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[Camjo-Z]

Hint:

Spoiler

Take another look in your pod.

I got it on a first guess.

Oh wow. It turns out I was just checking the right side of the outer lock when I should have been checking the left, assuming that both sides would work the same way. Thanks for the help anyways!

So now that I finished it I think... it was an OK game. I had no problem with the length, I loved Liberation Maiden even though that was short, but Starship Damrey has WAY too many gameplay elements that never go anywhere. The robots you never get to use, the voice + computer stuff that is only seen at the beginning, the girl that pops up like twice, the communication option that stays grayed out... it feels like the first 1/8th of a full game.

I also didn't really like when

Spoiler

they gave the robot some cartoony moments, I love comedy as much as the next guy but it was just out of place compared to the rest of the game. And that part where they give you a glimpse of a monster and then it just dies. It's like, what a tease! I was expecting some terrifying Hellnight-style monster evading for the rest of the game when I saw that thing, but like almost everything else in the game you see it once then it's done.

The general atmosphere was great though. I like the idea of games that are scary but don't have combat, so I enjoyed that a lot. Overall I don't regret buying it, but it's definitely one of the weaker Guild games so far.

 

[rjc571]

Spoiler

How do I press the open button inside the capsule to open the hatch? I tried touching the buttons on the touch screen but it's not working for some reason.

 

[Hours Left]

Spoiler

How do I press the open button inside the capsule to open the hatch? I tried touching the buttons on the touch screen but it's not working for some reason.

Spoiler

Are you pushing the blue button on the left? If you've put in the correct code, that's all you have to do.

 

[rjc571]

Spoiler

Are you pushing the blue button on the left? If you've put in the correct code, that's all you have to do.

Spoiler

I put in the code to unlock the chamber but pressing the blue button doesn't work.

 

[Hours Left]

Spoiler

I put in the code to unlock the chamber but pressing the blue button doesn't work.

Spoiler

That's weird. Try examining the capsule and selecting all the choices. Then try the button again.

 

[Kazerei]

Spoiler

I put in the code to unlock the chamber but pressing the blue button doesn't work.

Spoiler

Press X to exit out of robot mode, then keep pressing B to exit out of the computer system.

 

[rjc571]

Spoiler

That's weird. Try examining the capsule and selecting all the choices. Then try the button again.

Well... that didn't work. I'm at a loss.

Spoiler

Press X to exit out of robot mode, then keep pressing B to exit out of the computer system.

Thanks! How unintuitive.

 

[RedBoot]

I also didn't really like when

Spoiler

they gave the robot some cartoony moments, I love comedy as much as the next guy but it was just out of place compared to the rest of the game.

That's actually kind of a funny thing about the game.

Spoiler

If you just watched the cinematics completely out of context, it would look like The Adventures of AR-7, Jackass Robot.

Personally, I loved this game, but I understand that's because it specifically appeals to me in a lot of ways. Intentionally restricted controls to induce a sense of fear, limited instructions,

Spoiler

an intentionally unclear ending with unanswered questions,

all that is great to me. I can also see someone thinking of a lot of those as flaws in the game. So it's a fun game that's hard to recommend. Unless you know you like this sort of thing, it's probably best to wait for a sale. A price of $5-6 makes it a lot easier to overlook some of the flaws.

 

[Kazerei]

So, despite the impressions, I bought the game anyway.

The Starship Damrey is a short point-and-click adventure game. The story is you wake up aboard the dark and seemingly deserted ship, and you've got amnesia. Gameplay involves exploring the ship, examining things, reading hints, picking up items and key cards, interacting with objects, flipping switches, unlocking doors, getting past obstacles, and otherwise figuring out ways to access new areas of the ship.

Unfortunately, the amount of content in the game is very limited. The ship is small, there's only a dozen or so objects to pick up or interact with, and there's really not much text to read. Took me just under 3 hours to see and do and read everything in the game.

The short length might have been acceptable if the story was deep, or if the puzzles were clever. They're not. The ending is neat, but otherwise the story and character backgrounds are brief. The puzzles are pretty simple, no elaborate thought processes required. The game presents you with a few things at a time, and you just have to figure out how they go together. Once you solve the puzzle, you get access to new areas of the ship, where you'll find more things. The only difficulty is making sure you didn't miss something.

The whole game feels like the first dungeon in a full game -- short and basic. It's kind of a neat experience though. Despite the minimal story and mundane puzzles, it kept me entertained for 3 hours. The sense of mystery and the feeling of reward as I gradually gained access to new areas -- that's all the motivation I needed. One of those rare games that is objectively mediocre, yet still entertaining. Maybe worth checking out at a lower price.

 

[rjc571]

What's this about a

Spoiler

silver ring

? I read about it in the captain's journal but I never encountered it, any hints on where I can find it? Also I missed one of the bug thingies, do I need to exterminate them all to unlock

Spoiler

the Alyssa chapter

?

 

[duckroll]

I just beat the game. Cool ending, I'll post my full thoughts later.

But duckroll, the Alyssa short story is not the same as the linked content story. They are two separate stories. The Alyssa story is about

Spoiler

her wedding

and the linked content story is about

Spoiler

how the space leeches got on the Damrey.

The Alyssa story is unlocked by seeing the full ending.

Spoiler

Putting the Silver Ring on Alex's desk before beating the game.

The linked content story is unlocked by simply beating the game with a save file from any of the Guild01 title.

I'm not sure what the Alex story is. The linked content storyline doesn't mention Alex at all. Maybe the wiki was talking about Alex's profile, which is unlocked by getting the full ending?

Wait, I didn't notice that at all. It was kinda confusing, because when I first accessed Linked Content, they said "save file confirmed" or something, and then the Alyssa option popped up but was greyed out until I completed the game. It must have appeared because I started playing the game, but I thought that was what the Linked Content option unlocked. Doh! Thanks!

I dunno if the story contents are any different (probably not), but the Japanese bonus scenario is titled "Alex" for whatever reason. Weird.

 

[Kazerei]

What's this about a

Spoiler

silver ring

? I read about it in the captain's journal but I never encountered it, any hints on where I can find it? Also I missed one of the bug thingies, do I need to exterminate them all to unlock

Spoiler

the Alyssa chapter

?

1. Vague hint:

Spoiler

it's in an area you can't access until you're practically at the end of game

2. Exterminating the bugs unlocks

Spoiler

Alyssa's profile in the archive, but they're not needed to unlock Alyssa's chapter.

 

[Hours Left]

Wait, I didn't notice that at all. It was kinda confusing, because when I first accessed Linked Content, they said "save file confirmed" or something, and then the Alyssa option popped up but was greyed out until I completed the game. It must have appeared because I started playing the game, but I thought that was what the Linked Content option unlocked. Doh! Thanks!

I dunno if the story contents are any different (probably not), but the Japanese bonus scenario is titled "Alex" for whatever reason. Weird.

Well, at least it means we didn't miss out on any content. (Hopefully.) I quite liked the Linked Content story too, it fleshed out one of the more interesting relationships in the game.

Spoiler

Large & Nick.

 

[rjc571]

1. Vague hint:

Spoiler

it's in an area you can't access until you're practically at the end of game

Spoiler

Well I don't see it in the Cold Sleep Chamber... or the Captain's Quarters... or the Cockpit where you find his body... or the room with the crane... or any of the airlocks, even the one that you enter from the Cold Sleep Chamber which apparently serves no purpose other than letting you look at Danny from the other side

so why don't you just tell me where it is?

 

[Kazerei]

Spoiler

Well I don't see it in the Cold Sleep Chamber... or the Captain's Quarters... or the Cockpit where you find his body... or the room with the crane... or any of the airlocks, even the one that you enter from the Cold Sleep Chamber which apparently serves no purpose other than letting you look at Danny from the other side

so why don't you just tell me where it is?

Spoiler

It's in the vents, accessible from the Cold Sleep Chamber, sort of near Danny

Edit: Y'all need to turn up the brightness or something, I actually noticed it from the other side!

Edit: Yeah, my first hint was really too vague, sorry :\

 

[Hours Left]

Edit: Y'all need to turn up the brightness or something, I actually noticed it from the other side!

Me too. I think the bigger problem was figuring out where to use it.

 

[M3d10n]

I can't unlock

Spoiler

Alyssa’s story

. It tells me I need to solve

Spoiler

the captains's true regret

, but I already beat the game with the

Spoiler

ring

on what I assume is

Spoiler

Alex's desk

, but nothing changed.

 

[also]

I can't unlock

Spoiler

Alyssa’s story

. It tells me I need to solve

Spoiler

the captains's true regret

, but I already beat the game with the

Spoiler

ring

on what I assume is

Spoiler

Alex's desk

, but nothing changed.

Spoiler

Wrong desk?

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

It's an interesting title. Quick and to the point. It nailed atmosphere and pacing, the rest was not bad, but not exemplary.

Played about an hour so far, taking my time with it since it's supposedly short. The pros are clearly the atmosphere and the rather unique (for a game anyway) scifi short story style scenario. The gameplay is pretty disappointing though. For an adventure game which goes "OMG NO TUTORIALS OR HINTS" it really isn't a hardcore adventure game at all. It's a pretty simplistic beginner's level game imo. Everything is telegraphed and the solutions are pretty obvious. Since the number of things you can interact with and investigate are so limited, it also feels extremely linear. Oh well.

Which is a good thing to me; it's more proof that less invasive "learn by doing" teaching is far superior to clumsy force-feeding tutorials, even in the easy games.

 

[Neuromancer]

I need a hint!

Spoiler

I'm in the lab trying to combine things to make a corrosive liquid or something. I can pick up each component seperately but I can't figure out how/where to mix them.

 

[Roto13]

I need a hint!

Spoiler

I'm in the lab trying to combine things to make a corrosive liquid or something. I can pick up each component seperately but I can't figure out how/where to mix them.

Spoiler

There's a tank lodged in that big pile of debris you want to blow up.

 

[Neuromancer]

Ahhhh thanks.

 

[duckroll]

Well, at least it means we didn't miss out on any content. (Hopefully.) I quite liked the Linked Content story too, it fleshed out one of the more interesting relationships in the game.

Spoiler

Large & Nick.

Okay so I did a bit more research, and it's getting really weird. The Linked Content in the Japanese version is definitely an Alex short story, and it sounds nothing like the Space Leech story in the English version. In fact, that story doesn't seem to exist in the Japanese version at all.

About the Alex scenario:

Spoiler

It seems it's a monologue like the Alyssa one, from Alex's perspective while she's in Cold Sleep, and she has a dream that she gives birth to an alien. Then she wakes up from stomach cramps, and it looks like something is coming out of her stomach. Dum dum dummmm?!?! Wut.

 

[Neuromancer]

Is it just me or do the space leeches look like tiny vaginas?

 

[Eusis]

Okay so I did a bit more research, and it's getting really weird. The Linked Content in the Japanese version is definitely an Alex short story, and it sounds nothing like the Space Leech story in the English version. In fact, that story doesn't seem to exist in the Japanese version at all.

About the Alex scenario:

Spoiler

It seems it's a monologue like the Alyssa one, from Alex's perspective while she's in Cold Sleep, and she has a dream that she gives birth to an alien. Then she wakes up from stomach cramps, and it looks like something is coming out of her stomach. Dum dum dummmm?!?! Wut.

This makes me wonder one of two things:

Spoiler

was that Alex story SOMEHOW going to run afoul of ESRB (like that even matters in a niche DD title? Then again Nintendo DOES have the age prompts absent on Microsoft/Sony's stores, though maybe they're just not doing what the ESRB wants them too...) or was there a change in what they wanted to do with the story and so instead explored how the space leeches came on the ship?

 

[Hours Left]

Okay so I did a bit more research, and it's getting really weird. The Linked Content in the Japanese version is definitely an Alex short story, and it sounds nothing like the Space Leech story in the English version. In fact, that story doesn't seem to exist in the Japanese version at all.

About the Alex scenario:

Spoiler

It seems it's a monologue like the Alyssa one, from Alex's perspective while she's in Cold Sleep, and she has a dream that she gives birth to an alien. Then she wakes up from stomach cramps, and it looks like something is coming out of her stomach. Dum dum dummmm?!?! Wut.

That's really strange. The content of the Alex story doesn't even seem like it fits with the narrative of this game, more like it was ripped from a movie or something. I like the content of our Linked Content story way better. It's still quite weird that there is possibly two different bonus short stories depending on the region.

Maybe someone from JapanGAF can help us with this. I'm still waiting for a response from Level-5 about it too.

 

[M3d10n]

Spoiler

Wrong desk?

I tried all three rooms in the right side of the crew area.

Spoiler

The last one is obviously Danny's so that leaves the one with the teddy bear and the one with the journal about the grenade. The ones in the left side seem to belong to Bobby (whisky), Abdul (body) and Large (rugby ball)

. Did I get them wrong?

 

[Roto13]

I tried all three rooms in the right side of the crew area.

Spoiler

The last one is obviously Danny's so that leaves the one with the teddy bear and the one with the journal about the grenade. The ones in the left side seem to belong to Bobby (whisky), Abdul (body) and Large (rugby ball)

. Did I get them wrong?

Spoiler

Check the captain's journal.

 

[BY2K]

I'm can't figure out what to do after you meet the

Spoiler

alien thing that dies right before attacking you

. I'm going in circles here.

Don't tell me outright, just a hint.

 

[rjc571]

I'm can't figure out what to do after you meet the

Spoiler

alien thing that dies right before attacking you

. I'm going in circles here.

Don't tell me outright, just a hint.

That's near the

Spoiler

Doctor's quarters

, right? If so,

Spoiler

at the end of the hall, there's a pile of rubble blocking your path. Inspect it carefully, and read the Doctor's research note. It should be obvious what you have to do.

 

[Hours Left]

Alright, now that I've had a bit of time to digest it, my final thoughts about the game...

Overall, I thought it was a good game. The gameplay certainly left something to be desired, and there were a lot of elements that could of been expanded on, but I think the feeling you get while playing the game was enough for me to look past that. Objectively it's not the most well put together game, but dammit if I didn't want to stop playing once I started. I could not put it down until I finished it. (Besides one break to recharge my 3DS.)

As I mentioned before, it really is more about the experience and atmosphere of being all alone in this abandoned ship. Exploring the dark corridors was really a tense experience, and even though I knew some of the "scares" were coming, most of them still made me jump a bit. And the story, while sparsely doled out, was quite intriguing to me. Even just the few journal pages and after game supplemental material made me feel for the characters, and the situation they were in. And while the ending wasn't that hard to determine if you were paying attention, it still left an impression. It also didn't give you all the answers, which I appreciate. The mystery adds to the overall effect.

For people unsure about the game, I'd say that if you are looking for an old school adventure game above all else, this probably won't live up to your expectations. But if you are looking for a unique experience, and want to get lost in an eerie and unsettling atmosphere, even if for just a short while, I think this game is one to consider.

I certainly don't regret buying it, but it probably would of been better at a slightly lower price point. I think that would of made it more permissible for people that might not be satisfied with an atmosphere heavy game with sparse gameplay. I'd still rank it as my second favorite Guild Series game, (behind Crimson Shroud), and I think it really adds to the variety that the series offers. Now, I'd love to see Level-5 take this concept and expand it into a full blown game. The potential for something really amazing is definitely there.

 

[BY2K]

Ugh which room's is Alex? I hate those kind of puzzles.

 

[Roto13]

Ugh which room's is Alex? I hate those kind of puzzles.

Oh my god

Spoiler

the one at the end of the hall next door to the one where you found the dying guy. The journal says that guy complained about Alex's music being too loud. Because he's next door. *smack*

 

[BY2K]

Oh my god

Spoiler

the one at the end of the hall next door to the one where you found the dying guy. The journal says that guy complained about Alex's music being too loud. Because he's next door. *smack*

I'M A FUCKING IDIOT. OH MY GOD.

 

[astronautcowboy]

So in the Western versions of the game, the Guild 01 downloadable titles can be used to unlock the extra content?

In Japan, it's card version or nothing.

 

[Hours Left]

So in the Western versions of the game, the Guild 01 downloadable titles can be used to unlock the extra content?

In Japan, it's card version or nothing.

Do you have the Japanese versions?

 

[BY2K]

Dat ending, goddamn.

 

[Kazerei]

Okay so I did a bit more research, and it's getting really weird. The Linked Content in the Japanese version is definitely an Alex short story, and it sounds nothing like the Space Leech story in the English version. In fact, that story doesn't seem to exist in the Japanese version at all.

About the Alex scenario:

Spoiler

It seems it's a monologue like the Alyssa one, from Alex's perspective while she's in Cold Sleep, and she has a dream that she gives birth to an alien. Then she wakes up from stomach cramps, and it looks like something is coming out of her stomach. Dum dum dummmm?!?! Wut.

Umm, WTF ... I'm glad we got the space leech story, it's more sensible O_O

 

[onlyindreams]

I'm stuck in the first room atter restarting the OS. nothing I can click on does anything...

 

[Hours Left]

I'm stuck in the first room atter restarting the OS. nothing I can click on does anything...

Have you found anything in the room? There is one major find that should give you a clue on how to proceed.

 

[onlyindreams]

Have you found anything in the room? There is one major find that should give you a clue on how to proceed.

Just the girls picture on the wall and the glow in the dark text but I can't do anything with it..

 

[TriggerRedd]

About the Alex scenario:

Spoiler

It seems it's a monologue like the Alyssa one, from Alex's perspective while she's in Cold Sleep, and she has a dream that she gives birth to an alien. Then she wakes up from stomach cramps, and it looks like something is coming out of her stomach. Dum dum dummmm?!?! Wut.

The nuance here is that Alex

Spoiler

has been raped, and the only rather horrifying conclusion you can draw from that is that you, the player, are the rapist.

It would actually make next to no sense in the story,

Spoiler

the only pod that opens via an unlock code from the outside is Danny's, (yours), (which means any "regular" means of fornication should technically be out of the question)

but timing also becomes a question, as you can reasonably assume that things would go down exactly as

Spoiler

Nicolas predicts - with the Damrey self destructing after his inevitable death. If you deny that, and assume that, as the Keplarian, you become human enough to come to terms with Nicolas, then you really kind of have to reject that you would rape Alex to begin with.

I've obviously given this a lot of thought.

 

[Hours Left]

Just the girls picture on the wall and the glow in the dark text but I can't do anything with it..

Oh, you're not even in the first room yet.

Hint:

Spoiler

Have you read/checked everything in the capsule?

Solution:

Spoiler

You're not supposed to/can't leave the capsule yet. You need to access the OS menu so that you can control the AR units.

 

[Amalthea]

This game feels a lot like a better playable version of Enemy Zero. Sans the shooter portions.

 

[Hours Left]

Added another review and a link to Giant Bomb's Quick Look in the OP.

 

[VideoMan]

Supergreatfriend put up a nice little quick look on YouTube. It's a little more informative than the Giant Bomb one because he had already finished the game before he made it. He liked it quite a lot and also points out the slightly interesting fact that the male voice actor in this is the guy who voiced Agent York in Deadly Premonition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwIgBwDL_m0

 

[grandjedi6]

Giantbomb's quick look convinced me to buy this. So lets go!

 

[Spieler Eins]

This game worth it if I also didn't mind spending 10 bucks on 2-hour long Lostwinds back in the day because the atmosphere was so good?

 

[Roto13]

This game worth it if I also didn't mind spending 10 bucks on 2-hour long Lostwinds back in the day because the atmosphere was so good?

Sure. Atmosphere is one thing this game does really well.

 

[Hours Left]

FYI: I added a bunch of new reviews to the OP.

This game worth it if I also didn't mind spending 10 bucks on 2-hour long Lostwinds back in the day because the atmosphere was so good?

The atmosphere is the best part of the game, hands down.