I don’t want to derail the thread, but I knew exactly what game this would be before clicking through, even though I didn’t recognise the name and haven’t played it in years. That and Oiligarchy are pretty much constantly in the back of my mind as examples of games that really manage to use the mechanics themselves to tell a story.
2 Likes
Now, starting with the 30 min. entries, choice-based, and astute people have noted that I go thru the list in alphabetical order, the first to be reviewed is no less than
3XXX Naked Human bombs
I admit that from the title and the Author’s portfolio, I expected an extreme surrealistic satire, but the narrative surprised me, starting from the depiction of a dystopian future, then an unexpected change of events leads into a very different narrative.
The change of events, honestly, dumbfounded me, forcing me to rethink my assessment about the lack of feedback about my major WIP, but this is another story…
without spoilering, all I can say about that change of events is that the setting don’t allow too much intimistic narrative, but efficacily delivers the same sense of wonder in the PC finding itself, well in an really unexpected situation.
The narrative then changes, perhaps too abruptly and somewhat artificially, into a different narrative that, frankly, I feel that is underdeveloped: the “good alternative to the dystopian society” the PC finds itself involved IMVHO deserves much more fleshing, more so in the light of the final act, where the pc finds itself involved in a top-level political-diplomatical talk between the two society where a better understanding of the side the PC is now aligned will be more useful.
Dunno if the final act has multiple endings, but the one I reached was definitively satisfactory (disposing of the dystopian leader also thru a so-called “kink”… standing ovation !), but as noted above, knowing better the own side of the debate perhaps will have helped the narrative centered around a talk about not only the future of the PC’s side, but also of the society as a whole . (personally, I resorted to my actual (political scientist & party cadre) knowledge of matter in choices)
The epilogue from the Author’s perspective is an interesting travelogue but personally I feel that the one cited above is definitively an happy ending, at least in my humble opinion.
of course, the story got an high vote plus
Britannia blinded: +3
Kudos to Kastel !
Best regards from Italy,
dott. Piergiorgio.
5 Likes
Now, playing The breakout game
Honestly, as narrative isn’t classifiable, on surface being a sort of CYOA version of Eliza but I liked the half hour of interacting with this story, albeit the term “story” isn’t precisely fitting.
an interesting experiment in narrative, surely perfectible, but worth of consideration for author in search of new narrative paths.
Best regards from Italy,
dott. Piergiorgio.
3 Likes
The Cart is a short, darkly, and intense dickensian tale, mixing together many of the dark shades currently gripping our world, with a good narrative, which I appreciate, albeit in all honestly, I don’t like much the genre, but I liked the story.
Britannia blind: +2
Best regards from Italy,
dott. Piergiorgio.
5 Likes
Now what to say about Dead Sea ? the short, free-verse style narrative and the surreal environment is interesting, but is a narrative marred by the frustrating going back and forth between puzzles. The latter are easy to figure, but doing them multiple times is what ruin the flow of the story; for example, you should do twice the fish/watermelon puzzle and this gives to the story an aftertaste of early '80s IF, in the good, in-between and bad.
Best regards from Italy,
dott. Piergiorgio.
I’m sad to write this, but now my time is 100% off IF because of well-known news in central-eastern Med; the possibility that the major Mediterrannean power, enters, let’s say, into “Mazbukov mode” is not, rpt not, low.
so, my reviews are on hold for undetermined time 
Best regards from Italy,
dott. Piergiorgio.
8 Likes
After a full fortnight, I think that an update is due:
the int’l issue is finally winding down, but I just got an invitation to a Party meeting tomorrow for the incoming regional election (roughly comparable to US state election) here, and this don’t bode well for my IF time.
I’ll explain: my social standing in politics is akin to Lucius Coriolanus or Alexander Suvorov, so the chance of being requested to help in the campaigning (incl. major strikes, now unexpectely large, in some cases beyond the handling capability of the service of order) is rather high and, because of the standing above, I’m obliged to don back the red “pettorina” and help out the companions (In italy, we don’t use “comrade” because the word is used here by, well, other people…)
Best regards from Italy,
dott. Piergiorgio.
8 Likes
done, at last, with the political-military mess here (= Med sea), so one can finally return to his fields.
but, with the longer-than-expected coda of the major demos here, plus monitoring & analysing the unexpected turn of event in the southeastern corner of the Middle sea, I don’t think I can do much reviews in the four days remaining, and also the timetable of the development of Isekai is screwed (more on the appropriate thread) so I’m looking first on how to reorganise the timetables (yes, plural: there’s not only isekai on the IF front, but is too early to discuss…)
So, I don’t think there will be more reviews, albeit surely I’ll play some IF prior of the judging deadline, if not for mere relaz, but thanks for having followed my review page.
Best regards from a tired
Dott. Piergiorgio.
3 Likes