Here's my review on this game. WARNING - IT CONTAINS SPOILERS. If you want to play the game spoiler-free then don't read this review.
Good points
- The game is gorgeous. I love the aesthetic and the atmosphere. And on top of it, it remains consistent throughout the whole game. The low poly pixelart is so cozy in this game.
- I also like the way text is displayed.
- Sounds are amazing. Like, freaklishly amazing.
- Feels good to be played.
Bad points
- English grammar mistakes throw me off
- No Mouse Sensitivity option
- I’m not peculiarly a fan of text moving on it’s own during cutscenes, because sometimes I’m not able to read everything.
Neutral Observations/Thoughts
- I noticed in the beginning of the game that when you touch the handrail of the balcony it triggers the sound of the sliding door closing, without it actually closing. You can bump multiple times into it while looking at the door not opening nor closing but regardless it triggers the sound of the door closing. I assume this to be something not intended by the developer.
- When I receive the cookies from Claire (from Noir’s Bakary), the item is presented in the center of the screen, which is fine, but there is not a lot of contrast with the background (aside from the flashy tones of red). I would personally try to add a soft blur (instead of pixelized blur because the game is already pixelart) so the bag is in focus, opposed to what is in the background.
- It’s just a shame the story feels like it’s rushing. From the beginning of the game until meeting Claire for the first time it feels like it is in a normal pacing. However the character develops too fast. Also the protagonist mentions not knowing for how long and how many times the cycle has been repeated (of either dying or killing Claire). However, from a players perspective it doesn’t feel like the cycle has repeated itself that many times. I am aware this game was made for a game jam, at least initially, so it is normal that the scope needs to be restricted.
Endings I got
- Hopeless
- Murderer
- Snow is White
Conclusion
I’d definitively invite some of my friends to play this game as the good points I mentioned previously overshadow the bad aspects, even though I imagine it wouldn’t be too hard to get rid of them. The game just begs for a little bit more story and a few tweaks in the way the story is presented to the player. I would actually love to jam with JADE if the feeling is mutual. I normally like developing concepts of games. Not gonna lie but the though of creating a narrative based game does make my brain go happy.
