Radiance Inviolate by DemonApologist
Playtime: 15 minutes
This made me want to talk about:
- This was a lovely, atmospheric piece with a kind but unclouded view of people. (In-game warning label for vampirism: “Maintaining your existence will cause pain to others. Perhaps you will become numb to inflicting this violence.”) Everyone gets a fair amount of nuance
- I enjoyed the fae in-universe explanation for vampirism, and the general focus of both that and the rest of the game on how people make choices and do the best they can with what they’re given
- I learned a new word (“affineur”)
- I don’t always feel this way, but the ending I got felt precious to me so I didn’t replay at all.
- There’s a short debrief at the end of the game that summarizes your experiences in a supportive way (aftercare for IF?)–this was charming
Notable line:
My one fervent wish:
I emotionally connected to the PC, Lysander, but I could have connected more (especially in the front half of the game)—this is the kind of game where I want to be emotionally tormented because I care so much! I wonder if more sense of what Lysander’s goals / desires were right before starting the game starting might have helped. (I did have the sense that, right before the game starts, he’s supposed to be depressed / at loose ends / disconnected from everything and the game is about addressing that. From a craft perspective, it can be a bit more challenging to get the audience to connect with a character who is at an uncertain, apathetic place, but I think it’s accomplishable.)
Overall, an evocative, moody vampire story with a lot of love for people