GOD YOU REALLY NEVER DISAPPOINT?????
I knew I was in for a ride of emotions with this being the sequel to The Daughters of the Sun, but I didn't know quite how many different trips you'd send me on, nor the sheer power you'd be able to convey through this.
CAN I JUST SAY ONE THING. LIKE. THE WRITING IN THIS??? IT'S ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS???? It literally feels like it should come right out of a play. I can picture this as a climactic soliloquy in some kind of ancient Greek play. The language used, the poetic quality to everything, the flow of the words. And double that up with the performance of the VA, which was absolutely AMAZING. Literally so much emotion behind every single line. The raw power especially in some of the build-up. This whole game feels like taking a small peek into an epic and dramatic stageplay lkdjfalskdfa
I'm in love with how you portrayed Hippolytus here. I feel like there's this real connection even to today's day and age, this quick resolve to blame yourself despite being the victim. To assume that HE must have somehow caused Phaedra to feel this way. That it must be something that HE did. Which is so so similar to what so many people even today say about victims -- that surely the victim must have done something to make their attacker do whatever they did to them. And even the victims blaming themselves, wishing they could have only done something differently and that they're at fault, when that couldn't be further from the truth. My heart really went out for Hippolytus, especially as he kept twisting and convoluting the narrative to search for something that wasn't there -- something he did but shouldn't have. Because he didn't do anything at all. He was just living his life.
I enjoyed the resolve he reached at the end. I had no idea what the final outcome would be (and perhaps assumed it would end up being horrifically tragic LDKJFALD), but I liked the turn it took with him deciding to leave and then the POWER behind that one scene when the sword appeared behind him. It was such a strong lasting image and tone to end the game with!! And it makes me want to continue with Hippolytus on his journey to wherever he goes.
The art in this was absolutely lovely! I really enjoyed the first scene with the soft BG and the parallax. It was a good setup to then lead into the reflection image, which was also so symbolic???? BECAUSE HE SPENDS THE GAME LOOKING DEEP INSIDE HIMSELF???? Also because it's so important for us to see these deep emotions that rock him in different ways, so having the nice close-up to really be able to viscerally feel each and every change in his expression and emotion, it was really done so well. And the way the background changed! Whether it was the subtle changes in color or the more obvious little images that appeared in the background to help illustrate parts of the story. It was just enough to keep the scene engaging and changing while not taking the focus away from the star of the show front and center. Lovely choice of music too! I enjoyed when it changed to the quicker, almost more violent-sounding tune as Hippolytus's emotions built and built and built (which, especially when accompanied by the building of emotion in the VA's voice, was doubly effective lkadjfad).
Overall just fantastic. You do such an amazing job of not only imbuing your stuff with these raw powerful feelings, but also keeping this incessant building of those feelings all throughout. I also just love how you're introducing me to all these stories that I would have never heard of before and filling them with your own thoughts and passions alkdsjfasd Literally everything you put out effects me in such a deep guttural way SOB.