itch.io

bro this game looks good i haven't finished it yet since it's scary like i feel that i'm gonna  jumpscared any time lol. over all, it seems like a the complex: backrooms inspired game since its graphics remind me of that

(Here's another feedback, if you don't mind: )

I may have overestimated this game too much, to the point that I forgot that this was just a game.

This game somehow describes my life, but declaring it as if it's something that is "relatable" to me is a misconception.

I also wanted to differentiate the research papers (abstract writings* with random words on first post) and the game's day intro; the research papers were kinda bland, but the game's day intro was very interesting and more ominous.

The game knows how to implement certain features such as; switching perspectives at night and day, without making it scuffed.

One last thing: Story games die off after knowing the end, especially when you already know what's someone is gonna say or know what's gonna happen. That's for the game's mystery.

Though that's optional if you want to solve that problem since part of a game being excellent is by being imperfect.

As for relevancy, a game called Undertale deals with this excellently; the countless mysteries of the game, back the game up, but it's also its disadvantage since all you have to do is to know all the mysteries to get rid of its value.

And not even bothering to read also makes story games pale.

Perhaps, pleasing the people who wants to be pleased is a good tip for the game.

Also wanted to say that: 

Uhhh... spoilers spoilers for Death Note and the game of course

Uhhh... spoilers spoilers for Death Note and the game of course

Uhhh... spoilers spoilers for Death Note and the game of course

(ALSO, THIS GAME REMINDS ME OF DEATH NOTE, AND DEATH NOTE'S ENDING KINDA SUCKS BECAUSE LIGHT DIED AND TERU IS KINDA A DUMBASS AND TERU KINDA PARALLELS DR COOPER HERE. Anyway, enough of me being salty)

My review will have a lot of SPOILERS, so finish the game first:




Not a spoiler free review.

Not a spoiler free review.

Not a spoiler free review.

This is a really, really good game.

The game really handles story-telling well, especially of how it builds up the atmosphere, and the visible life on the characters and the atmosphere;

The way the game gives information about the characters to the player is handled excellently!

The game makes believable characters by giving slight information about their hobbies, backstory, and how they feel without information overload and with their mystery still in tact.

The game doesn't care if they "please" people which made the game more humble like a literal person, but I feel like after Day/Night 1, and especially Twilight; the game switches to a new path and becomes desperate and tries really hard to please you by having a cliche plot twist in the end. To be honest, I didn't really liked the game's ending; maybe it's because I'm salty and I don't like sad endings like that.

It makes me feel like I'm in an alternate timeline where the game chose ending B since it really does seem like "Fate's bad ending" for me.

If I could describe the game's ending A it would probably be like this;

• N9 would be a real deadly disease with different side effects for people.

• The Ward would be a huge, functioning, and guarded location.
• The doctors would be working on a cure for N9.
• No more "doctors making clones of Tess till the being awakens, and that disappointing, 'you are a bug in the system'".
• Tess and the player are the same person
  

• Owen and Tess save Cecily, who is an actual different patient in the ward.

It doesn't really matter if you implement those or not, but I did play this game near May or April and instantly stopped at Night 1 to take months of break, then continued and finished the entire game last week. But I swear, Day 1 really built up the story just to have it fall in the bottomless pit in Twilight.

Though, I am content with the game's ending and I am okay if it stays like that. I was kinda expecting this game to be like The Promised Neverland during and after my 1st session of game.

But if there's anything the game can improve on it's to;

Make the abstract writings readable without the stereotypical writing like Cecily's letter, instead of random words appearing.

(The writings could be vague if you want, as long as they each contain backstory, or lore, or foreshadowing.)

This game may be just something for a game jam, but for a game jam entry; this game is really good, this game seems to have life in it. The game makes me as well wonder what's the outside of the Ward if it was real and how the people would be doing in the Ward, as if it seems comprehensible enough. If this game is given more care, this could stand alone as a game.

EDIT: (also if you're planning to make this more polished or a game, maybe more replay ability would help; at this point, this post is basically a wishlist for a game)