[b]How do you chase your dreams when you have bills to pay?[/b]
This is the fundamental question that Endless Monday: Dreams and Deadlines seeks to answer. and implores its players to explore.
Let's get this out of the way first: hcnone's artwork in this game is just an absolute joy to look at.The semi-pixelated anime style (idk how to describe it) that they're so well-known for is just so charming, and the sprite work is second to none. The backgrounds being so gray and dull and at times even messy(?) actually highlights the colorful character designs a lot and makes them pop out more. And a BIG shoutout to Chance Thrash for making an absolutely memorable soundtrack to this game. I only wish that there were maybe one or two special tracks that only played in one of the more heart-touching/climactic scenes in the story.
The characters are, as always, so full of personality and charm. Underneath their quite dominant traits (e.g. Hana's always pissed off, Skye's air fryer's, Kini's "time and space" gag) are characters that have quite a lot of depth and variety to them, and all their interactions are so so fun to watch([b]*ahem[/b]Penny's TOTALLY secret crush on Miss Whiskey, and Hana's relentless obsession over Skye [b]*AHEM*[/b]) . And I like that their development doesn't necessarily kick out their "bad traits". I mean Penny is still a MAJOR procrastinator at the end of the game, but she still has crazy development throughout the two stories! Also, special shoutouts to Overtime for turning [spoiler]Blythe[/spoiler] into an all-time favourite, I canNOT wait to see what comes for her next. And ALL the characters, with their myriads of personalities, have different attitudes to work and they all are on their journey to chasing their dreams, which is lovely.
The setting and story truly blew my expectations. What better way to inspire your work than (MEGA SPOILERS) [spoiler]traveling through different timelines, materialising your OC and drinking bad coffee?[/spoiler] This magic realism really puts into perspective just how ridiculous corporate life is. The story itself is filled with a love of art and the human endeavour, and while its nothing revolutionary, I still love it to bits (I even cried at the end of Overtime when they achieved Miss Whiskey's dreams). And the dialog is funny and keeps the vibes light in spite of the depressing nature (although at times, can be a bit repetitive for the gags.)
The gameplay itself is a classic point-and-click style with some other elements/minigames to it. It has a LOT of features so that you won't get lost easily (multiple save files, notes and to-do lists, characters outright saying what to do) and the different bad ends you can go down are entertaining enough that you don't mind stumbling onto them (or grinding them for achievements hehe). The [spoiler]earth defence[/spoiler] minigame DOES go on for a while, and the Lumber Lass achievements DO take a A LOT of time (mostly due to failed runs, but still). But the fact that you can, at any time, procrastinate playing Lumber Lass IS funny, especially since it really is a mindless "numbers go up" simulator.
It DOES have its negatives though. The move times are quite long, and replayabality is a weak point. Also, the controls for keyboard only are not written anywhere (had to trial and error a lot for using the phone), As said above, some of the BG art is a bit wonky, and some of the gameplay segments overstay their welcome. And I DO wish a little bit more from the music and spritework (like ONE more sprite per character, or a slightly longer animation for certain character actions/expressions).
And so how DO we chase our dreams when life is expensive? Answer (minor spoilers on the games themes): [spoiler]don't get poisoned by the corporate mind virus, go on lots of adventures, appreciate the human endeavour, kill AI, and most importantly, do it with the people you love in your life[/spoiler].
Can't wait for the sequel, as they say!
