izigame.me

LONG REVIEW or something
just a foreword: most of this review is pretty much just lamenting & exploring lore n other nerdy shit. if you're not interested, just read the first and last paragraph for an overview of the episode tbh.
even then... it's hiveswap friendsim... all of this is good shit.


A highly-contrasting when compared to the rest of Hiveswap Friendsim, Volume Thirteen is a thought-invoking and deep episode. Stelsa's route inspects troll relationship dynamics (with an Aesopian ending as well), while Boldir's extremely chill (and *chilling*) route are more than that. They're... Well...
The Friendsim episodes seem to be nearing an end (at the time of this review, ep. 15 is out, leaving only 3 to be released over the next six weeks. dammit i just made myself sad :(( ), but then along comes Boldir with her route, tossing a curveball at the player concerning the nature of the entire game. The MSPA Reader/Main Character apparently remembers the bad routes of each and every episode, referencing how 'so many of their friends died' in Boldir's bad ending, though it would appear from all the other episodes that, canonically, only the good endings happened. Boldir's remark that she's 'not important' and the general fatalistic nature of interactions with her give off a highly Undertale vibe (kind of OneShot or even a DDLC-esque vibe, since these games deal with manipulation of meta elements)..
And even though I like it (love it, in fact), it just leaves me clamouring for more - for answers. We're probably not getting too many of them besides cryptic hints in further volumes, knowing the ways Hussie works on Homestuck lore (i may be wrong about his level of involvement in this though), and considering the general uncertainty about the canonicity of the entire Friendsim series. Furthermore, the Friendsim ends in three episodes, though we do see some of this being fleshed out in Volume 14, where in Marsti's route the MSPA Reader almost tells Marsti they're the main character, though this is done more or less for comedic effect. The MSPA Reader does, however, audibly remark that they've died numerous times - further showing that the main character, on an in-universe narrative level, remembers bad endings as well, despite the canonicity of the good ones. Volume 15 in Wanshi's route also talks about bad endings: the MSPA Reader has dreams 'where failed ', though this is referenced only once, in the beginning of the path. Yet, I wouldn't be surprised if at the end of the Friendsim, it just turns out that this was all a dream or something. You know the trope. Or perhaps some Doc Scratch/LE/Lil' Cal shenaniganry. In other words - unsatisfactory. Though, that's just a theory - i'm not on the devteam for Hiveswap so I wouldn't know.
A much recommended volume with a highly unexpected change of pace (and tone, considering Boldir's bad route and the dark, self-shunning theme of the dialogue within it, which, unfortunately for me, resonated all too close for comfort) in the Friendsim series. Perhaps not as light-hearted as the rest, but definitely a satisfactory one.