(Thank you for giving me the opportunity to beta this MONSTER of a game!!!)
This is a game that is both beautiful and hard to play LOL it deals with some truly dark subject matter without shying away from the details, and the horror elements are definitely on full display. However, I do think it approaches the dark subject matter with a great deal of thoughtfulness, and overall the experience is cathartic, uplifting, and earned.
The presentation of the visuals is truly incredible. Not only are there are an obscene amount of CGs, but the way that the visuals are presented is also very clever, particularly the horror imagery. I really liked how most of the game is presented in a fairly small frame, giving the game an almost claustrophobic quality - and making the instances where the visuals do break out of the frame uniquely jarring and unsettling. The use of stylization is stark and eye-catching, especially the variation in colors to represent different moods, and I also really appreciated the use of filters/effects - it made the game seemed so animated and also really contributed to the horrifying/unsettling atmosphere in certain parts of the game. The audio design is also very well done, ranging from earsplitting SFX to beautiful classical music LOL the entire experience is very cohesive in setting the stage during different parts of the story.
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(I'll be replacing some words here just to avoid any flagging.)
The portrayal of abs-u$e here is very messy, in a way that I think captures the nuances of these sorts of relationships well. At the start, Lazare is almost like a fairytale prince, bringing life back to the reclusive Jonas, who almost seems like the ghost himself. Their relationship truly has moments of wholesomeness and sweetness, and in some ways Lazare DOES change Jonas for the better and supports him through his trauma, which makes his manipulations all the harder to bear. Still, his toxicity is evident even before "everything goes down" - in the way that he subtly takes control, invades on Jonas' space without his permission, talks over him, and constantly insinuates that reading his dang book will fix Jonas' life. I'll talk about it only vaguely, but I thought that the instance where Lazare decides to get more "personal" with Jonas was a good representation of the red flags in their relationship (even putting aside the deliberately horrifying sound effects and imagery). Although Jonas does not explicitly reject anything, the act is initiated without his consent or engagement, and throughout he is confused, overwhelmed, and lacking control. It's a good portrayal of the danger of such stark power dynamics - in this case, because of Jonas' loneliness, mental vulnerability, and of course the age gap between the two parties - as Lazare is easily able to manipulate Jonas into doing what he wants, and trick him into thinking that it's what he truly desires. In this way the portrayal of abs-u$e is a realistic and thought-provoking one, because even though I knew that Lazare was no good from the very first chapter, I still UNDERSTOOD why Jonas was so drawn to him (a handsome, caretaking ghost comes to him when he's lonely and suffering, what's not to like?) - which is an important nuance when understanding victims in these sorts of relationships. I also sympathized when Jonas suspects that Lazare is no good, but is drawn to him anyway because of the sheer amount of affection Lazare pours on him (in almost textbook lovebombing).
I won't go much into the symbolism, literary references, and so on, simply because the game is so chock-full of them that they would be impossible to discuss - the prose is rich and poetic, and I really appreciated how well the references were integrated into the overall themes of the story. However, as much as I liked the poetic lines, I also really liked the instances in which the text breaks out of that poeticism and becomes direct and almost vulgar, especially near the end - I think that the shift in style reflected the rawness of the emotions well. The story is also beautifully constructed, with so many parallels between Jonas' prior experiences and "La Llorona" and Jonas' current experiences with Lazare, and it really makes the ending cathartic, as it feels as if Jonas overcomes all of his prior horrific experiences and bests them in one fell swoop. The usage of "fire" and "water" imagery in the climax is particularly lovely, and they reflect Jonas' emotions - depression and righteous anger - very well.
One of the details that really stood out to me about the climax is how, at the very end, Jonas' "ghosts", which previously tormented him, become an almost sort of strength. The parallels between Lazare - a ghost who was Jonas' inspiration becoming his nightmare - and Jonas' more typical ghosts - turning from his nightmares into his inspiratin - was very intriguing. I think that it reflects another nuance of trauma, depicting it as neither a "good" or an "evil" - Jonas is not made better by his trauma, but it does give him the strength to resist being trampled when he needs it.
Overall, this game was truly a tour de force, and ESPECIALLY for a Nano project - how you do it, I have no idea... Fantastic work!!!