Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals
A decent game for fans of the Enki Bilal’s Nikopol trilogy, and his works in general. But ONLY for the fans or people at least knowing either the graphic novels or eventually the film “Immortel (ad vitam)” (the best - both; the movie is/or was free to watch on YT). I think that only then the player can appreciate the content by entering this dark future sci-fi, enjoying original designs and nice pieces of Bilal’s characteristic graphics from the trilogy.
People not knowing what the Nikopol trilogy is about - should be very careful about the title. I suppose those are majority of the negative reviews here. You will just not get the point here - like it or not, but this particular game can be only treated as an extension to those other works. There are many unexplained references to those, so you would probably miss half of joy.
– Real player with 8.1 hrs in game
It’s unclear whether something important is either lost in translation, or just expected to be found in sources outside of the content of the game, but either way, the events in Nikopol feel like a drug trip; nothing that happens ever seems to make much sense, and everybody who inhabits its world operates on some inscrutible, Lynchian-esque, fever-dream logic that never reveals itself to the player over the course of the game.
To further complicate things, the game’s frequently frustrating and obtuse puzzles are presented—visually and mechanically—in a manner that would have seemed quaint in a game 10 years its senior; as difficult as it may be to tell at face value, Nikopol was released contemporaneously with titles like Dead Space, Fallout 3, Far Cry 2 and Mirror’s Edge, just to name a few.
– Real player with 7.7 hrs in game
Not For Broadcast
I never write reviews, however I had quite a few thoughts on this one. I hope the devs can read and maybe respond.
I really recommend this game, even if you don’t think you are interested in the genre. It’s just the right amount of challenge for me, the actors are personable, funny, and similar to real life, and there are many realistic features. I also like the fact that you can replay any past broadcast you’ve done as if you are a viewer, and it’s satisfying to pull off some great shots. I also like the political side of the game, and the amount little details are crazy (e.g. what people say off shot in the ‘rushes’, which are the four camera feeds you can choose from to broadcast)
– Real player with 14.5 hrs in game
Read More: Best Choose Your Own Adventure Indie Games.
I really enjoy this game’s mechanics and pace. However there are some issues with the content that make playing it kind of a bummer.
The narrative’s reliance on hacky, sometimes offensive comedy tropes weakens what could be a really groundbreaking experience. I think these tropes also hinder the game’s message, so far as one can be discerned (as the game tends toward ridiculing whoever it can). In the first three game segments, we have:
1. A group of stereotypical theater kids. Included are a preening, flamboyant young man, a vapid, self-obsessed blonde, an over-eager social justice warrior type, and an intellectually disabled young man whose inability to navigate a sleeve is played for cheap laughs.
– Real player with 12.8 hrs in game
The Last Survey
Warmly recommended to whoever enjoys novels.
Warning, game offers close to zero interaction / agency, if a game must have these for you to enjoy it, walk away.
But if you can enjoy this, take it like a “novel++”. The story is intelligent, the writing is evocative yet concise, and art/audio fit perfectly, strengthening immersion into the story.
Hope the author(s) make more games 3.
EDIT oh, seeing my posted review, one last thing to temper expectations: it’s short. Appears as 3+ hours because I had the game paused while running for an errand, but it’s shorter.
– Real player with 3.1 hrs in game
Read More: Best Choose Your Own Adventure Visual Novel Games.
This is a short and no-frills visual novel designed for a single playthrough, drawing attention to a serious and important topic, and it’s pretty good at what it does.
It makes no attempt at being “a real game”. Your options are limited to reading the protagonist’s well-formulated observations, memories, and considerations; watching the mesmerising ways in which the illustrations morph into each other to support the narrative; clicking to continue, and sometimes choosing one out of two lines that impact the outcome.
– Real player with 2.3 hrs in game
Road 96 🛣️
Full video review: https://youtu.be/qJ7308la4hI
Summarized version below!
I consume way too many of these narrative-driven games for my own good, but I’m always on the lookout for one that tries to do something new, something cool - so I was excited to give Road 96 a look.
Note: Trimmed review to fit character limit, check video for full version!
Gameplay:
Road 96 is basically a more involved “choose your own adventure”-type game. There are decisions to make and these decisions end up affecting what path you go down and what ending you get. You don’t just play as one protagonist, but multiple. There is a small cast of recurring characters you will meet along this journey and that’s where the meat of the game lies.
– Real player with 17.4 hrs in game
This is the model that all walking simulators should follow from now on.
It’s really good. Like most “choice” based games, no, there isn’t as much variety in actual gameplay as was originally suggested in the trailer. Many of the games roughly 200-300 conversations play out similarly in one playthrough to the next, but they may occur at different points in your journeys, and with different people. I would say that is better than most of these types of games allow…think Life is Strange, Firewatch etc, where you are on rails for pretty much the entire game and there are only changes in the flavor text as a result of your meticulously thought over actions.
– Real player with 16.1 hrs in game
Rouge Patrol
The war between Rouge and Bleue has gone beyond either nation’s capacity to wage it. First they drafted the men and then boys… women were conscripted in turn. Now, with all spent - and surrender unthinkable - the grinding machine of war has turned to girls.
Fourteen years old, Sergeant P.G. Tails has lost everything to Bleue and will stop at nothing to achieve their destruction. But, as she leads her unit into the unending conflict, she begins to realise that the price of revenge may be paid, not by her, but the girls she has come to love. Worse, she carries a secret that puts her in more danger from her friends than her enemies…
Description
Rouge Patrol tells an epic and heartfelt story about friendship, loss, and a young girl’s conflicting drive to avenge what’s been taken while preserving what remains. You will take on the role of Sergeant P.G. Tails and, through a fusion of visual novel and stat-raiser mechanics, explore a branching and perilous narrative.
Each member of Rouge patrol has her own history and interrelationships. But, as their commanding officer, your choices will determine their future. Form friendships with any or all of them, but balance socialisation against the pressures of maintaining your found family’s ability to survive the missions you lead them into.
Featuring:
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Ten main characters and multiple sides, all with over thirty unique poses
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Full HD CGs, backgrounds and sprites
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Separate health, morale and relationship systems that impact characters' appearance and behaviour
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Multiple story branches
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Individual stat management for the whole patrol
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Levels, exp, ability tests, perks and all that good stuff
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Four branching romances
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Tragic friendships!
Dull Grey
It’s not the choice that matters, but the way you make it
The Strugatskys, Dostoevsky, Tarkovsky. That’s what the store page said and that’s all it took for me to fire this up as soon as I could. And what greeted me was a vast grey-white, desolate landscape accompanied by droney, sprawling dark ambient soundscape… and then the black text box appeared with simple words and angular, sharp lines evoking that early 20th century futuristic Soviet aesthetic in black and white. From the colours, shapes, sounds to the words, and overall presentation, everything in this game oozes minimalism and simplicity. And that goes for its length too. It could be said that Dull Grey is an interactive fiction equivalent of a short story whose one playthrough can be finished in about half an hour. But it packs quite a bit in that short playtime especially as you play more.
– Real player with 2.7 hrs in game
Очень необычная визуальная новелла о выборе, самостоятельности и одновременно зависимости и независимости от окружения. Ну, во всяком случае, так ее понял я. Играть только на русском.
– Real player with 0.8 hrs in game
Gods of the Twilight
Gods of the Twilight is a multi-season episodic visual novel that places you in a dystopian near-future where old magic is reemerging in a world on the brink of Norse mythology’s apocalypse. Play as two protagonists—one male, one female. Explore government conspiracies and attempt to navigate your social and romantic lives while a decaying future world faces Ragnarök, and ancient truths about you and your companions start to resurface.
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Your choices determine the protagonists' relationships with their companions, and with each other.
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A range of possible endings, for your characters and for the world.
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Choose which romance(s) each protagonist will pursue, or choose none at all!
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An episodic story released over time, where choices carry over between volumes.
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At least 3 volumes, with over 95,000 words (10-15 hours of gameplay) currently planned for the first volume alone.
Both player characters have romance options of multiple genders, including each other! But the romance arcs are completely optional, and you can enjoy the game’s core story and all endings even if you opt to romance no one.
Althea Mishra - A scholarly but sheltered daughter of two high-achieving parents, she’s an intellectual who nonetheless loves dirty jokes.
Farkas Heklason - Under the hardened exterior of a guy who survived rough streets growing up, he’s a scarred introvert whose emotions run very deep.
Sara Grímsdóttir - Sensitivity and strength combined, this mostly soft-spoken girl is just as full of bravery as she is compassion for anyone she encounters.
Hector Koskinen - A shameless dork, he’s involuntarily wealthy thanks to his CEO father, but nonetheless straightforward and honest to a fault.
Lieutenant Cebisa Komani - A duty-driven Icelandic special forces police officer, she’s now an operative for the highly classified international operation dealing with recent supernatural occurrences.
Mikael Pulkkinen - Hector’s valet, who has become more like an older brother to him through the years they’ve spent together. Easily sees through bullshit and has zero tolerance for it.
And more as the story unfolds!
Trajectory
Honestly …I thought it would be a good game , but ..number 1, I did not get anyone to answer or give me a tip on my queri ( stuck in reactor )..number 2 …graphics and how things happen in the game need to be addressed……example …in the cell room, as you’re walking ( running ) along the wall as you go up the stairs to get into ather rooms , it seems like the wall its two parts and as you get closer ,it turns into an actuall wall……anyway , I believe the game is a one person endevour ( thums up for you ) but , in my opinion …it needs work…….
– Real player with 17.8 hrs in game
6.4/10 - Lab rat simulator 2077
Trajectory is quite a neat little game for its price. The graphics are beautiful, and the controls feel tight. A single sitting of the game is very short; but due to the many randomized missions with alternative solutions and easter eggs, there is a lot of replayability for the obsessive completionist, especially for those who want to hunt down every possible ending. The gameplay consist of a fairly large, though somewhat monotonous, variety of puzzles, platforming and similar physics-based challenges and some thematic mini-games.
– Real player with 15.3 hrs in game
I Will Be There
DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?
You want to reach her. All you have is an RV. Hundreds of miles ahead in a post-apocalyptic, zombie-infested world. Take care of yourself and the vehicle, face random encounters and uncover the truth.
Features:
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Story-rich gameplay: Feel the loneliness and longing for the loved one
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Old-school adventure graphics: Immersive nostalgia with pixelated, 16-color objects and backgrounds
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Fully operational vehicle: An RV in where you can eat, rest and get ready
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Random encounters: Make each journey a unique experience
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Day/Night cycle: Travel & explore in daylight and spend the night in safety
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RPG elements: Invest skill points to improve your character
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Official soundtrack
Superstorm Melon Date
Andi does it again and teleports us into yet another parallel universe of his wild imagination. Superstorm Melon Date takes place in a world that feels like a glimpse of the far future where struggles of the 21st century reverberate. Take a gander at the dating scene during a violent global storm with a gene-spliced melon race. You’ll feel a little odd but strangely familiar too as you break the ice and get to know your melon-date. If you like authentic characters, crazy worlds and visual novels this game is a perfect match for you! An expertly written and paced game that is short and sweet and lets you off the hook with a craving for more.
– Real player with 2.1 hrs in game
Superstorm Melon Date definitely delivers on the levels of bizarre suggested in it’s title. In this dystopian visual novel you date Mel, a non-binary half-human/half-watermelon hybrid. For the most part I found Mel obnoxious, but they have their moments of thoughtfulness and sincerity. One of the strongest aspects of the game is the setting. Opposed to the typical dystopian world where everyone is collared by an authoritarian regime, Superstorm Melon Date shows a world where the environment is seemingly the biggest oppressor. While this is occurring, there are growing tensions between humans and their melon counterparts. I want to see more of this world.
– Real player with 1.2 hrs in game