, it is not. It feels much less "cognitively challenging" than simply annoying. There are characters who have to be identified purely through elimination and visual (=ethnic. I'm sorry) clues, and these artificial limitations are justified by nothing gameplay-wise. I haven't decided where to put the word "sloppy," but it's pretty much it.
I really doubt that a single (neurotypical) person made it without brute-guessing or googling at least 10% of the things. And worst of all, some answers really don't make you feel sorry for cheating.
2) Remember that God hath promised you some juicy grimmy-spooky revelations? A complex mystery that will cleverly recontextualize the entire narrative?
[SPOILER ALERT!]
There's no mystery.
1) And, finally, remember that amazing drawing style? So that you can fully appreciate it, you will now be looking for a smoking bloody pipe. Yes, it is small, and, yes, it absolutely is indiscernible from any (neurotypical) angle.
Never thought that I would say this, but I wish the devs had made the game easier. Just so it could remain as it started.
Still, if you like solving puzzles and acting all smarty-detectivy, this is a must-play.
To put it concisely: «Не то чтобы по вкусу вкусно, но по сути – вкусно» ©
Mini Review: Не то чтобы по вкусу вкусно, но по сути – вкусно
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