I think the concept of this game of an abandoned MMO and a dying world is really interesting and I would say mostly well done. The aesthetic really works for this sense of an abandoned and dying world, the use of tarot cards is inspired, the combat is limited in a way which really adds to the feeling of it being very dated, and the music and visual effects really makes it really eery and disturbing. I think the stats are fun, the abandoned world is interesting in that it opens up a lot of questions, and I like the gender stuff that is happening in this game.
There are some minor criticisms I have, mostly quality of life ones such as wanting a pause screen, being able to edit the game volume and brightness. I think that the lack of pause screen or game brightness editing is prooobably purposeful to add a sense of authenticity and atmosphere to the game, but volume controls don't feel like a big ask. There could even be additional things in a settings menu that could add to the world or atmosphere.
The main thing I would say is I that while I buy it as a world, I'm not sure I buy it as an MMO; It doesn't feel large enough to have been an MMO (given that one of the M's stands for Massive) even if it is very easy to get lost in, and many of the paths feel very much designed for a single player experience, not for having multiple people in them. I initially didn't feel like it was part of a game either, as mostly when I look around I feel unsure what the original players would have been doing, what the actual story or concept of the game was to keep them there given how disparate the various areas are. However the more I think about it, the more I was reminded of the sort of design philosophy that prevailed over many early MMO's and also adventure rpgs (or at least, the way I remember them) where you would have a fire area, a winter area, a water area, a technologically advanced area maybe, etc. even if it barely made any sense for them to be near each other. I think that the corpse of the game which PAGAN: Autogeny inhabits would have been a strange and distinct one in some ways, but likely when if it was filled with people, quests, and enemies to grind, it might not feel so different to many other MMO's of the time (other than the stat names and the single player rather than MMO size of the game).
Over all I like this game, it resonated with me as a trans person and I think it will stick with me for a time. Maybe I'll even replay it someday in order to get one of the other endings (I activated the Martyr and did not get the hidden tarot.) I recommend it as an experience
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