This game makes its own nostalgia!
I went into this game not knowing exactly what to expect, except that it'd be a short and sweet ride through a gameboy-styled lens. Despite a general apprehension when it came to expectations, and not really having fond memories of gameboy rpgs, it ended up hooking me right off the bat, and I ended up playing it daily until I completed it.
Music:
So how did it create its own nostalgia? For starters, the music is incredible. I'd often play before bed, and I'd boot up the game in advance, just letting the title track play while working thru my before bed routine in anticipation of diving back in. The game is incredibly inviting once you're even mildly invested, and I believe the music is its strongest pillar in that regard. Each track is backed by catchy melodies that expertly utilize gameboy inspired chiptunes, and truly exemplify the moods the game is trying to convey. Quite often there is a theme of adventure and drive in the music that aims to move you forward, but there's an excellent contrast with some more moody tracks that aid in backing the game's exposition.
Story:
On the subject of exposition—the game's story is really quite light on the surface. Playing through the game does not ask much from the player in terms of time and investment unraveling the pieces. Each story moment is direct and bare bones, but that's not to say there is no depth. No, rather than beating the player over the head with long-winded soliloquy and narrative, the game chooses instead to let the player discover the story on their own terms. This is cleverly handled through various computer logs, diary entries, and other such things scattered throughout the game's buildings. All of which aim to provide the player with more context, while also serving a secondary purpose of world-building.
Within these entries is an entirely different world to discover. Each parcel of information crafted to develop the world and story without needing a wall of text to do so. In a different game this might not work, but it felt so in-tune with the game world, that this self-driven narrative discovery almost felt like second-nature, and a part of your characters' own motivation.
The Art:
The graphics in the game are generally well done. This is especially true for the maps and tilesets, which are both pleasantly constructed. Characters are a little too small to get a read on their personalities or dimension, so if there's one small gripe I have with the art, it's that the character design lacked enough distinction to distinguish one from another. Outside of that, there are a few inconsistencies with the level of visual quality, but nothing that would detract from the enjoyment of the game. Guy's Guns, a weapon upgrade shop, seems to have received a lot of attention in regards to polish, and sorta demonstrates how far the game's visuals could have been pushed had the developers had the time and resources to do so.
The Gameplay:
Like other Retreaux Games titles, the gameplay is designed to be incredibly snappy and without friction. This is a big part of why the game's so inviting, and how it's so easy to come back to. It does not ask for your time beyond what it is trying to accomplish, and every design decision seems to suggest this is wholly intentional.
From a motorcycle that you get early on that lets you travel each area in breakneck speed, to the sparse story exposition and clear direction given to the player, every gameplay element is designed to expedite progress and keep the player moving along. This is especially true with the combat.
Combat is turn-based and moves incredibly fast. Encouraging the player to utilize a bevy of bullet types and wargear (consumable items) to exploit enemy weaknesses and end the battles as soon as possible. While the depth to combat is not all there, there is just enough depth to where experimenting with strategies can pay off in dividends. By the end of the game I had some tried 'n true strategies that I stood by, but it took nearly half the game and a bit of experimenting to develop them. All in all combat felt rewarding, and rare was the occurrence where I wasn't in the mood for another battle.
Biggest Surprise:
The ammo system was incredibly well done. There is no currency in the game, and instead it seems like bullets supplant the need for currency. It always felt good to get ammo drops from enemies or treasure chests. Better than one might feel if they got a standard currency reward instead. And that is largely in part, because ammo is required for each hero's basic attack, and basic ammo can be traded in for specialized ammo that helps craft more unique fighting styles for your heroes. I believe there's a lot more to discover in a game design space with this take on alternative currencies, so I hope other games take note and innovate on this concept in their own ways.
Conclusion:
For a Vast Future is an incredible game that I did not expect to like so much. I noticed I only have 19/24 achievements at the time of writing this, and the game was so enjoyable that I'll be starting another play through in order to get those 5 final achievements. Once those are wrapped, I will probably be anxiously waiting for a sequel!
