Despite the developer being called slugstart their game doesnt start sluggish at all. However, that cant be said for later chapters.

Im not big on narrative driven games, they are usually really boring in nature, but this one right here had a very intriguing and mysterious premise from the start, coupled with its amazing artstyle and visuals that are aesthetically similar to some obscure classics, like Demonophobia and The White Chamber.

Quite difficult to get into it without spoiling the twists and turns it has, but I try my best. You play as Alice and are invited to a trip to a desolate town by your friend Adrian, as he wants to visit a mysterious cave there. She suffers from bizarre and fleshy dreams that seem very random, but you wont take long to notice that everything in this game is in some way connected with each other.
The first 3 chapters are all about exploration, talking to townsfolk and finding clues. Theres little details thrown about that make you question whats going on. Alices dream sections have puzzles in them and sometimes even quick time events. You can find a lot of optional content as well, which expands the games playtime by a few more hours. At the end of chapter 3 everything comes together and there arent really many questions left. Chapter 4 feels like a filler and basically just dumps you with exposition you already know, just from a different angle. The last chapter comes in two parts and is quite slow, the majority of it is internal dialogue, but Im satisfied with the conclusion.

It kind of fell off for me after chapter 3. Quality or writing didnt decline, but it went a way I wasnt so keen on anymore. With the conclusion of the third chapter there just wasnt the lingering feeling of mystery anymore. It could have basically ended then and there with an addition to end the story. Chapter 4 could have been almost scrapped entirely and it wouldnt have made a big difference. The exploration and puzzle sections I grew to really enjoy ended up being almost completely replaced by just walking and talking. The balance between exploration and dialogue/exposition was perfect prior to chapter 4.

I overall ended up being conflicted about my opinion, despite its great ending. It should have stayed with its initial mix of gameplay. I still had a good time for the most part and can only recommend it to its target audience.

Horror/Surrealist centered Curator: KuriKuration