Mortal Advocate

FOREWORDS For those who don’t know, Mortal Advocate was initially a webcomic, by the same very same author who took upon herself to adapt,expand and complete the story through a video game.Its very much worth a read, do take a look at it afterwards and if you can, check out the Aliumfungus art, its amazing!!! https://www.webtoons.com/en/canvas/mortal-advocate/list?title_no=720565 I beta tested the game, thus the very early review as soon as the game has been released. VISUALS The game is in black and white, with some big contrast and some colors that pops out here and there, its a striking and efficient aesthetics that sticked with me. Otherwise, well its a unity game, made by one person effort who made good use of Unity assets but also of their own artistic skill and imagination to create a setting that I felt pretty unique. Not a AAA by any means so I earnestly think that any grip with the graphics or animation that anyone might have should be brushed aside a bit. GAMEPLAY: This is a narrative game, close to some visual novel as it has quite a lot of dialogue. Still, you have control of the movement of the characters and can move through 3D environenment, investigate items, talk to npcs, and pick some dialogue decisions. I didn't discover huge branching path or outcomes besides the two way to solves an objective early on. its a fairly linear experience. It may lacks some of QOL life for narrative focused game, such as skippable cutscene in case of replay or reloading, auto reading dialogue, text/dialogue log, looking again notes...) These are little things that don't ruin the experience but which would have felt "right" to have; but as long as you are paying attention, you shouldn't feel lost. You should have for around 4 to 6 hours to finish the game if you don't speedread through the dialogue and take your time. MUSIC/SOUND: The music is picked through multiple free of use sources. they all fits the vibe of the game, nothing feels out of place and contribute to the immersion into the setting. There is no voice acting in the game, characters are voiced through little specific and unique blabbers. WRITING/STORY And the best for last!This would be mostly why I loved this game so much. The setting and story hooked me quite a lot and its the game greatest strength. The core of the game writing imo is between the two main characters, Zegg and Tybalt, I'd rather not spoil too much but their dynamics and how it evolves around the themes of the game (pain, freedom, identity) just hits right. You'll meet quite a few characters, who, for the brief time you'll interact with them will hook you quickly (GLEE my beloved). One thing of note, is that while the game & its setting are pretty dark tonally, its still very much an uplifting and hopeful story. There are some touch of humour that are never immersion breaking and always felt appropriate. Music/Sound: The music is picked through multiple free of use sources. they all fits the vibe of the game, nothing feels out of place and contribute to the immersion into the setting. There is no voice acting in the game, characters are voiced through little specific and unique blabbers.

This game was incredible. The story was very deep, if you love stories and worldbuilding...This will be your jam. The magic system is really fascinating, the ideas posited and philosophical questions the game asks of its player is gear turning. There are even some really fun things like being able to pet the animals, the environment design is phenomenal. You really feel the emotions of the moment and I really connected with a lot of the characters in the game. The npcs feel so real and alive like someone you'd just walk up to, chat up in the street. They have a lot of personality which is always fun for me in games. The game builds at a great pace with its story leaving you feeling the stress of the characters as you reach the climax of the story. The lighting, sound design absolutely awesome and haunting. There's also a lot of philosophy in it and really cool symbolism for those who are keeping their eyes out for such. I highly recommend this game and especially if you like what was mentioned above. I'm going to be adding this to my replays list I do each year alongside the game, Journey.

After 5 minutes of exposition about the year 21Female, you get to look around. But this is a game based on an existing visual property, so you have to expect some backstory. It’s not the best way to do your world building, but it’s better than explaining nothing, right? Voiceover by Animal Crossing. Physics by Coleco. Sims 1 bare environment and graphic level. Minute one, I jump and get stuck on top of Greer. Even jumping makes the screen roll. Discover even the stationary dead eyed NPC mission points have collision and can be pushed around the map. Why? This is an easy SDK fix. These are signs of a lack of polish before release. Achievement for being told choices matter, and then being railroaded, but that’s the premise right? So, not promising, but I keep on. Just walking around the map (I say map, but there is no Map) is like trying to pour molasses uphill. No running. You clip on everything. The cat you’re required to collect to progress can further impede your movement. When you have to follow an NPC, they move very slowly. Never seen a “map” this small require this much backtracking that wasn’t a cellphone game. Then my character is forced to sexually assault a guy. Seriously. You have to do this to progress … and the woman watching just laughs about it. Nah. Frequently I will have to leave an area and come back or go through the same dialogue prompts for progression to trigger, but upon finally entering the crime scene movement became so stuttery I could no longer traverse the play area ...and so that’s it. If there’s an update, I’ll try it again and see. Even generously, this should not have been released as is. This is literally not a playable game. This is a work of art and love that someone didn't love enough to finish.

I'm about halfway through my second playthrough (despite some of the really long exposition and dialogue scenes). The story in the game was intoxicating and got me through any of the gripes or issues I had with the gameplay. You have to manage your expectations when playing a game with a single developer, but I was blown away by how well this game held together despite that fact. That being said, main problems I encountered were with the menus, primarily if you go into the "Graphics Settings" you can't get back into the game, and originally when I launched there was no save button- but later the save/load worked okay. Sometimes there were collision box errors, having to like jankily work your way over a few bumps and through some doors. It can be a little hard to tell what you're supposed to interact with at times. But the payoff for going around and touching everything feels rewarding. I was laughing along while playing, thinking about the writing of the dialogue, the pacing of the story beats, etc. I felt like I got a really good taste of what the world had to offer without needing a break from the game. I really love these characters, and I really didn't know what to expect.

Dark and very intriguing.

[h1] Mortal Advocate – A Revolution and A Revelation [/h1] An incredibly charming indie adventure game that blends existentialism and interpersonal relationships in a witty and smart way. This game includes a lot of the charm of point-and-click adventure games, while also feeling like a lovingly-written visual novel, except you actually get to walk and explore, rather than being static menus and dialogue only. It took me just over 10 hours to complete, and there are some minor details that are possible to miss, so it can be worth replaying for the sake of both picking up on details but also to experience the story again. Absolutely worth the price of admission, and is a unique and beautiful experience for those into character development and deeper questions about people and the universe. Bonus points for having adorable animals that you can even praise. [h2] Story/Writing [/h2] [u] My favorite part of the game [/u]; the story has a concise path through a detective mystery that turns out to be MUCH more than it seems, and blooms into a tale of two beings learning who and what they truly are, and what they value most from life. Without becoming convoluted or confusing, topics such as imperialism, poverty, agency, free will, and love are also explored. Many profound questions are brought up, and the character motivations and actions are enough to make you question yourself, your life, and to sit back and ponder for a while afterwards. Truly impressive how these big topics are explored without coming off as pretentious or heavy-handed. [hr][/hr] [h2] Gameplay [/h2] Essentially a blend of point-and-click adventure and visual novel elements, while also allowing walking/running in a 3D space. The controls are simple and work well, and puzzles and navigation are intuitive. [hr][/hr] [h2] Visuals [/h2] Probably [u] my secord favorite part of the game [/u], the art. The character arts and models are wonderful and very expressive, and the atmospheres are full of personality and are very much fitting for the current plot points. Another lovely touch is that even background arts, such as posters, book covers, and wall arts are also all personally done by the developer. The attention to detail really shows! Also shout-out to the pretty water and lighting effects. [hr][/hr] [h2] Sound [/h2] Both the sound effects and background music do a great job of conveying tone and mood, and at certain key plot points, they help drive the powerful emotions home. In dialogue, the characters make special filtered noises, vaguely similar to Animal Crossing, but in a more mature way that I think actually works well for this. Also, definitely a good game to use headphones with, as directional/binaural audio at certain points help enhance the tone as well. [hr][/hr] [h2] Performance [/h2] The performance is mostly solid, I was able to maintain at least 45 fps and average 60 fps at 1440p. I do feel like some effects, like fog, can make your fans spin up and affect the frame timing a little, but still does not actually dip much in frames. Never had any actual stutter and the gameplay was smooth though. [hr][/hr] [h2] Bugs [/h2] No major issues, and a solid game overall, however I will mention some points: In the Mining level, it is good to make use of multiple save slots, as you can end up stuck if you accidentally enter a specific room without picking up the pickaxe first. When performance is being affected, the mouse sensitivity seemingly increases/decreases temporarily. Some characters have much louder dialogue noises than others. There are certain specific areas, such as stairways and doorways, which can be slightly tricky to navigate through or over.

I had seen Aliumfungus' visual artwork first, so you can bet I was excited to see what this creator could do as a storyteller. The mixture of science fiction and magic drew me in, and this is a dystopia that nevertheless feels really close to ours -- So the instances of respite and hope amidst the bleakness hit hard. Though I haven't finished it yet, the protagonist has me in a chokehold. Lovely exploration of what being a person means (for example --no spoilers -- in the choices you repeatedly take) while moving through a world that insists on denying your very humanity while extracting as much surplus value as it's possible from your body. The monochrome aesthetics, with some specific spots of color, are peak. They do add to the atmosphere and immersion. Also, yes, you can pet the animals. Thank you so much, A++ detail. Will rec this visual novel :33

For those who like a concise review, I find this game's story to be deeply engaging. The characters in this story are rich, interesting, and believable. This story explores complex and difficult subjects with the nuance the subjects themselves deserve. If you're looking for a compelling, heart-wrenching visual novel to sink your teeth into, Mortal Advocate is just waiting for you to explore it. The game itself is not entirely polished, and there are a few scuffs here and there. I grant as much grace as possible to the developer for doing something few of us could imagine doing; creating something by hand all on their own. I love the black and white art style, peppered with very intentional color choices in rare places touched by magic. I found this to be charming, and while exploring the different spaces and scenes of the game, I found myself immersed in a world that felt both real and distant at once. I look so forward to seeing more creations from this developer as they continue to learn and grow as a creator, especially if this is their beginning. There are so many details packed into the environments, and interacting with objects as different characters will give you new insight into their differing thoughts. The puzzles encountered in the game are not horribly difficult, but I appreciated this in that they did not disrupt the flow of the story. So if you're looking for challenging platforming or escape room mind-puzzlers, this may disappoint you, but uncovering the story is much more interesting to me as a player. I adore the characters and all of their different interweaving stories. Seeing the world through Zegg's lens is novel to me. The different experiences he has echo the different struggles and suffering of real people, and in such a way that I feel the writer knew well what they were constructing and portraying. I related to him because of this, and felt very seen and represented by his story. I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't. But if you have no heart for the oppressed, enslaved, beaten and dehumanized among us, this game may not be for you. Go into this story with an open mind, and it will not disappoint you. I can't wait for the next game in this series! I want to see more, and I hope that this game will get the attention and praise it deserves.

Amazing game. Hooked from the first few lines until the end and was able to finish it in two sittings. All characters are engaging and interestin and every little action forces you to think of its implications. I will put zegg in my pocket and carry him arround 24/7. The visual desing is very interesting, all black and white except when is not and it works really well. I finished this and felt the empty darkness of reality for a few hours before figuring out what to do next in life. The story deals with some heavy themes in a very mature and gentle that makes you feel empathy for every horrid act happeing to any of the main characters. Also, please, i beg on my knees, snoop around everything. Every corner has a little dialog text with interesting thoughts or a joke. Its worth.

I really enjoyed playing Mortal Advocate! The world created is rich and intriguing and the characters are all very well developed. There are couple minor issues, like getting caught on the scenery occasionally, but nothing detracted from my enjoyment of the game. I'm even planning to play through again to see if I missed anything.