I had saved this jam game for later because I figured it would blow my socks clean off, and I was right! Man. Where do I even start?
The writing hooked me from the get-go and did a good job at introducing me to this world and to the role STOP plays in it (I certainly want to check out malViolence now that I played this one!). And the way it escalated!! Starting out so smoothly with only its faint hints that something is off, and then never stopping to ramp up the intensity until its cathartic climax. I couldn't stop thinking that Dr. Deidre and Pavel's story would make my mom bawl her eyes out, it has such a poignant core about how children deserve care and dignity and the freedom to make their own choices - To not have their personality and desires stripped from them. I couldn't help but wonder if Deidre intuitively chose Pavel as a case study subject because his creative and headstrong tendencies reminded her of herself when she was a child.
Everything from the art to the sound design assisted the story's impact, making it a truly cohesive experience. Which is really hard to achieve when working as a team, so huge props for that!! <3
My personal favourites were the animations when Deidre first sees Pavel after his more intense processing, and he reaches out to her, and then the heartwrenching voice performance when Pavel has his emotional break. So cinematic.
10/10, my favourite jam game out of the dozen or so I've played so far. Bravo!!