CLOSED HANDS

Very interesting story. I initially thought the game would be like Orwell but this is entirely different. Only the initial plot is the same : there was a bombing. We are skimming through a script offered through various means (text like in a book, chat, emails, conversations,...) each split into timelines. We go through several branches of the story as we like to pursue the details and get to the end of the scenario, viewed from 5 different characters. Each story is unique by the way it is delivered and very true at the same time. We can picture the scenes easily while reading the fragments of stories. The writing is particularly polished, so polished it like this would have been a great drama tv series for instance. Even if you don't really have a choice in the discussions, you really get dragged into the story. Always wanting to know more, always saying to myself "one more bit" and playing for 2 hours straight. The details and soul put in the game really worth it, even with full price :) P.S.: If you still don't get the hang of the game, imagine it is like "enterre moi mon amour" while following 5 stories at the same time.

I've only played this game for a couple of hours so far, but it's definitely pulling me in. Very well-written, compelling, and the soundtrack is excellent. It's not really music, as such so far, but it's an ambient noisescape which dynamically swells and shifts as the narrative moves along, and adds a huge amount to the experience. It's obviously early-days yet but I can already tell that this story has a lot to say - about the nature of the media, racism, and the impact that terrorism has not just on the victims but on the communities and individuals who get caught up in such incidents. It also seems that there's likely to be commentary on how alienation leads to right-wing reactionary responses in the wake of a terrorist incident. I feel like I can tell a little where the story is going, - and of course I could be wrong - but it's not a negative thing, or because the writing is predictable, it's because I've seen all of this happening before to various extents in real life, and there's a grim inevitability to how it all plays out. So far, it seems that this story is a poignant reflection of the world we live in and I'm looking forward to making my way through it. This seems to me to really be about the story and the experience. The "game" aspects of it - the interface, the music/soundtrack, the way the story unlocks in parallel as you move through the various "threads" is all very slick. The developer has said that the content adds up to about 130,000 words - the length of a fairly long novel, so there's plenty of content. If you enjoyed the narrative framework of games like "80 Days", "Papers, Please" and "Orwell" then you'll likely enjoy this. I'll update my review when I'm further through or finished, but so far it's very enjoyable, and recommended.

Closed Hands is an interactive visual novel about a fictitious terrorist attack and the lives of 5 people who were indirectly impacted by its destruction. Although the terror attack is the converging event, Closed Hands chooses to focus on the action and reactions of its main characters before and after the attack opposed to showing you the actual carnage. For the most part, I agree with this purposeful choice by the developers. However, I would have liked to see the reactions of different characters after Yasin’s eventual capture. If there is one thing this game does an excellent job of it’s showing the parallels between Islamic extremism and western fascist ideology. The story does a fantastic job of humanizing the extremist rabbit hole many find themselves in without seeking too much pity from the reader. It’s something I have never encountered in a visual novel before and I think the aspect alone makes Closed Hands worth experiencing.

Overall a very well written interactive story that follows the lives of six characters in relation to an event that affects the whole community they are a part of. The format allows you to follow each of the character's story in whatever order you want and if you want to explore other paths, you don't have to restart the game (which I think is a very nice feature). Follow the tragic story of a working class white man in his fight against corporate woke-ism and cancel culture in a world that does not care if he is left behind, the adventure of a mixed race boss girl who is not afraid to tell old people that their proven ways of working are bad, a young man who is radicalized by an Antifa-esque organization, a reported who has to choose between click baits and the truth and a parent who has lost control of their child and does not know/care what he is up to. The transitions between no sound and tense music enriches the experience. I would like to see more of these kinds of projects in the future.

An impactful narrative game that explores the lead up to, and aftermath of, a fictional terror attack from multiple points of view. It's made with a lot of care, understanding, nuance and empathy, and it shows - it's not an easy story, but it's an affecting one. By giving the player control of how to experience the narrative (choices, the order in which you do things) it makes it all the more personal. Closed Hands also comes with a lot of extra features for anyone who cares about making (or better understanding) games - a commentary track, the book in novel form, art and even Ink files.