Hello! Just finished playing Ghosts of the Past, and I had some feedback if you don't mind.
- The environment was amazing. I could see myself going through this city again, but populated by people this time, and having a blast.
- Sam's animations were very fluid and endearing, but I agree with some people here... the first person segments move too slowly for my taste. Also when I jumped it felt like I was being locked vertically, so it kinda took me out of that enjoyment of jumping through the whole map :(
- As a character, Sam could use some work. She's not a silent protagonist, so I can't fully insert myself (actually the best segments for me were when she didn't reply directly and I could feel like I was answering or asking the questions); but she's also not developed enough to where I can enjoy her story fully. I didn't feel she acted realistically to what was happening around her (she acknowledges her family situation for one minute and then just asks other questions, for example) and the segments where she talks are inconsistent with the personality I chose through her dialogue options.
- The premise was good, but I think you guys wrote yourselves into a corner a bit by dropping too many bombs XD instead of working through my feelings due to my family situation or exploring more emotions with my grandmother, I'm left to confront a Nosferatu and some detectives I got introduced to in the last minute of the game. One of my favorite parts was when grandma projects her emotions on me, and I can feel the weight of everything that is happening without her saying a direct word. I think if you took out the kidnapping stuff and focused more on that, the story could've turned out great. It has the potential to be a great supernatural drama, made me feel like Cronos from Guillermo Del Toro sometimes.
Overall, a great job for under a month! The setting is beautiful and it runs like a dream. I just feel like if you're going for a walking simulator, the story could be a little bit more focused. Hope this helps!