Breakfast in the Dolomites - Roberto Ceccarelli
Why, game why! Why do I have a tiny inventory limit in a light-hearted romantic romp through the Dolomites? Why do I have six pockets so I have to search through each one just to find my wallet? Monica! Why are you so cruel? Apparently, or so I’ve been told, you’re a ‘peppy girl’ - I’m not sure what that means, but even though, “she won’t forgive him for anything he does that she doesn’t like, but deep down her heart beats for him.” - how could Francesco not fall in love with her?
Anyway. I’m making breakfast now and I’m trying to go back to my table to drink my coffee but “Don’t you take anything to drink?” — Monica asks - no thanks. I don’t want juice. I’m happy with my coffee. Why do Monica’s questions and suggestions sound more like orders that must be obeyed? Even when I have my juice, I can’t go back to the table because apparently Monica won’t be left alone while she waits for her crepe. I stand there balancing a plate of rapidly cooling fried eggs, another of various cheeses and meats, and a glass of juice while the cook makes Monica’s crepe and, back at the table, my coffee goes cold. Is it just me, or is there an element of toxicity in this relationship? “Drink your coffeecup of espresso coffee before it gets cold.” — Monica suggests you (sic), cruelly, maliciously, while you’re stood waiting for her to get her crepe. Ouch. Way to turn the knife, Monica.
Oh, yes.
“There was a juice extractor at the buffet, I would love to try one of those juices.” — Monica says looking at you with sweet love eyes — “Would you be so kind as to bring me one?”
Just you dare trying to say no. She’s not above a bit of emotional blackmail isn’t Monica. She knows how to manipulate Francesco into doing her bidding. Game! Give Francesco a bit of backbone, please!
I am, I must say, not having a good time so far in the Dolomites. The game is so pernickety that it ruins any kind of fun there may be in the act of experiencing these two people’s holiday. It is not a fun parser experience. Just making a glass of juice took me about fifteen minutes.
put carrots in juicer
Which do you mean, the juicer machine, the juicer bowl, the juicer recess or the juicer switch?
There’s over-engineered and then there’s this game. The level of granularity of each thing you need to do is both astonishing and frustrating. I think I get what the author was going for - these involved, atomic, sequences of actions are the primary gameplay element. It’s just, unfortunately, not much fun. (for me) It’s also obvious that English isn’t the author’s first language, so I’m not going to say anything about the writing, which does, to be honest, have issues.
I’m trying to come up with a positive. This does feel like someone’s first game. There’s obvious skills here in wrangling complicated stuff in the arcanaties of Inform. I hope the author builds on this.