Sunset

I don´t recommend this game to everyone. I don´t recommend it especially to those who expect action and/or fast progression from the game. Sunset is pretty minimalistic and slowgoing game and there definitely is restricted amount of interactions with the enviroment. But all those aspects are more about personal preferences rather than quality of the game. I believe the game offers very meaningful gameplay. The point is to return to the same but always different apartment with the main character, observe the changes that tells us the story of the life of it´s inhabitant. At the same time, we do small changes here and there and with them we can send messages, often unverbal, to him. We also uncover the story about the town and listen to thoughts of Angela about art, war and society. The artstyle of the game is very beautiful, following design art of the previous century, and the changes in lighting throughout time progression are pretty impressive too. For those who may enjoy collecting, this aspect is added through search for the books, scattered through the house - each of them adding achievement. I would reccomend playing the game in various sessions. That way, you feel more like you are returning to the apartment together with the protagonist. Trying to play through in one session could strip you of this experience. My only critique concerns lags I experienced from time to time for no apparent reason on my side. Overally, I really enjoyed the game, it felt chilling and thoughtful. Slow building of the relationship between characters that never met and uncovering the story of the enviroment you can see just from the window was pleasant experience for me.

A very underrated game with a great idea. I'm glad I played this philosophical and mental experiment.

To put the negative things first: Yes, Sunset's tech is a bit wonky. I have a four year old middle class PC and, boy, does the framerate break down when I put the resolution up to 4k. Even if it's from 2015, look, it's a Unity game made by a small team. Optimization wasn't probably high on the list, getting it out of the door before the Kickstarter funds ran out was maybe the higher priority. And to be clear: I'm not mad about this! Making games is hard! Problems happen in development and that's okay. Let us focus on the good things: If you love Walking Sims like Gone Home and Dear Esther, Sunset is for you. If you love the kind of weird art games Tale of Tales did before, Sunset is very much for you. It's slow, it takes time and there's a lot of things the game tells you is happening, but you won't see. It's not afraid of having a politicial position. If you roll your eyes about american imperialism, well, I don't know, go play Call of Duty instead. The graphics are relatively simple, but the art direction shines so much through the whole game. The whole 70s vibe and a lot of hidden details show how much the devs loved Sunset's setting. I love how subtle my choices can influence the story. There's probably bunch of things I have missed that I will gladly seek out on a second playthrough. Sunset is not for everyone. But if you're okay with some technical disadvantages and slow burn narrative games, I think you will like this one.

This is the third-best Tale of Tales experience after [i]Luxuria Superbia[/i] and [i]The Graveyard[/i], a meandering journey through musings on art, wealth, conflict, culture, and so on, told through the eyes of a housekeeper. Some aspects of the plot and setting seem dubious; for example, Mr. Ortega is rich and an avid reader, so why are so many of his books cheap paperbacks? Then there's Angela; I [i]really[/i] want to know more about her, as her background and circumstances sound incredible, especially when compared to her mundane job. Still, the game has interesting things to say, the plot goes to some equally interesting places, and Mr. Ortega has impeccable taste in art. There are some wonky controls, cutting through the dining room becomes arduous after a certain point, and the total number of achievements is excessive, but it generally plays fine. The diary feature is handy as well. Not for everyone, but if you've enjoyed other Tale of Tales works and/or arty games in general, this is worth checking out.

I can understand both the positive and negative reviews of the game itself and the concept. But I'm incredulous that more people didn't say "oh by the way the optimization SUCKS!". I mean is that not the deal-breaker here? I've gotten through a few hours of this game (somehow) and I personally enjoy it just enough to give a (somewhat hesitant) thumbs-up. But the stilted animation throughout is straight crazy. Granted my computer is four years old but it is I7 & RX 580...and this game came out four years before that! I didn't even mind lowering the graphical settings, except that didn't help! It's just bizarre that this makes it to the marketplace (and I don't mean to single out this one, lord knows there are others...that Rapture game comes to mind, it is also nearly unplayable on my PC, but to be fair they were going for a higher graphical standard. Though lowering the settings on that didn't help either! Ethan Carter also had framerate problems. I dunno, I can play stuff like Outlast, Edith Finch, and Overwatch on high settings without a single hitch. Sunset does have a very interesting art style but the quality is like Dreamcast level stuff ffs! How is this not running smoothly? (like I said I lowered the levels, and lowered them again, and again...) Of course I've heard about the rash of terrible top-tier PC ports, but I wasn't aware that it extended to walking simulators from the 2010s.. The conclusion is that this issue all but ruins a game. If my middling computer specs can't handle something, then I'm totally cool with that, bc that's on me. But otherwise (and in the games I've mentioned) it's developers releasing a program that cannot properly perform, and that's a little scary. Seriously, just go read Giant Bomb's article about Sunset, he illustrates my point WAY better than I did. (PS lol in case you were wondering I been playing these walking games on doctor's orders, due to a hand injury...Edith Finch is pretty mind-blowing, and Firewatch was a lot of fun to play...the main difference is the former has an incredible ending and the latter has a non-existent one)

In my honest opinion, this game doesn't deserve much beef as it received. If you're in to Narrative driven/Walking sim and like to do virtual chores, then I'd say don't let the negative/mixed reviews hesitate you and go for it. I liked how the story branching was offered through rather natural in-game actions, while you have accountability to your choices. As for the story I won't spoil, at the time I first played I was driven by curiosity(and a bit of escapism), an actual war broke out...in right next country I was living that time...so the looming threat of war and warmongering in the story hit a biiiiiiit too close to my home. haha (I'm 100% safe so please do not worry. just in case.) But at the end of the game, it gave me a bit of peace in mind and courage to move on. So I'd like to express my gratitude in form of review. Thank you for making this game. Thanks for reading my biased opinion to the end.

有一段时间每天上完课后第一件事就是打开Sunset，经常玩着玩着Mac电脑就会变得很烫手，偶尔甚至会闪退，也就是在这时，窗外的夕阳斜斜地照在电脑屏幕上，一时间整个房间内都是缓缓晃动着温暖的光。Sunset营造出的独特氛围至今都让我不断地回味着。 Sunset是这样的一段时光，辛勤的忙碌之后，一天已经要结束了，但似乎也只有这时，属于自己的一点时间才开始流淌。 游戏在设计上是很简略的，全程也只能看到自己的倒影，主要的推进都体现在了文字和空间的变化上，因此留下了肆意想象的空间，真的，太阳要下山啦，但它明天还是会照常升起，正是这样的信念穿越了时间与空间感染着我

Sunset is a narrative driven adventure game dressed up like a job simulator where you work as a housemaid in 1972 during some political turmoil. There's some potential in the concept but ultimately, this is a poorly written story, told poorly. From a technical perspective, the game doesn't meet basic minimum requirements that most PC gamers expect as standard. The game features lazy minimalist/untextured low-polygon "retro" assets and visuals, making this look like a barely functional 3D game from the early 1990s. While initially it might look tasteful, this appearance drops away sharply when you see trees sticking out of the floor in the various apartments you visit... like, not in a pot, the developer was too lazy, they just poke out of the floor, or hover slightly above it. Fail. The lack of textures is a method that lazy devs often use to disguise their lack of talent/interest in doing the graphics properly and trying to disguise it under the name of "art", or "We made it look bad on purpose", which really isn't something gamers should have to put up with. It's unclear why the developers weren't willing to arrange high quality, high polygon count contemporary assets and high resolution textures for the game. It looks bad as a result of their decisions, and that's just another reason to avoid it. Reviewing SteamDB to check how popular this game was with players reveals a surprise... there's an almost healthy spike in player counts for the game. But this only appears around the same time that trading cards were applied to the game... so this is just card idlers getting their cards and moving on. A closer look at the numbers shows the game just has a couple of players every week running up the game and idling it for cards, then deleting it. We must ask how it benefits gamers for there to be so many games like this, with no merit as a serious game, that only generate sales from people idling and selling the trading cards. Sunset has the pathetically optimistic price of $20 USD, for which you could easily get any number of older AAA games. That's an eye watering price that exceeds the price of games like The Witcher 3 and the entire Mass Effect Trilogy. This is also competing with over 9,000 free games available on Steam, many of them far better than this paid product. Given the defects and quality issues with the game, coupled with the unrealistic price, this is impossible to recommend.

I ended up liking the game. It does draw on a bit much. I think having to sit down in a chair to learn more about your character. Gets very mundane after a while... This game almost give me a Alfred Hitchcock Rear Window vibe. However there are so many limiting factors in this story. Your sort of presented the chaos of the revolution developing outside the apartment. But that can only be so interesting. When you don't have anything but "explosions", sounds of gunfire, smoke, and the occasional helicopter, jet passing through. Also there is a character that is sort of thrown in to the story. That has an odd feeling to it? I think the game would of been a little better with it's pacing. If it had condensed it's main character's narration into a journal that you can CHOOSE to read from. That may impact the delivery of the tone of the story for whomever doesn't pay as much attention. But that does clear up plenty of time. And room to possibly address that? Aside from the pacing being the most critical issue. I think the main character is well developed. The fictional country and events surrounding it feel all too real. The music is Fantastic. Was always excited to play the next record. Finding books, observing the art pieces were all very pleasant, and educational. The Graphics are pretty good. But there was a stuttering issue with the frame rate. Not sure why that occurs? I think this game is the best piece of work they've developed by far. They said there not going to work on games anymore. So I guess you could say this is their magnum opus. If your a patient person with walking simulators, and like discovering bits here, and there. I definitely recommend this. The story is pretty alright. The more you play it. A tone starts to develop, which I think is phenomenal. Play it in small portions. Maybe that helps with the pacing? Game is already short. Just under six hours for me. EDIT: I found articles relating to the studio's closure. Where some of the creators of this title lashed out at it's audience. An a offensives, aggressive manner. As an artist you should never criticize your audience. Whether they are interested or not. Is completely up to them. It's your job as an artist to observe these positive, and negatives criticisms. And grow from it. It's frankly insulting to be that rude. And put's a stain on this piece that could easily be admired by people in time. I hope the one's involved realize the lack of wisdom, foresight, and respect towards anyone, and or themselves. Have felt sincere regret towards those statements. Perhaps those insults have allowed them to grow. An a different direction than if they didn't say anything? SPOILERS!! I observe a similarity between these creators public outcry's. And that of the protagonist/antagonist? Angela Burnes act's in a very destructive manner at some point in the story. And she definitely shows a feeling of remorse/regret. And wonders if she had truly made the right choices in her life?

[h1]Итог - революция[/h1] [i]Что я нашел в Sunset спустя 10 лет после ее выхода[/i] Единственное, чего всегда требовали Tale of Tales от аудитории - это доверия, ресурса одинаково невесомого и неподъемного. Последнее творение Аурии и Михаэля - двух инопланетян, свалившихся на голову игровому сообществу - впервые напоминающее [i]игру[/i], в человеческом смысле слова - так ли это? Есть ощущение, что история с провальным пиаром, "отменой" игры в первые дни и уходом разработчиков в тень, в укромный сейфспейс digital-art'a, где больше никто не тронет - лишь финальная эскапада заранее обреченной на крах сладкой парочки ("Не делайте современное искусство", гласит 7-й пункт их манифеста - они и не делали). Что остается партизанам, прижатым к стенке, художникам, мазня которых особо никому не нужна? Уйти в [i]закат[/i], утопию, в земли-без-времени, сохранив и забрав с собою как можно больше - или, по-простому, заняв наиболее достойную позу. [code]"Так спой мне песню, добрый карфагенский слон, Как вдвоем мы разгромили Вавилон... "[/code] Ковчег в отдельно взятой игре - отдельно взятой квартире. Сеньор Ортега - арт-критик, он [strike]пишет обзоры в стиме[/strike] спасает от забвения все, что диктатура объявит "дегенеративным". Это [i]все[/i] умещается в простейшей геометрии его сердечка - живопись постимпрессионизма, этническая скульптура, баухаус и горы, горы книг. Дом, лабиринт, музей, склад, убежище, штаб-квартира - сколько еще ролей способны принять на себя четыре угла с потолком, для которых все одно? Человек уйдет, а четыре угла, из которых он вышел, никуда не денутся - об этом весь Пифагор - но их безвременье так одиноко, что, по правде, без [i]кого-то еще[/i] не имеет смысла. Уют - свойство человека... Анжела - афроамериканка, инженер по образованию, отправляется в Анчурию в поисках свободы - и добровольно берет на себя роль прислуги богатого сеньора. Не странно ли для игры, которую обвиняли в SJW? Анжела открыто иронизирует над нелепостью своего положения, сидя в господском кресле, думает, как же это ее угораздило, а главное - зачем? Может, дело в том, что в Анчурии ценят людей, а не статус? Может, в ее авантюризме, в поэзии, которая так притягивает? Может, в ее собственном одиночестве?... Шатаясь по чужим четырем углам в течении часа - слишком короткого, затянутого, забитого так, что не продохнуть, или слишком пустого - она и есть этот самый час, единственный, в который дом существует, бурча под нос свои песни, стирая белье, прикасаясь к вещам, хранящим след [i]кого-то еще[/i], сдувая пыль с уголков и спасаясь от забвения, которым медленно покрывает их время. Дом существует во времени - дом всегда становится чем-то еще, и только ей под силу наставить свалку образов на путь истинный, пока страна продолжает катиться в бездну. [i]…Что будет, если Пространство и Время встретятся? О, вы видели аргентинское танго?[/i] Все дело в том, что шахматы (сквозная метафора всех игр от Tale of Tales) - не военная игра, никогда ей не были. Фигуры не знают друг друга и никогда не пересекаются - так часто додумываешь чужой образ, не видясь в глаза; да, отсюда недалеко до "черного" и "белого". Но вместо них говорят вещи - их углы, их места, их перемещения. Вещи играют в прятки, догонялки и поддавки. Книжки с говорящими именами, оставленные на виду - случайно, как будто бы. Кочующая из угла в угол игрушка, которой не найти места, но и не выбросить. Разбросанные по квартире тапки. Настенный календарь, живущий прошлым. Приоткрытая дверца спальни. Анжела делает свой ход - что-то меняется. Меняется и сам Ортега - становится тем, кем всегда уже был. Их поле игры - [i]наше[/i] поле игры, [i]настоящей[/i] игры - живет только опрокидыванием рамок; их дом - страна, квартира - их шахматное поле; чего не хватает в Храме Искусств им. Ортеги - так это матрёшки. Ни одному псу режима не победить в игре, правила которой известны только двоим и придумываются на ходу. [code] "По углам шепчутся, ходят слухи - что на холмах собирается армия революционеров..."[/code] Sunset напоминает игру - первые пять минут, а потом снова становится собой, оказываясь даже требовательнее, чем прочие проекты Сказочников. Можно, конечно, играть в нее без контекста, вот только сюжет игры - наслоение "Королей и капусты" О.Генри на реальные события военного переворота в Чили в 1973-м, и наиболее сильные впечатления от игры рождаются на фоне этой неочевидной рифмы, достигая апогея под занавес. События идут наперекор реальности, словно здесь, в этом маленьком цифровом мирке, выживает и побеждает то, что в реальности задохнется под ногами майора в «чилийский сентябрь» - из всей шелухи, окружающей слово "бессмертие", эта, пожалуй, наиболее ценная. Пиночет-Мирафлорес перед ней беззащитен. [code] "Может, мы втайне ненавидим искусство только потому, что оно в итоге нас переживет?.."[/code] Влияние Tale of Tales на авторский геймдев колоссально, в свернутом виде их последний проект, как монада, содержит все интуиции, которые в рамках жанров будут развиты самостоятельно даже без обращения напрямую (совпадение ли, что к своим 60-ти Михаэль стал похож на протрезвевшего от душевных смут [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/632470/Disco_Elysium__The_Final_Cut/]Гаррье Дюбуа[/url]?..) Первая и последняя рефлексия авторов о своем пути, первый и последний монолог с игроком; промежуточный итог карманной герильи, удивительно рифмующийся на уровне жизней и на уровне игровой истории - королевский гамбит, в котором выигрывается больше, чем жертвуется. Завещание в стихах, шахматы без правил - ковчег на двоих, дрейфующий в бездне стима, причаливающий во время очередной волны скидок. Он все еще ждет, что кто-то наткнется, доверится, и разгадает в нем грандиозную "Хвалу любви", чтобы поведать о ней [i]кому-то еще[/i]. Позвольте этой игре пройти вас. [code]"...арестованные выходят со стадионов спиною вперед, 11 сентября - вооруженные силы соблюдают конституцию, военные возвращаются в казармы, воскресает Неруда! Виктор Хара играет на гитаре, поет, рабочие шествуют с песней: мы победим!"[/code]