Nowhere New

[i] Even though the game has unappealing visuals, I thought that the writing was very strong and I liked most of the characters. However, I ultimately was disappointed with the experience because the ending felt very anticlimactic, a big exposition dump to what otherwise was a mysterious story that could have gone in many ways. We play as a character that crashlands on a mysterious world where inhabitants lose their memories as they share them with other people. The game presents memory share as a mechanic but it's somewhat cosmetic, for the most part, the story is pretty linear and you can only trade a few memories for a couple of hints, although I cannot confirm that as I decided to keep them. I wouldn't say that it has any puzzles, you just have to talk to the characters in the right order, it's not too convoluted. If anyone cares you can complete the game in about 90 minutes. [/i] [h1] Pros: [/h1] + the story was interesting, although I hated the rushed ending + the game has an enjoyable atmosphere [h1] Feedback: [/h1] [u] Ending & Exposition Dump [/u] - You had me hooked with the story, I was constantly speculating, unsure who the bad guy was and what could be causing the memory loss. But when I saw the ending, all the mystery was gone with the most basic explanation, big exposition dump, and villain's motivations that didn't convince me. On that note, I wish you could go around the city after the end and talk to characters one last time to get some closure. [u] The Visuals [/u] - not going to elaborate too much on this, the game is not pleasant to look at, and the visuals also made it harder to see platforms. [b] Overall Thoughts: 5/10 [/b] I think the story was great except for the ending, and this would be a positive review if that part was handled better. I don't give a damn about the visuals if I can enjoy the story, but I think you got a little anxious there at the end, all that world-building didn't go anywhere as you took an easy way out, in my opinion anyway - it's pretty subjective. [code]Review By: http://store.steampowered.com/curator/31294838-Hidden-Gem-Discovery/ [/code]

TLDR: If you like indies, play this game. Its story and atmosphere are well worth a few hours of your time. This is not a full size game. It was created by a small group of students on no budget, and it shows. However, for that size and scope, it is impressively complete. I greatly enjoyed the couple hours I spent playing. Narrative: The writing is very strong. The mystery is intriguing, the characters are likable and complex, and the story is well constructed. There are several emotionally impactful story beats; at various points I felt shock, anger, suspense, horror, compassion, etc. I enjoyed the prevailing theme of identity, trust, and how our experiences shape who we are. Also, LGBT rep is a plus! Design: The use of information as a consumable resource is an interesting mechanic that reinforces the themes of the narrative. There are multiple paths through the story depending on what you say to which characters. Not all the content can be seen in one playthrough. It is worthwhile to replay the game to try other solutions, get to know different characters, and investigate previously unanswered questions.

So far, it's criminally underrated. I can't believe this only has two reviews (at time of writing) The one caveat is that it's an adventure game, and like other adventure games, you can get stuck trying to figure out what to do. But that's normal for the genre, and it's not that bad here.