When I downloaded this game, I was thinking it was going to be some ho-hum game, maybe a visual novel with some Christian dogma that would make me facepalm here and there. I clearly forgot who made this game.
This game is impressive right from the start, with its custom splash screen, title screen, and highly-detailed intro cutscene. One thing I noted throughout my playthrough was the dedication to "atmosphere:" there is extensive use of lighting, tinting, environmental sound effects (that even change based on where the player is) and even stepping sounds. I was expecting the footstep sounds to get on my nerves, but they actually aren't that bad and change depending on where the player is moving.
Also noteworthy is how much variety is here! I was about to call it a visual novel when gears switched and found myself fighting for my characters' lives! I was surprised that the "chase" sections were actually more like (rather unique) battles. I'm not sure how else to call them, but I started off expecting to be running through the monastery rather than running to various points and interacting with various parts of the room. Not the biggest deal, but one of my few criticisms of the game. The other scenarios were interesting and kept the game feeling fresh.
Speaking of criticisms:
- It's possible to use a painkiller after a character dies
- Having to prepare to use a painkiller just to check my character's HP was annoying
- Why do we have to turn the flashlight on? Why not have it on by default?
- There are points in Meadow's sequence and the next character's (Viktor, I think) where it's not clear where to go next.
- The location of Meadow's room key was the biggest problem for me: there is nothing to indicate where it is! I get that it's supposed to be completely crazy, but I didn't realize that the entrance to the room (not saying which to prevent spoilers) was even there due to the way the tiles were set up, and nothing in the previous tours of the monastery brought me to that room.
These criticisms are pretty minor and didn't overshadow the good qualities of this game. In fact, it's pretty impressive that these are the only negative things I can say about a game that was made in 2 weeks and has this level of polish!
Another thing I liked about this game was the multiple endings and how they were led up to. I loved how a character's death doesn't result in a game over, but rather influences the fates of other characters and ultimately the ending! It's a concept that I have been trying to integrate into my own games, and I'll definitely draw inspiration from this experience.
In summary: This game was amazing from start to finish and I look forward to future productions!