Recent reviews by philosophercat

A masterpiece of historical fiction, it stands among the very best of the genre. Cannot recommend it enough. It's also one of the very few games which does not whitewash the European middle ages. I really appreciate that. It's such a delight.

One word: pacing. This game could shine if the 16 day deadline were removed.

I felt frustrated that I could not fully explore Fallen London just after the Fall. It's that sense of deep lore and exploration that drives my love for Failbetter as a studio. I am aroace, and really appreciate the system that they've created for non-romantic paths, but I agree with other critiques that it's always much too rushed for these choices to have any meaning.

I hope to be able to rec this game after some patching. Until then, I will return to the Sunless games for my Fallen London fix.

This one has a lot of potential but there are some substantial issues...

On the one hand, it is a story-rich interactive narrative with interesting mechanics that, most of the time, create a very immersive experience. On the other hand, in this experience where every action you take has severe consequences, you are locked into some very important events... In my case, I was trying to play a certain kind of character to see how well they would fare. They sacrificed a lot to follow the path of their beliefs. Then the game just says he's going to side with so-and-so. And he's definitely going to listen to this piece of advice, and do this thing which is against his principles. The only choices along the way are if you're going to go about it in a polite, aggressive, or sneaky way.

That's my main complaint. The minor ones are mostly some bugs that required me to restart a few days repeatedly, and that there were a lot of typos. I was surprised to see this even in the case files where important information for the case was omitted because the sentence just trails off.

I do recommend this game because the time I played was enjoyable, though brief (once I realized that there was really little control I could have over the character, and that the narrative was pretty railroady despite all of the apparently rich choices I decided my time with it was over). The music is splendid.

A preface: I'm very reluctantly not recommending this game. It was a gift, for one, and secondly I really wanted to like it on its own terms. I'm a Classical scholar, and the concept is all kinds of wonderful. But I feel duty bound to be honest to anyone thinking of buying the game, so here we go:

Pros:
+ The art style is superb. I feel like this game could have been a top-notch animated film. It's not only beautiful but steeped in the iconography and lore of the ancient Greeks. Could not be better.
+ The music, likewise, is evocative and well suited to the gameplay.
+ The concept of an ancient Greek themed platformer inspired by pottery is fantastic.

Meh:
= The story was simplistic. This is something that could appeal to some but not all gamers.
= If you're familiar with ancient Greek epic, religion, or myths at all, you might have some moments of frustration. I knew the hero was making some really poor choices but, as with any linear game, you have to go along with it. Some might find it a refreshing twist on the old stories.

Cons:
- What other reviews have said about the combat is, sadly, true. The controls are terrible on KB and mouse.
- Combat feels floaty. There were several moments when enemies killed themselves, threw themselves out of the level including an elite. It is also possible for one boss battle, at least, to become glitched if a required item is knocked out of the level by the boss.
- Boss battles have neat gimmicks but are implemented poorly. Each boss has been less about challenge and working out a strategy, or being skilled, but simply having the patience to grind it down.

Pros:

+ Setting is superb. As strange and comically-sinister as it is, it's really easy to buy into it.
+ Writing is absolutely fantastic and is the heart and soul of the game.
+ Art is evocative, goes hand-in-hand with the prose style to create the game's unique atmosphere of wonder, whimsy, and dread.
+ As of the time of this review, new content is being added regularly (new stories), and an expansion is on the way.

Meh:

= While the writing is good, once you've read through certain quest texts, you will probably simply click on your usual option and skip over the text on subsequent playthroughs.
= It's a reader's game. If you prefer less text in your games, you might want to give this one a miss.
= You will find items, meet people, and have no idea how they will be relevant. Where do you sell what item? Personally, the trial-and-error nature of it all is an enjoyable part of the experience but it could easily annoy other players.

Cons:

- Early game is extremely, painfully repetitive. Since dying is so easy in this game, you have to restart and play the same quests in the same areas many many times.
- The combat is functional but not at all enjoyable. Most of the time, it's just a nuisance. I find myself simply relying on avoiding it because I can't be bothered.

Pros:
+ The art design is superb, reminding me somewhat of the finest folktale illustrations.
+ The depth of feeling in this game is simply unmatched.
+ This is the only game I've ever played which made the physicality of its interface a meaningful- I would say even essential- aspect of the experience. This isn't simply a game which can be classified as art, but art that could only be possible in a video game format.
+ The story is simple, incredibly efficient.

Meh:
= It has to be said: some gamers are just not going to dig this type of simple story, preferring a more baroque style and that's okay.
= There is not a word of dialog in this game. In my opinion, it doesn't suffer for it but for some gamers this will seem like they are missing out on depth.
= The game is short. I thought about this for some time, and I really think it is the right length; the game should be completed in one sitting. Nevertheless, some may see this as a downside.

Cons:
- I can't stress enough that this game should be played with a controller. It's not that the keyboard and mouse is a poor interface, but as I said above, the interface is an essential part of the experience in this game in ways that can't be said of any other game I've played. If you must use a keyboard... I don't think you'd be seeing this game at its best, or what makes it unique.

Pros:
+ The flavor text for the monsters, items, everything is whimsical and packed with witty refrences and quips.
+ The classes are tonnes of fun, as their names suggest.
+Lots and lots of items, crafting and customisation.
+ Monster Zoos are always appreciated- unless you're not prepared for them, of course.
+ It features a benevolent lutefisk god.

Meh:
= The art style isn't everyone's cup of tea.
= It's a straight up dungeon crawl without much of a story/backstory.

Cons:
- Without spoiling the ending, the skills you chose at character creation have a greater impact on whether you can defeat the game than they really ought to. Your first run you either get lucky by picking the right skills or you metagame to be sure you can counter the boss mechanics.

Pros:
+ The stylized artwork in this game is stunning and a terrific choice for a game which draws on the elements of old-fashioned storytelling in the vein of European folklore.
+ The concept of a randomised, co-op choose your own adventure game was an excellent one.

Meh:
= I wasn't sure where to put this since it's a highly YMMV sort of thing; games last about 5 minutes. For me, this was far too short, but I can see this appealing to other players.
= The writing is imaginative and competent, although each plot thread is so short it's ultimately forgettable.
= This game has great potential that would probably only be realised through a modding community.

Cons:
- Repetitive. Hugely repetitive. This became apparent by my second playthrough and only got worse. Since this is the appeal of the game (it is marketed as 'a one-to-four player choose-your-own-adventure game that randomizes a unique story every time you play' I was disappointed by how repetitive it was, especially given how short each game is).
- Some of the story elements are not suitable for younger players but I haven't seen any indication of this on the store front (horror elements, specifically).
- While the game is advertised as 'story rich' and with a 'fully fleshed out world' I found it extremely simplistic and shallow in those regards.

Pros:
+ Almost everyone in the player community is completely mad in a delightful way.
+ There's a steep learning curve but once you get the hang of something (a ship, gun, ammo type, role etc) it feels great.
+ The soundtrack is subtle and atmospheric.
+ Lots and lots of customisation for ship and crew loadouts.
+ Teamwork really is the core of this game.

Meh:
= While there are a variety of maps, they quickly become repetitive.
= The game modes also become repetitive, although this is mitigated greatly by the variety of loadouts. I've seen users band together to improve this by creating their own rules such as escort missions (agreeing beforehand that the loser will surrender). Hopefully the new Adventure mode will remedy some of this.
= The lobbies can take awhile to fill. This is getting better, though.

Cons:
- Lag spikes are a problem, especially when your ship is an inferno. OTOH, you can use this to your advantage by setting other ships on fire (Captain: "Quick! Reduce their framerate!")
- Very very rarely you run into the type of player who thinks they literally are an airship admiral and cuss out their crew accordingly.