GODDDDDDD THIS HIT ME STRAIGHT IN EVERY SINGLE FEEL AND SYNAPSE AND HEART COCKLE I POSSESS????
This is literally like. THE quintessential game dev experience. Every single doubt we have. Every single tear we shed. Every single moment of demotivation, of heartbreak, of insecurity, of wanting to throw everything away but not not not NOT being able to because at the end of the day no matter how many tears we shed or how much sweat we put into things, we can't stop. Because there's something there that's always driving us. And it's why we do this despite the fact that there isn't exactly a lot of reward from it besides getting our stories and ideas and characters out there and hoping there will be others who can relate to and connect with them.
Ok that was a ramble LMAOOOO
But really. I resonate so so so much with every Zoë said. With every doubt she relayed. Getting bad reviews is like... the worst feeling in the world. And it can be absolutely crushing. Getting bad star ratings with no comments attached is bad enough -- you can like, convince yourself it's just a troll or a jerk or maybe even someone who didn't even play it and just is being mean -- but to have someone go into infinesimal detail about everything they personal found "wrong" with something you poured your heart and soul into is absolutely crushing. And despite how much we can try to tell ourselves that it's just one person and there may be plenty of others who do in fact like it, it's basically impossible to put it out of your mind and have it stop weighing on your entire spirit (which then can demotivate you from continuing to work on stuff, since the normal happy feeling you get from working on your stuff is tainted by their words) I really liked at least how we as the friend in this game could encourage Zoë enough to give her the motivation back to keep pushing. We all need someone like that honestly. Someone who has our back even when external factors are trying to cut us down. And that's also why having such a supporting community of others in the same situation, or other friends who have been with us every step of the way, is so important. Game dev is already isolating enough!! Having at least someone else there beside you can help you in those (unavoidable) moments where you just want to throw in the towel.
UMMM TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE GAME THOUGH love love LOVEDDDDD the GUI???? It was so unique and fun! And the set up with having the text on the right and Zoë's sprite on the left was so good??? And the title screen! And all the little cameos! Literally everything about it was just like... a love-letter to game dev in general and brought such a smile to my face. And the voice acting for Zoë was phenomenal, as well!! Some of the emotion in those lines made my eyes get all foggy, particularly when it was something I had felt and could relate to so much myself.
Just absolutely fantastic overall. Fantasically made. Fantastically written. Fantastically voice acted. And fantastically imbued right into the very soul of all the other game devs it's speaking to. Just very cathartic to play and know that... that none of us are alone in our thoughts. And we all go through these struggles. But a wonderful reminder of why it is we do what we do in the first place. And honestly all of us need to remember and re-hear this (and literally re-experience it, in this case) from time to time. Thank you for this!! 💕