[code]Curator page here-->[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/37670120/] DaRevieweD #195 [/url]<-- [i]New review every Weekend[/i][/code]
[h1]"WHAT’S UP DOCK-!?[/h1]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2864633866
[u] Here's The Thing:[/u]
You assume the role of 2nd Officer Walton, who is on duty aboard the SS Carolina. It’s a dogwatch like any other, but come one fateful night when visibility had gotten so low that the ship loses all bearings. It would appear that you are now lost at sea, but your captain is behaving strangely, and soon enough, you spot a vessel in the distance. So, you wonder to yourself, to where does it lead from there?
[h1][+] PROS;[/h1]
[b]:) YOU’VE GOT TO BE SHIPPING ME~[/b]
The 1st person point-and-click style of gameplay works fanatically well. Much like a certain[url=https://steamcommunity.com/id/DeadeGuard98/recommended/1395400] The Corruption Within[/url] as it truly does feel like the tragedy was happening before your very eyes. And also to you! It had the [i]point here to examine that[/i], drag an item to use on another and all that razzmatazz down with no problems.
But the most peculiar quality that sets it apart is the unrelenting sense of urgency that presents itself in the form of a menacing, not to mention eyesore of a countdown. Rather than ticking in real-time, it instead depends on your every thought, move and action. Want to check that cabin again because you thought you missed a clue? In the mood to exhaust all the dialogue options with an NPC? You can, but they will cost you dearly; some take seconds, and others eat up entire minutes!
The drummed-up intrigue, tension for some, are also overbearing- what exactly are the consequences should the aforementioned timer reaches zero? Couldn’t one just simply escape through the lifeboat or test one’s luck by jumping overboard!? Technically you could, but in time you’ll find that whatever you decide to do during the duration of your being stranded will come back to bite you in the arse, if you ever make it that far, that is… yhree nights to be exact, all [i]real-time-ish[/i] with the ordeal occupying about 1.5 hours. That’s with all achievements in the bag and endings survived! What it shorts you in playtime, it more than compensates with some food for thought and aching nosiness~
[b]:) IT WON’T STEER. YOU. WRONG.[/b]
The pixel art is not all that terribly detailed, but it somehow pulls through by giving the ship a peer into its dreaded future. Not a soul to be found, the air all but still except for the gentle swaying from the waves and traces of a mutiny; whether man-made or paranormal is beside the point. Though your fate seems like it is sealed, what with the ship being wayward and everything, coming upon the brightly lit cabins or stepping outside to the endless monsoon-like conditions on the weather deck allow you to lose touch with your predicament and catch your breath, funnily enough.
Even with its score, or dare I say- lack thereof, which made it barely reach the threshold to really sell that haunted ambiance. Instead, what it had in spades to fill that void- sundry sound effects at just the right intervals. So, there were no downsides because for one thing, it didn’t turn it into a ghostly cliché, and for another, you are anchored solely by its appearance…!
[b]:) SET A COURSE FOR OVER-HELM-ING?[/b]
The story is your undistinguished [b]Ghost Ship (2002)[/b], one with an unspeakable past, or so it would have you think! That is until the wafting airs of intrigue a la the inexplicable thriller nature of [b]Triangle (2009)[/b] sets in, but even then, that description doesn’t quite hit the nail on its head.
It’s predictable in its direction, yet is unafraid to veer from it and lose sight of the familiar twists and turns to venture into uncharted territory. That’s precisely why, even with its insipid setup, I was all aboard for the ride. It was also one of the few examples where the endings neither disrupt nor take away from each other and still hit hard~
[b]:) HARRIS STANDING ON END…![/b]
Playing [b]Escape: Endless Dogwatch (EED)[/b] reignited a passion I once had, but it would be more apt to refer to it as an obsession! And that’s sinking my hours in the hopes of attempting to unravel the curious circumstances and unsolved mysteries behind abandoned ships, to which this game offered a plausible and winded explanation for, but it’s merely one of many in the sea of possibilities… An ordinary person could be driven to the brink of insanity just trying to figure out what went wrong, much less the family members and friends of the victims!
From the point of view of an outsider, it may have been important or “meaningful” to work out the motives or root cause behind the disappearances of the crew. However, it becomes a whole other story entirely when you put yourself in the shoes of those missing, especially the moments leading to their supposed ends.
What were their last few thoughts? Will they have any regrets? What would you do if it was you that was in their place? Would you throw in the towel or fight, ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥!? If nothing else, it just reminded me of how unforgiving the harsh seas can get and how a lot can go wrong even well before the intervention of the elements!
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2864630749
[h1][-] CONS;[/h1]
[b]:( THE ONLY SHALLOW THING WORD-THY OF MENTION…[/b]
A very minor, inconsequential, I’m talking drop-in-the-ocean complaint on my port. And that is the flat, nay- soulless writing, which bobs out and resurfaces occasionally. It’s fine for probably about 95% of the time, then the remainder of the sentences abruptly break, if not alternate in terms of tone and context. Kind of like someone else is taking over? Given the storyline, I just gave myself chills!
[h1]BUGS:[/h1]
x None that I could pick up, but I had been on dogwatch with no shut-eye!
[h1]NITPICKS:[/h1]
~ Already inspected objects should not use up time and instead hovering over them should allow you to examine them.
~ There’s an in-game map of the ship, so why not have fast travel?
[h1]"CAPT. YOU WAITING LONG ENOUGH!!"[/h1]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2864637215
[u]Last Words?[/u]
P&C that, despite its not novel stranded-at-sea material, had one heck of a smooth sail! The wariness in its search, throbbing question marks and freakish setting sank you into a jump-ship mentality~
[h1]10 / 10[/h1]
[quote]Shoutout to [code][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32732116/]Indie Gems,[/url][/code] for GEMME-ing a key! Follow them here right now for more well, y’know~[/quote]
[quote]Cheers to [code][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41449676/]Summit Reviews,[/url][/code], for critiquing my review. Do follow them for first-rate reviews~[/quote]
