The Void

Last time i played this game I was young and didn't want to sacrifice anything. I never beat the game cause I couldn't stand not having the best outcome. Maybe now that I've experienced more life I should try it again. The more color you take, and spread the more pretty, but hostile the world becomes and you cannot save everyone.

'I respect the game' is the most concise way of recommending this game. Aesthetically bizarre, but creative and pleasing, this game has a lot to offer for some players, but a lot to displease others. Let's start with the most demanding part, the gameplay. Don't let my playtime fool you; this was not my first time playing this AND I had a guide to avoid huge mistakes. The reason being, you can and you will end up in dead ends on your first playthrough, as in, you can screw up a run very easily. It's a resource managment game on a timer, so fumbling around will inevitably bite you in the rear at some point. There is a tutorial for most basic things and they are, for the majority of them, quite helpful and sensible. What makes less sense is how the world often reacts to what you did or didn't do. The game does not hide it's rather obtuse nature and it will take a while to grasp your objectives and, ultimately, you preferred goal, which by then might already be too late to properly prepare for. There is a timer of 35 "cycles" and events that happen at specific points without any way to foresee some of them. Drawing glyphs and pathways is clunky, dialogue is sometimes vague, events can be an absolute sucker punch, farming is not particularly fun (frankly, it was mostly frustrating for me, but there is a lot of options in the end), and most enemies are actually quite annoying, imo. You can and should save often, which will avoid headaches. Why am I recommending the game, then? Actual respect for it's lore (depending on your interpretation and what you can accomplish, you feel a significant weight in your actions), it's bizarre beauty and it's unique resource managment. To simplify, you choose which sole creature you want to save from "the Void" or if you want to be part of it. You undress ladies in the process and..... uhem, while literallly true, all the creatures in the void are a treat to look at. The sisters are all beautiful and mesmerizing (are you going to listen to what they say and like or are you just gawking? Believe it or not, choosing out of pure superficial tendency is part of the themes) and the brother's designs are amazingly grotesque (opening up a lot of ways to interpret why they look like they do). I liked the soundtrack and its surprising variety, while several themes stuck in my head for a bit. The environment also offers a lot to analyze, but I understand that some folks would not care for the artsy stuff. Still, the basic premise can be understood with ease. If you are looking for a resource manager with creative lore and some action adventure sprinkled in from time to time (or just want to look at some naked ladies) and have no issues with trying something unique, try this game out with a guide. I don't mean a step-by-step guide, but more of an introduction to the essential mechanics. If all else fails and you hate the gameplay -> it is quite easy to find cheats for the game that will let you enjoy the story at your leisure. I wouldn't even judge anyone for that, as the game is far from easy.