alright. lets get to typing.
my name is jax and i playtested this game! ive been on the development team and never left hope for this project. ive been here since nostalgia hotline was advertised on tiktok, lmao
im so happy this game is finally published and out to everyone on itch.io. lets talk about the game!
SPOILERS... OF COURSE <3
the minigame where you have to spam z to get the car to move was very clever! even if it was simple i liked it. and the hopscotch was very cute. though mc didnt play it correctly.. stupid. anyways, i hope we get to use the vending machine in the polished version. im not sure what it could do, but i think there could be a few easter eggs to credit the development team before the end of the game. you know, cute drinks that are named after some of the helpers! like uhhhhhhhh "ctrls pop" or something. idk
sadly the file bit did not work for me. thank you ctrl for giving me the answer. i know this a demo, but hopefully in the polished version, there will be a sprint button. it was a little tedious to walk back and forth through the office area and to the other side of the hallway. the small speech at the end was WONDERFUL to read. i love it when dialogue boxes whizz by too fast for you to read but slow enough for you to process. and can i talk about the aMAZING song at the end??? i didnt even know it was made by someone (please, go check it out on spotify! Last Row of The Car) because of how professional and clear it sounded. i love instrumentals that dont have any clear instruments. just a mixture of sounds that blend together in a way that is beautiful.
the ambience noises/music unsettled me in the best way possible. i absolutely hate the dial up sound. it sends a very sharp shiver down my spine because of how icky and horrifying it sounds. really any sound that comes from a phone, even the voiceline ending sound, was terrifying. but it adds to the environment. the use of phones and computers helps tie the whole nostalgia hotline title together.
im excited for when voice acting gets implemented into the game. i think that speech at the end is the only part i can think of to have a voice. its mc speaking to us. but speaking to himself too. truly speaking to everyone. its like how in ddlc, monika was the only one to stare at the camera and also added files to your game, just like in this game. another example is kinitopet. i think really any game that has a self-aware character in it is one of the best games. i appreciate games that mess around with your files because i would have no idea how to figure it out. from the comments, i learned that the file was CREATED. BY. ITSELF. i think you could totally take the ddlc route where you have to delete a file or take the kinitopet route where you have to use the control panel somewhere in the game.
the controls are great. the camera shifting around with mc is pretty mechanical and works to create suspense so you dont know what else is in the room until you move to that specific spot. also, the cute bit with you (ctrl) talking to us and telling us to take care of him only to completely break that promise in the end with mc breaking down into emotional madness with this voice in his head. his voice in his head.
to wrap this up, this game is one of my new favorite indie games. im very happy that i was able to help in development with this! this game blew up quickly, and i want you, yes, the reader, to thank ctrlcarl for this amazing production. he binded our development team together through social media and some through real life. i was someone who met carl through social media, and it fills me with joy when i click with someone immediately because we have the same goal: to make people happy because of something you created.
your dear friend at cyberjob studios (is that even the studio name? god dont ask me)
- jaxisdumb