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flamebyrdI bought this because I'd watched a little of a Let's Play on YouTube, it was on sale, and I got some money for Christmas.
I'm enjoying the gameplay a lot - there's always something to do next, so I find myself doing 4+ hour marathon sessions that are only stopped because the game crashes (Reddit seems to think this is possibly a memory leak, which tracks). I'd estimate I'm about halfway through at this point, although it's hard to tell - I'd say I've sunk 10-12 hours in.
However, this is not my full review of the game - this is a little bit of musing about game design, specifically why some aspects of it aren't working for me. It's not really spoilery, but just in case I'm giving it some spoiler space.
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I'm finding it hard to connect with the game emotionally, which in a game built around forming emotional connections with characters is a bit of a disappointment.
I think it comes down to the game design. Stella (the protagonist) is what TV Tropes a Heroic Mime - she doesn't talk, there's no dialogue tree, and all that we see of her feelings on things is the occasional facial expression (which is hard to read from a TV on the other side of the room). However, the major NPCs all seem to recognise Stella and talk about their shared history with her.
I'm not able to see Stella as an independent character because with no dialogue from her to guide me I don't know how she thinks. But I'm also not able to project myself onto her because she is clearly her own person with her own relationships with the characters.*
I think the reason the "heroic mime" trope works for me in JRPGs and not here is that the story of the average JRPG is about taking the protagonist out of their comfort zone and having them build new relationships with the NPCs over the course of their adventure, not the restrospective style of storytelling in Spiritfarer. ("Do you remember that time when...?" asks Gwen. No, I don't.)
It's not that I dislike being fed information in tiny spoonfuls over the course of a story. I love that. It's just at the end of each character's arc I didn't feel any more enlightened or connected than I did at the start. (I've finished 3 so far.) Perhaps enlightenment is still coming? *shrug*
It's frustrating because I think this could be really emotionally affecting otherwise - and certainly people on Reddit and professional game reviewers seem to find it so. Perhaps this kind of storytelling just doesn't work for me.
The virtual booklet they send to you if you sign up for their newsletter apparently gives backstories for all the characters. This means it's probably required reading for me, but I don't like feeling forced to do that to fully appreciate the game.
PS: Although it's undeniably a management sim it's also surprisingly linear. It's not like I'm building a self-sustaining farm like in Stardew Valley. All the crafting seems to be about story advancement.
*I know she's not ME because hugs are a game mechanic, and she gives them freely without hesitation XD
I'm enjoying the gameplay a lot - there's always something to do next, so I find myself doing 4+ hour marathon sessions that are only stopped because the game crashes (Reddit seems to think this is possibly a memory leak, which tracks). I'd estimate I'm about halfway through at this point, although it's hard to tell - I'd say I've sunk 10-12 hours in.
However, this is not my full review of the game - this is a little bit of musing about game design, specifically why some aspects of it aren't working for me. It's not really spoilery, but just in case I'm giving it some spoiler space.
.
.
.
.
.
I'm finding it hard to connect with the game emotionally, which in a game built around forming emotional connections with characters is a bit of a disappointment.
I think it comes down to the game design. Stella (the protagonist) is what TV Tropes a Heroic Mime - she doesn't talk, there's no dialogue tree, and all that we see of her feelings on things is the occasional facial expression (which is hard to read from a TV on the other side of the room). However, the major NPCs all seem to recognise Stella and talk about their shared history with her.
I'm not able to see Stella as an independent character because with no dialogue from her to guide me I don't know how she thinks. But I'm also not able to project myself onto her because she is clearly her own person with her own relationships with the characters.*
I think the reason the "heroic mime" trope works for me in JRPGs and not here is that the story of the average JRPG is about taking the protagonist out of their comfort zone and having them build new relationships with the NPCs over the course of their adventure, not the restrospective style of storytelling in Spiritfarer. ("Do you remember that time when...?" asks Gwen. No, I don't.)
It's not that I dislike being fed information in tiny spoonfuls over the course of a story. I love that. It's just at the end of each character's arc I didn't feel any more enlightened or connected than I did at the start. (I've finished 3 so far.) Perhaps enlightenment is still coming? *shrug*
It's frustrating because I think this could be really emotionally affecting otherwise - and certainly people on Reddit and professional game reviewers seem to find it so. Perhaps this kind of storytelling just doesn't work for me.
The virtual booklet they send to you if you sign up for their newsletter apparently gives backstories for all the characters. This means it's probably required reading for me, but I don't like feeling forced to do that to fully appreciate the game.
PS: Although it's undeniably a management sim it's also surprisingly linear. It's not like I'm building a self-sustaining farm like in Stardew Valley. All the crafting seems to be about story advancement.
*I know she's not ME because hugs are a game mechanic, and she gives them freely without hesitation XD