izigame.me

NOTE: lots of spoilertag-covered lore speculation ahead. if you haven't played the friendsim yet, just read the uncovered parts. if you have indeed finished this volume (and read Homestuck itself - sorry, don't want people getting spoiled!), partake in my nerdy f'ing lorestarved theories and read the previous reviews from like volume 12 or something idk.
i warned you about the temporal shenanigans bro!!!! it keeps happening!!!
moving on to the review itself...
i'm so f'ing gay for the clown holy crap?
as the series is wrapping up, things are starting to become more clear (especially if you've previous knowledge on Homestuck as one particular concept is referenced...)
OKAY SO
Fozzer's (who is a *big* communist mood initially btw) route felt rather brief but was rather interesting overall. It's Lovecraftian horror in a sweet small parcel (there's obvious nods at "Colour out of Space", my favourite Lovecraft story). BIte-sized delight, really enjoyable writing, not much else to say without spoilers, really.
Sooo, the little reality flip that happens once you dig into the grave pit just feeds into my previous theories, stated in reviews from ep. 12, about various meta aspects of the Friendsim. I thought the game wouldn't bring them up much in the next 3 episodes, but I was so, *so* wrong. It really messes with your perception of how the game's universe progresses, but also offers some insights on how it might be possible that the MSPA reader can perceive and remember several different realities at once, but more on that later, when i talk about the irredeemably hot clown.
Moving on, Marvus is just. a god. in more than one ways. i've never felt this way for a fictional alien clown and i likely never will. if you end up playing this volume, you'll definitely see what i mean.
The episode with Marvus is just idolization and adoration taken to the very extremes, which lends the episode a solid sense of clownish humoresque (and a bit of disgust, actually, but even that comes out with a tinge of humour - such is life on Alternia). Marvus' own worldview makes you think about the precarious situation the purplebloods find themselves in.
there's also godly clown bulge owo
But as the route goes further, it gets even more interesting. Spoilers ahead if you haven't played the episode (also some spoilers if you haven't read Homestuck)! So naturally when you make your first wrong move in Marvus' route - that is, refuse to go to the concert with Zebruh, who turns up unexpectedly and unwantedly, - the game punishes you, though in an exaggerated way. Going with Zebruh is the only sensible option to progress the plot, and the punishment you receive is literally instant death as Zebruh's scooter runs you over and basically incinerates you. It felt comically blown out of proportion, and I thought Zebruh arranged this from the beginning, but there's a better explanation later down the line.
So moving on, you accept to go and then are presented with the choice of either rushing the stage, or not rushing the stage. If you disagree with Zebruh's plan, the game goes on as you'd expect other of the volumes to go - you befriend the troll. However, it gets interesting if you agree with Zebruh's lowly plan. In that case, Zebruh dies - first sign of shit hitting the fan, - but Marvus saves you anyway. Marvus covers you up, saying you're his 'backup dancer'. Then equipment starts falling down, almost killing you - but you are again saved by the stupidly hot clown. Then Marvus gets you to the safety of the backstage as the concert starts to fall apart. At this point I caught myself wondering, "this is obviously a failed route, but i'm not dying yet. how am i going to be punished for this f'kery?"
then the MSPA reader brings up that this is non-canon, and a simulation, which, having just thought about exactly that, kinda slapped me across the face. the 4th wall is broken again. though it's not certain whether or not Marvus is aware of this, he does speak almost as if he knows, though maybe that's just how all the purplebloods speak due to their affiliation with their religion and the Mirthful Messiahs. Marvus also brings up living in an 'extracanonical framework', further alluding to the fact that the Friendsim is considered 'loosely canon' and Marvus could know about the game being a 'simulation'.
As the world - your doomed timeline, - begins to dissolve further and further, one particular *familiar* concept is brought forth: paradox space. That's right, the same paradox space perpetuating and perpetuated by ceaseless temporal f'kery in Homestuck. the same one that's given me endless headaches just trying to *follow* all the timelines and actions of SBURB players. the biggest reason why my memory of Homestuck is so f'ing patchy, despite finishing the comic over like 2 months only this summer (!!!). The fact that paradox space is brought up gives me a feeling that this could be the one thing that ties the Friendsim with canonical Homestuck. Or perhaps... the game's resolution is already here.
When Zebruh's scooter went over you, the 'universe' was erasing your mistake of choice. Marvus remarks that despite the universe's final will which no ridiculously hot clown nor puny cheese-coloured human could avert, the failed 'irrealities' fold into the canonical reality, and that his and your existence in this doomed timeline matter. this entire doomed route is so mindblowing and has BIG implications for the future of the game, and i believe the friendsim could end with some sort of denial of any canonicity of the game, or some sort of temporal fuckery involving paradox space. or something among those lines. or something involving the patronage of one particular Venerable Host that lives on a moon in Alternia, which is brought to mind considering that the flash coming out from the ground in Fozzer's route was bright white, and that the 'pitch black' in the grave could've been a window to the Furthest Ring. remember, Andrew Hussie has the final say in what happens with this game. and from our experiences with Homestuck, it *won't* be a happy or conclusive ending.
Nonetheless, this was another lovely volume of the Friendsim by What Pumpkin Games, with a funky tinge of d e e p e s t l o r e . In fairness, at this point they could just upload episodes consisting of nothing but singular images of Pantskat, or the Mayor, or Gamzee flailing around like an idiot, or SBAHJ comics, and i'd still funnel money into the game like wood into the fireplace in winter.
these final episodes are very, *very* interesting, however. i have high hopes that something important is going to happen once the Friendsim concludes.
now i just hope they finally get it together and eventually release Act 2. let's just pray the company doesn't fall to shambles as it almost unfortunately has before......