This game is a snoozefest honestly...it's a slog to play and interact with, whether it's from the slow movement speed, the unremarkable soundtrack and ambiance, to the absolutely dull environment. Nothing about this game makes me want to feel invested in holding down the directional buttons and hoping something makes the tedium worth it.

Horror games have collectible notes but this game is too enthusiastic to make entire narratives through them for which if you ignore a lot of context will be lost. It's just not fun to have to be given mountains of text every minute and have to sift through it even remotely to have a clue on the storytelling. It works out for VNs since they are directed entirely around the concept, supplementing reading with sprites / art, voice acting, and other forms of intractability that isn't just moving dialogue along.

The game achieved what it set to do in replicating the look and feel of a retro 80's game, but in doing so let the limitations of that direction manifest and create an experience that would have only impressed me in 1983, not 2023.

This game is a snoozefest honestly...it's a slog to play and interact with, whether it's from the slow movement speed, the unremarkable soundtrack and ambiance, to the absolutely dull environment. Nothing about this game makes me want to feel invested in holding down the directional buttons and hoping something makes the tedium worth it. Horror games have collectible notes but this game is too enthusiastic to make entire narratives through them for which if you ignore a lot of context will be lost. It's just not fun to have to be given mountains of text every minute and have to sift through it even remotely to have a clue on the storytelling. It works out for VNs since they are directed entirely around the concept, supplementing reading with sprites / art, voice acting, and other forms of intractability that isn't just moving dialogue along. The game achieved what it set to do in replicating the look and feel of a retro 80's game, but in doing so let the limitations of that direction manifest and create an experience that would have only impressed me in 1983, not 2023.