Foreword
The new Build 0.4.1 did not bring too many changes to the core game in Build 0.4; it has, however, because of changes in the code, afforded more veteran players the chance to play this game from the very start. That means that some of us will find new experiences from older updates. This “review” features commentaries on those changes.
This text will feature less objective judgement on the aforementioned new experiences, but more personal opinions.
That is to say, this thing will be the poorly veiled ramblings of a long-time fan, masquerading as a review.
A short Typo and Bug Report will be featured as a reply to this for easier access.
TL;DR
The changes this fan has observed have been beneficial for the project, even if it somewhat changes his previous notions of parts of the project.
The new music tracks and the respective uses give the project a much more professional vibe. May it begin (The valley) and One Witness (Argos) are my favorites.
On the 0.2.5 changes
If somehow you are reading this and have only played from the start on build 0.2.5 or above, it might surprise you to find that the Prologue and Chapter 1 have suffered many alterations (you can see them all here, if you haven’t already). Worried about missing anything? Don’t. Even if the text is different, the crux of the experience is there and greatly improved.
However, the biggest change is the form it is presented. Everything is less direct.
Old Clément is given a bit of characterization and depth of his own. He is no longer the geezer on the threshold of insanity that rambles some half-nonsense and hands you the deed. Instead, a broken, regret-filled old man who is desperate to somehow undo his biggest sin without actually facing it himself. In this moment, the cruelty of Clément feels more three-dimensional than Asterion could ever tell you himself.
Vivid descriptions from the MC of places (previously only seen in depth in the dinner lounge) now extend to the many areas including the lands surrounding the Hotel. These explanations help paint a better picture of the wanderer persona the MC has seldom did that truly shine through before the changes. New BGs help further illustrate so as well.
“Gee whiz,” one might say, “these all look like improvements to me!” And they are. I wouldn’t bring it up in such length if I had nothing else to say about it, though. I said just now how everything is less direct; that relates to my experience with the game.
Back when I first played MinoH, in version 0.2, my previous experience with (furry) VNs left me with a certain impression of what to expect. Let’s just say I was thinking with the wrong head. I was recommended this game by itch.io after really enjoying Eddio’s Killigan’s Treasure. “A NSFW game about bedding the minotaur of myth?! Now we are talking!” I thought to myself. So there I was, ready for some bull-man action, instead I got an opening about an old man and some deed, walking in the desert to find a decrypt hotel. Not long after, intrigued, but still aroused me faced the Cold Room scene; I lost more than my previous notions of VNs then.
What’s the point of this cringe-ass story? Well, the pacing of the old opening had the jolt, the slap in the face that was once the pivot of my relationship with this game. Current me, enthralled by the game’s quality and depth of themes, can appreciate the changes and knows full well they are for the better. I can imagine, however, some people may be turned off from the game by the new Prologue and Chapter 1 that wouldn’t be from their previous incarnations; in the same situation as me or otherwise.
Now I’m supposed to present an alternative, right? My solution to this conundrum. My panacea to save this game from the mistakes its authors have caused! (This whole paragraph is sarcasm, if it’s not obvious.)
Truth is, despite what I said so far, I do not think the changes are a real problem. I just think it’s interesting how, from that opening alone, people might have a wholly different experience and relationship with the game.
Last change I would like to point out (and these might even be from 0.2.5) are the new character animations.
In the writing manual, GeorgeSquares (from Echo Project’s The Smoke Room) says on Blocking:
“[...] blocking [is] ‘the part of the narrative that tells the reader where the characters are, where the scenery is, and how these things are interacting,’ [...] For visual novels, some basic blocking is automatically done for us. There is an established background and we can choose to place sprites of characters on the left, on the right, or in the center of the screen. [...] blocking shouldn’t end with backgrounds and sprite placement alone.“
There, he’s speaking about writing (duh), but it also has something to do, I feel, about the way characters are presented. There are now animations for walking, seating, shaking, and even moving around. Build 0.4 had those in Chapter 13, but they now permeate much of the game; making the characters feel more alive and (let’s be real) giving more to look at on top of the expressions.
There’s still a bit of “housekeeping” that can be done, though. Older scenes have employed these animations to great effect (the pact with Asterion, holy shit). Some feel like they could use them animations.
On the music
The current “plot arc”' of this game’s development is based on its soundtrack. The Olympic ordeal brings matching spoils. The ten new tracks are beyond excellent, their application is nigh perfect… most of the time.
There have been a good number of instances where the vibe of the scene changes, but the song doesn’t. One example is in the very prologue. The mystical air on the very first track provides very well fits with the poem at the start, but not much of the rest of the chapter.
On twitter I saw a comment that called some songs “samey” or repetitive. I don’t think this stems from the songs themselves, but more so the shift I mentioned. The transition can be good in textual and visual presentations, but can be weakened by a dissimilar audio transitions.
The remedy for this is already in the game. Most times (often in the later chapters) where, in the same scene, things go south or bounce back and the song follows. Of course, just slapping another track won’t be the vaccine. The use of ambience, more muted tracks, and good ol’ silence (all have great examples already in the game) is a much more interesting technique, in my opinion.
Some of my favorite musical moments include: the track in the cold room makes the scene hit much harder, Argos’ introduction, the use of both versions of May it Begin and the transition from the truck stop scene to the sex scene.
The use of SFX is another point I’d like to bring up. Their use is so unbalanced, I feel. Sometimes, I even felt like the lack of frequent use was a deliberate move. There are points where the effects overpower everything, and there was where they are snuffed by the music.
Housekeeping is the only solution for this too. It shouldn’t be a priority or anything. I only really noticed because I was paying attention to the new tracks.
For anyone who does not know yet, ben coner on YouTube has been curating a playlist with all the tracks.
Conclusion
I’m not one to replay games, rewatch movies, or reread books, not even ones I love. I’d probably play MinoHotel again eventually from the start once it was more developed. But, damn, I’m glad I played it again now.
Thank you so much for reading this, whoever you are. I hope it wasn’t too yawn-inducing or confusing. You are, of course, free to: reply with your own experiences, new and old, or tell me how wrong I am!