This is my favorite IF. My only complaint is that I can’t play the entire game start to finish.
First of all, I rarely listen to in game soundscapes or play WIP IFs more than once. This, however, I’ve played SEVERAL times, and each time with the sound on. It’s so immersive! The prose is lush and evocative. And the characters? Oh my god.
I know we’re supposed to hate Umyra but I do not care that she is manipulating Lenity and neither does Lenity (not JUST because she’s smitten with her! There are other reasons). While the options to snark and fight back are fun, playing the Eternal Optimist against Umyra (and slowly gaining her affection?? hello?? miss ma’am??? i saw that!!) has been my favorite dynamic thus far.
Aikani and the guard are fascinating, too. Both, when given the option, choose to be kind (sometimes to their detriment). Seeing the little blink and you’ll miss it moments solidifies the power structure and lends credence to the fact that these are people with their own, separate agendas without making Umyra seem ineffectual, which is a delicate balancing act in courtly settings.
And also Z??? In the dream??? Z, babe, why did you do that?
I’m looking forward to the tragic slow burn between Lenity and Umyra where they never admit their feelings for one another and then the former dies in a battle she could never hope to win 💖Or, rather, that’s what I would say if she didn’t strike a bargain with another, different being of immense and ancient power. We’ll see how that goes for her in the eleventh hour. There’s so many dots to connect within the plot; I’m curious to see if the protagonist catches on sooner rather than later and if my theory with regards to reflections are correct.
Anyway, this was perhaps too long, but letting you know exactly how much I liked this game and why felt like the least I could do after you’ve worked so hard. Thank you for making it.