Once Upon a Jester Review (Vitlöksbjörn)
How to even talk about this game? It's like... imagine an improv theater group. And then they made a game about improv theater using improv theater. As a result, you have a game where you do improv theater, and everything about it has this feel to it. All lines are voiced, and they sometimes contain outtakes, because why not? Characters randomly burst into songs, because why not?
The music deserves a special mention, because there's just so much of it. They sometimes are plays on each other, such as three versions of the same song from every side of a bizarre love triangle. And the quality, oh man. Even that has this "improv" feeling to it. Many pieces have pretty basic chord progression and the character sometimes go slightly off-tune (except the Princess, she's stellar), but that somehow makes things even better.
Like, get this. Remember that time around the campfire? With the guitar? Remember the warmth created by your voices? Remember the look in that person's eyes as you caught them looking your way? Let's be honest, it never was about the music. The music was merely the vehicle that took you... there. Right there. Where a piece will you will remain.
(if for some reason you don't have this experience, I'm so sorry)
I don't even know what to tell you. I could talk about the wonderful earnestness that somehow manages to be very funny. About the ridiculous characters who charm and win you over (I mean, a Jester and a talking Sok? Really? Really.) I could talk about the... uh... "Shrekness"??? That's not a word, but you gotta know what I mean. This game is Neo-Shreky.
Don't expect action, powerful mysteries, or whatever. This is a cute, character-driven story about finding yourself. If I had to say something bad about it, I'd say that maaaybe it gets slow at times, but due to the episodic nature and one-show-a-day style, you can easily play it in short bursts and do away with this issue.
No, really. If you think you understand what this game is, then you're probably right. Enjoy, my friend.
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