near
Gold Member
I'm roughly 10 hours into this, and I just have to share my experience so far, because it's been absolutely amazing. There is no setup/exposition or direction, no hand holding. Everything is a mystery. The goal is to uncover the truth, and it is no easy feat. It isn't a linear experience either. The game's puzzles and narrative design not only compliment each other, but actually function in tandem, one necessitates the other. It's incredibly dense with puzzles and story, often difficult to make sense of either, but as you progress through the game it becomes really rewarding and things start to make sense.
You're invited to a hotel, you know nothing more. The hotel is where everything seems to take place, it is a labyrinth. You'll stumble upon books, artwork, letters, posters and much more, all of which are vital pieces of information that peel back layers of the story and yet also serve as clues to solving puzzles. You'll pick up something on lunar phases or the Greek alphabet and think nothing of it, but you'll be referring back to it once you stumble on a puzzle that requires knowledge of it. The puzzles in this game aren't like ones found in traditional puzzle games, they actually require real world knowledge of things like Roman numerals, mathematics, and Latin terms/phrases. It is challenging and daunting if you're not interested in that kind of stuff, but the game does give you enough information to aid you, the rest is on you and your ability to process that information. It's ultimately satisfying when you find solutions and make progress.
The mystery you unveil is tracked through a truth recovery percentage, which can be accessed via the game's menu. It's a good indicator on progression. Fortunately, you also don't have to remember every piece of information you pick up either, as the main character has photographic memory, which can be accessed via the game's menu as well. As you navigate the hotel you'll come across locked doors, that can only be access from the other side, require a passcode, or a key to unlock. Sometimes the passcode is hidden within the environment and requires you to cross-examine information you found earlier to find the solution, or a clue is presented adjacent to it. Other times you'll just have no way of accessing that specific area until you discover more of the story. A lot of the puzzles are really weird, they'll leave you scratching your head, sometimes the solution is actually quite simple, but in most cases they require your patience and perseverance.
I won't go into specifics about the story and what its about, but I really love how the game is designed to tie it all through its puzzles. I've seen nothing like this before, it's actually quite incredible. You'll have to take my word on it. But the gist of things is that it's all rather interesting, thematically dark, references the 60s, 70s and earlier decades. It has a neo noir inspired plot, it loosely (and I mean loosely) reminds me of Alfred Hitchcock's 1940s film Rebecca. Mind you I'm only 10 hours in, I have barely scratched the surface, and anything I say is practically a spoiler. But it's really fucking good so far.
In terms of the gameplay mechanics, it's quite straight forward. You navigate the main character using directional input, you can interact with objects in the environment, and the useful pieces of information that you read or items you find are collected in a well-organized inventory system. Objects that you interact with that require an item will prompt you to your inventory to select one, otherwise it will require you to select inputs according to its design. So if it's a safe with a specific type of combination lock, or a phone to dial numbers etc. It's very simple, and controls a bit archaic, but it's functional. The camera is fixed, but doesn't hinder or obscure your vision. There are games within the game that are also puzzles, its fucking madness I tell you, again I won't go into specifics, but it's almost mind-bending. You can only save the game at PCs found in specific locations around the hotel, and at some point you'll realise how important it is to solve puzzles, because your save progress will depend on it.
I have seen no discussion on this game whatsoever here, and when I love a game, I have to be vocal about it. YOU NEED TO PLAY THIS GAME WITH MEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
You're invited to a hotel, you know nothing more. The hotel is where everything seems to take place, it is a labyrinth. You'll stumble upon books, artwork, letters, posters and much more, all of which are vital pieces of information that peel back layers of the story and yet also serve as clues to solving puzzles. You'll pick up something on lunar phases or the Greek alphabet and think nothing of it, but you'll be referring back to it once you stumble on a puzzle that requires knowledge of it. The puzzles in this game aren't like ones found in traditional puzzle games, they actually require real world knowledge of things like Roman numerals, mathematics, and Latin terms/phrases. It is challenging and daunting if you're not interested in that kind of stuff, but the game does give you enough information to aid you, the rest is on you and your ability to process that information. It's ultimately satisfying when you find solutions and make progress.
The mystery you unveil is tracked through a truth recovery percentage, which can be accessed via the game's menu. It's a good indicator on progression. Fortunately, you also don't have to remember every piece of information you pick up either, as the main character has photographic memory, which can be accessed via the game's menu as well. As you navigate the hotel you'll come across locked doors, that can only be access from the other side, require a passcode, or a key to unlock. Sometimes the passcode is hidden within the environment and requires you to cross-examine information you found earlier to find the solution, or a clue is presented adjacent to it. Other times you'll just have no way of accessing that specific area until you discover more of the story. A lot of the puzzles are really weird, they'll leave you scratching your head, sometimes the solution is actually quite simple, but in most cases they require your patience and perseverance.
I won't go into specifics about the story and what its about, but I really love how the game is designed to tie it all through its puzzles. I've seen nothing like this before, it's actually quite incredible. You'll have to take my word on it. But the gist of things is that it's all rather interesting, thematically dark, references the 60s, 70s and earlier decades. It has a neo noir inspired plot, it loosely (and I mean loosely) reminds me of Alfred Hitchcock's 1940s film Rebecca. Mind you I'm only 10 hours in, I have barely scratched the surface, and anything I say is practically a spoiler. But it's really fucking good so far.
In terms of the gameplay mechanics, it's quite straight forward. You navigate the main character using directional input, you can interact with objects in the environment, and the useful pieces of information that you read or items you find are collected in a well-organized inventory system. Objects that you interact with that require an item will prompt you to your inventory to select one, otherwise it will require you to select inputs according to its design. So if it's a safe with a specific type of combination lock, or a phone to dial numbers etc. It's very simple, and controls a bit archaic, but it's functional. The camera is fixed, but doesn't hinder or obscure your vision. There are games within the game that are also puzzles, its fucking madness I tell you, again I won't go into specifics, but it's almost mind-bending. You can only save the game at PCs found in specific locations around the hotel, and at some point you'll realise how important it is to solve puzzles, because your save progress will depend on it.
I have seen no discussion on this game whatsoever here, and when I love a game, I have to be vocal about it. YOU NEED TO PLAY THIS GAME WITH MEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
