Recent reviews by TheStarbuck86x

Fishbowl felt like an intimate memoir, a slice-of-life portrait of so many of our lives during the beginning of 2020. My favorite kinds of entertainment are ones where I feel like I get to know the creators and ask questions about myself, and I feel like I’m getting to know myself again after spending a month with Alo. I can count on one hand the number of games that manage to feel this personal without losing their universal appeal, but Fishbowl succeeds in spades.

Can't wait to play more! Really fun hook to the game, and I'm excited to learn more about Isaac, his family, and that character that pops up at the end of the demo.

Beautiful game. I'm in awe of what Ivy Road created.

I have a lot in common with Alta. I think we all have a lot in common with Alta. No, I’m not a champion fighter or anything, but I’ve dealt with, and still do, the feeling of not doing enough or being enough. Not good enough at my job. Not good enough at being a Mom. Not good enough at being a content creator. Not being good enough at being enough. Alta’s battles are similar. She thinks that because she’s been losing fights, she’s somehow less than what she was. It affected her so much that she could not carry her sword, her most prized possession, the symbol of who she believed she was.

What’s the constant behind Wanderstop? There is no constant. There’s no grind, no rat race, no in-game clock or stamina meter to keep track of. The built-in tedium is its own boss to accomplish, especially if you’re like me (and Alta) and need a set of tasks to do. Eventually, I settled into a routine; I’d help folks who came to the shop, but exploring the area and creating all the plant/fruit hybrids was exciting and didn’t feel like a chore. And I’d stop and share my tea with Boro, who ranks now in my top five of video game sidekicks. <3

Honestly, getting a cup of tea, finding a new bench to sit on, observing the world, and listening to Alta reflect on her life were some of the best parts of the game, especially depending on the tea she was drinking. Even with the occasional bits of screen tearing and odd texture loading, it didn’t take away from the overall feeling of completeness I had as the credits rolled.

I won’t forget Alta, Boro, or the little tea shop in the woods anytime soon.

I haven't finished yet, but the game is outstanding so far. (I'll edit later and write more when I'm able to roll credits.) Ayumi is a great protagonist, and I love, love, LOVE the vibe the game gives off, from the art style to the NPCs to the setting, music, and story. It plays fantastic on my Steam Deck too, which is always a huge bonus!

There are some great vibes in this demo. (Also, we're all a little bit like Henny, am I right?) It was short, but definitely left me excited for the full release and to figure out what's happening in the world. Loved meeting the different NPCs, had lots of laughs about Henny's co-workers (we all know a Jane), and loved the look the look of it all.

I don't want to bury the lede, but YES, you can pet the dog! :)

The game looks and sounds gorgeous, and it has a heck of a hook in the beginning. Ayumi, who you play as, is an adorable protagonist and I couldn't help but want to protect him. It's a great balance of narrative, slice-of-life, and action moments and the demo was everything a demo should be - leaving me eagerly awaiting the full release to unravel this mystery of the forest and who Ayumi's dream girl is.

Closer the Distance begins with a tragedy in the tight-knit community of Yesterby. Angela, a teenager with her whole life ahead of her has died in a tragic accident, leaving her sister Conny and her parents Pia and Axel shocked, in addition to the rest of the town. From what you get to learn about Angela before the accident, she was like any other teenager; wanting to see the world and be free of her seemingly pre-ordained life in the small town. She made me think of many a heroine from John Green’s works, especially Alaska Young.

You get to know the residents of Yesterby quickly, Doctor Galya and her partner Leigh, Leigh’s son Bodhi, the enterprising Jasper and his wife Blanche and their children River and Eli, town carpenter Melville and his son Zek, who was also Angela’s boyfriend, and village stalwart Henrietta. Osmotic took great care in making sure these NPCs weren’t carbon copies of each other, each was unique with their own reactions and coping mechanisms to Angela’s death.
There’s an element of The Sims in Closer the Distance, as you can monitor health, hunger, sleep, self-care, and a few other categories for every person in the town. It also varies from character to character, with ‘Play’ being one of the meters for youngster Eli and ‘Health’ being one for Galya. Using this mechanic in a game about grief was inspired. The characters were so shockingly human that I tried to ensure everyone was fed and taking care of themselves (the mom in me), but I realized that I couldn’t. I wouldn’t be able to make everyone better on my timetable; I needed to wait for theirs.

To get down to brass tacks, Closer the Distance is unique and a shining example of games as art. It’s an exploration of community, showing how grief can twist and strain or even strengthen bonds, and how hard it can be to let go, especially if you’re not ready for it. I wasn’t ready to say my final goodbyes to Angela when it happened, but Conny was, and that’s really all that mattered.

Fishbowl's demo was colorful, charming, poignant, and it gets the highest recommendation from me. (And too short, but that's just me being selfish.) A wonderful piece of art that most of us can relate to now, it's hard to believe that this is the work of just two people that began learning game development during the early days of the pandemic.

The visual style is vibrant, the writing full of humor (I will always lol at the "No dehydrate and die!" dialog choice), and the final section of the demo took my breath away. You might not be 21 years old and fresh out of college, but you'll find yourself having more in common with Alo than you think.