izigame.me

Many reviewers now are kinda giving the wrong impression of what is this game. They are all comparing it to Disco Elysium when in reality it very much isn't...The more appropriate comparison here one could make on steam would be with the "Pendula Swing" series to be honest as in the same way lack that big budget that would've made it a great experience and it limits itself to be just a knock off shadowrun with a different setting flair,in this case: a steampunk world where you interact with fantasy creatures (we have no voices to read the lines of dialogues to give deep to the different inner voices so it kinda make no difference between them and no real choices that would give a cool animation or choices that would unlock different emotions. So You're pretty much in this just for the story)
As The game in his mechanics have many faults in my opinion (You don't have a reliable way to explore the surrounding as you lack a compass and the perspective don't rotate at all so when you walk you easily get stuck in a frustrating fixed perspective..not that you can explore much as certain points of the map even if they looks like lead somewhere are voids you can't actually reach and pratically you are guiding yourself only by clicking on every orange highlight you can get (kinda reminded me of "Gamedec" for that). The game simply expect you to use the map to "jump" to certain locations at need for check part of the quests you end up getting so you get few views of the steampunk ambience (that is there like Pendula Swing you get the feeling of the city but the exploration is limited and the models only are viewable at a certain hight so they lack any real detail as you can't watch them up close).
I think is ok for a indie project but is a mixed feeling as pretty much the gameplay is about read the dialogues and make sure to keep up the spirits/moral bar of your characters (when it reach 0 is over and having a low moral would lead to give certain responses in the dialogue tree) and by the way they get bummed by pretty much everything...You have to click on the most uplifting choice in any situation just for callously get the that +5.
The Tarots part of the gameplay is just flair (in reality you have 4 archetypes for each of the 3 characters and for me they translate in: Strength, Dexterity, Wits, Charm. Pick 1 archetype and you are kinda set for the whole game on what kind of approaches you will have success in trying as all the others will have pretty much a low chance of success. as there is no 2nd try what you picking at the begin define how you can use that character.
Each "Tarot Card" translate into "Traits" the character can unlock (meaning they get good at doing certain things) and I think each card can be unlocked easily only by certain archetypes of the character. To be clear I truly think this game would've been better with only 1 character as its protagonist as having this many you can't feel pretty much invested in all of their different stories...
you get a railroad tale where your perspective systematically jump from one character to another. Starting with the Minotaur (got the orphan backstory, and control his junky/drunkard behind just for the start) and rather quickly you get to play the Harlot and in context she actually feels like the real main character here, it just have that feeling. I mean if the devs just put this girl as the main character it would've been more interesting in my opinion..give her the backstory of being a orphan who escaped the orphanage controlled by the nuns, then grew up in a gang on the streets with her childhood friend with whom she escaped with, at some point left the gang where she acted as a greasy tomboy and developed a interest for build steampunk clockwork robots and then in her adulthood had this 360° apparence change where she become this gorgeous high-maintenance prostitute of this famous Brothel and dress up fancy and put up a fake persona using her sweet talk and fans techniques to milk out sugar daddies, for then behind doors drop the facade just wishing one day to get enough money to leave the town (as she's planning: get new documents and leave town without telling no one but the story with the news of the murders in the street lead to a different development), I think if the story was like this I would've been more captivated by it and the other 2 characters in this could've hit the bench (or become just side characters she met) if they just given this character the main spot you wouldn't have to get dragged around by each one of their troubles and lose tracks because "end chapter you now jump to doofus who have a totally different kind of problem". Could have instead fleshed out the Tarot cards as another of her interests and instead of give it to the dwarf (the only character who pretty much is there just "because") make her have this robot companion/bouncer for the "strength" feats. Heck even keep the "oh because she is a woman can't enter in certain places" part of the story but then allow her in certain part of the game/story to dress up and try to pass up as a guy (with the opportune stealth and charm checks to go undercover without problems). There is a laundry and she's friend with the lady give that possibility.
Is just a thought, the game could've been more interesting if the story circled around 1 character with 1 clear objective and that just casually stumbled, while trying to leave, into this mystery (I rather have 1 character done well that I can use than 3 "meh"). I would say 19,50$ (discounted to 17,55 $) feel ok as price for try to help out the dev studio to grow (can still see despite my critics this is a work of love) but the game realistically would've needed more work. Would not recommend for those who are eager to fix their Disco Elysium void but if you loved the Pendula Swing series and don't expect much go ahead.