[b]Overall thoughts:[/b]
Hare Apparent is a wonderful social simulation game with a plethora of possible interactions, motives, and endings. For the low price of nothing you are able to play a lovely experience packed tightly in a neat and appropriate package.
Additional disclaimer: I have followed the game through development and played multiple versions. My thoughts here are of the final product, and should be read with a grain of salt. Everything here should / could be suffixed with "but it's crazy this game is free."
[b]Praise:[/b]
- Procedural Narrative:
When playing Hare Apparent you are consistently considering the motives of each character. The writing for each of them, their reactions to your answers, and the opponents they choose all determine how the game will flow. It is rare in a game that the player must ask themselves "did that character just lie to me?" And it is even more rare to determine, yes. Each character assumes behaviours and will act according to their motivations and directives. Upon multiple playthroughs you learn these behaviours, and begin to unfold each attempt by slowly uncovering each individual character's archetype. No two tries are the same, and that is what makes gameplay most intriguing.
- Static Narrative:
Outside of the changing behaviours, the dialogue in-game that remains static is well written enough that the world of Undersky does not feel like an afterthought nor a focus. Each of the pretenders hails from a different region, and with this diverse cast come stories of past kings, religions, ideologies, and moral efficacy. This unnecessary flavor adds a much desired flavor to the world, allowing it to feel part of a larger whole rather than one of lone significance. Stories of the world flow into questions, which build relationships between the characters. It constructs a web that keeps the player thinking and guessing.
- Sound Design & VA:
To my surprise this game has highly refined sound design. Ever button click is satisfying, the atmospheric and environmental sounds are immersive, breathing life into the world around the player. Whats even more impressive is the voice acting. The game is not fully voiced, but each character has a set of small quips which play upon interactions with them. It brings out a significant amount of personality in each character. When coupled with their unique dialogue voices, each of the pretenders builds a unique intonation. There is a cadence to their speech, which is impressive for a game of this size.
[b]Critique:[/b]
- Lack of Music
While the majority of Hare Apparent's flavor adds a savory level of worldbuilding and a real feeling of being a part of the story-world, the din quiet of each playthrough pulls me out of what is otherwise a cohesive ecosystem. Due to the detailed nature of the audio and sound, I found that at times the game would dip in volume so drastically that I'd begin to hear the sounds around me. My computer fan, a car outside, my noisy neighbors - there was nothing holding my ears in the game world even though I enjoyed the way it sounded. In some cases I understand the collision between a reading-heavy game and music, as striking that balance is difficult. Nonetheless, the quiet enveloped me at the start but quickly gave way to my loss of focus. Eventually I put on my own music in the background.
- Limited artwork and palette
The characters themselves are wonderfully crafted, each expressing not only their respective lands, but the personalities they each hold. From a glance you can immediately tell the scoundrel from the honorable. While the game does sport a comfortable two-tone palette shifting through red & teal hues, the locations in which the characters stand feel empty. Aside from the snow outside and the basic geometry, the rooms themselves feel almost forgotten compared to the high profile artwork of the characters. Whether a stylistic or scope related choice, this feels to be a missed opportunity where a level of enrichment could be had. To sum up, the lack of diversification in both the construction of the environments and the artwork of the characters left me wanting more. Everything in this experience has us envisioning the world of Undersky, and I am remised we do not see more.
- Vanilla UI
In many cases throughout gameplay I found the use of default buttons and fonts to feel uncharacteristic of the feel. Similar to my critique on the artwork itself, there is room here to explore more diverse forms of expression. By far the most jarring of the UI elements is the "click to reveal" buttons, which feel uncomfortably placed and unaligned at times (although this may be due to the perspective skew of the room, I have trouble telling). While the UI of this game is functional and responsive, the vanilla & default nature of some aspects felt grating in comparison to the polished introduction.
- Difficulty scaling
Although I have played this game multiple times, I find myself moving between the default and 2nd easiest difficulties often. Moving above the default feels unfair at points, and at the highest level I am nearly always voted off at one point or another without entirely understanding why. While the ideal curve is one of linear increase, Hare Apparent feels as if it doubles at each step, jumping twice from the last.
[b]Closing Thoughts:[/b]
Play this game. It's free. Although there are aspects which I feel could be improved, this game is ultimately made by a solo developer who hired out artists to help him build something of passion. The experience of running the deception gauntlet that is Hare Apparent warrants breathing room in the realm of polish, and makes up for it by asking you back for another round. Its narrative is expansive and unfolding, allowing you to understand the lives everyone leads and utilize this in your gameplay. While it is visually lacking in some areas, every aspect is functional and communicative. I never once felt as if I was fumbling to continue. Overall, the satisfaction felt upon winning the crown is delectable. You cannot find your way to victory on accident (on default or higher difficulties) which makes the planning of relationships, alliances, and manipulation all the more important to the gameplay experience. Enjoy this unique experience.
