Ooh... boy.

I promised Mado on Twitter that I would play protoViolence as soon as it came out. Well, uh, I had to postpone that until today. Partly because assignments and my own game project took over, but also because... I played malViolence already. I loved it, and I also had an idea what the conclusion to its prequel would be like. I knew it would be heavy, and I would need a good mental space for it.

I read protoViolence, and it was exactly what I expected it would be; something that's beautiful and horrifying. Of course, technically it's very impressive! I didn't know Ren'py was capable of all this. The dynamic panning, the smooth switch between dialogue boxes and ADV textboxes, the voiced bits, and the music all come together to create an experience that I feel like I should be paying for.

Story-wise, as a malViolence player I already knew how it was going to end, but even so the way the events unfolded kept me hooked on. I remember one of my small complaints about malViolence was that one of the main characters was kind of under-developed and there was too much tell over show, and protoViolence did a lot of work to justify this and flesh out everyone. Advancing through the gradual buildup and the inevitable end was very satisfying - but that actually doesn't sound like the best way to describe it considering the nature of the plot...

In the end, I highly recommend protoViolence. I've played all three of Mado and their team's VNs (Bad Faith, malViolence, and this), each one has shown improvements and great quality and I would definitely want to see more fantastic works from them.

Full disclosure: While I was reading the setup of the story, I had to stop for a few minutes. I was wondering whether maybe this wasn't the game for me. I wanted to make choices to affect the flow of the plot. I therefore went back to the game's page to double-check the description, only then to realize that there was only one ending. I've enjoyed kinetic novels before, but I have a huge preference for multiple choices and endings. I seriously considered moving on to another game at that point. However, as I was skimming through the comments, I saw highly positive feedback that encouraged me to continue. And I'm eternally grateful that I did! 

The distinct and expressive character designs, especially of Pavel, first drew me to download this game. But the entire project just wows on every level imaginable: the fleshed-out worldbuilding; the overall sci-fi/technological aesthetic and graphics; the way the sprites and camera move; the variety in visuals and storytelling formats, including the epistolary portions and the art style that shifts as the situation steadily grows direr; and the great music, sound design, and voice acting. In short, everything in this game is so meticulously planned to snag the player's attention right off the bat and to ensure that they stay engaged the entire way through. 

I didn't expect to get so attached to the characters! I teared up not once, not twice, but thrice! And I gasped and cursed to myself so many times. Because I haven't played malViolence yet, I was totally in the dark about the fates of these characters and was filled with more and more dread as the story rapidly barreled toward its high-stakes and action-packed conclusion. Then I was super satisfied by the ending and overjoyed upon reading the extras. I can't wait to check out the sequel now. I'm desperate to learn more about these characters, the challenges they face, and the seemingly dystopian world they inhabit. 

This is one of my favorite VNs/KNs in recent memory. Congrats to everybody in the team for delivering such a standout project! You're all incredible! 

i love this vn so much i will leave a comment here just to let you know hahaha
not played too many entries from the jam, but it's one of my favs so far!!!

pavel cute, must protecc...
also the va in that one particular scene was very (clenches fist)
very Moving >_<

Just finished playing and I have to admit that playing this got me the most shaken I've ever been in a while;;  I was glued to the screen the whole time and i was always anticipating what would happen next. The visuals really went perfectly with the story and I loved the moments of rest when we were at the desk. Amazing amazing work!! T_T <3

most haunting and immersive experience ever. felt like i was watching a movie play out in real time in the best way possible. visually and story-wise amazing. and the GASPS at certain story parts that it got out of me omg