That's an incredible analysis of the game and the developer/studio. Very well thought out and on-point. I really appreciate and enjoy the perspective.
Cheers, just a guy with a lot of goodwill for this studio and an affinity for writing. The care in wording tends to be proportional to my enjoyment of the game.
Innocence was such a breath of fresh air to me when it came out. That game was more than enough to get me invested in their success. And the more I learned about them, the more "deserved" it felt. They came out of nowhere with a captivating little game that was easy to get into with a great narrative, stunning visual design, unique (if not simplistic) gameplay elements, and endearing tact in their presentation of everything. I was shocked that such a small, relatively unknown studio could come up with something that had so much blatant refinement and care put into its core, and yet just as much room for growth and potential.
Unfortunately, I just ran into a game stopping bug in Chapter VII. Searching the googles found one or two other people with the same specific bug, but without any resolution. I tried the same tricks that got me out of a well known bug in Chapter VI, but nothing worked. I've spent about an hour trying to get the game to proceed but have failed so far. Rather annoyed at the moment so I'll give it some time and start the Chapter again another day. If that doesn't work, that will have to be where I give up. Bummed.
Agh... that does suck. TBH, it's not all that stable on my system, though it's been limited to crashes. They have definitely traded-out a bit of that attentive scaling in order to leverage more ambition. It needs a little more polish and has some pretty significant performance hitches. The gains are still huge. Everything is pulling so much more weight. By that chapter, you already know what I mean. I suppose the bugs and instability are the counterpoints to going bigger with a more custom-tailored engine. I hope they get it ironed out in a reasonable timeframe. I'm feeling pretty charitable about it, just due to how much good is in the game so far. If I get stuck, I'll push forward in Elden Ring and maybe by the time I beat Melania again, it'll be ready
I think they'll get it worked-out. This is a chance for them to really get embedded into the zeitgeist as a studio with output that people should pay attention to and be inspired by, be one of those really great parts of the gaming world for a lot more people. And judging by the amazing things I have seen so far, they're taking it prettty seriously.
It's funny, I'm a chapter behind you, but I think I'm starting over anyway. There were a lot of things that kind of threw me through a loop, with the changes and added complexity in the gameplay systems. I had to noodle around and try different things to get a better sense of how everything works. I must admit, my mind was blown wide open more than twice and I don't think I was able to fully process it... like, just out of awe. When it's excellent, it's
really, really excellent. I could stand to go back over it now that I'm not so caught-up in learning new stuff... and not going piecemeal - just doing a chapter or two at a time, if I'm not too tired after work.
That is one thing I'll say... in terms of starting off, it feels like they're throwing a lot at you at certain points when introducing some of the gameplay elements. The new mechanics are great, as are the QOL additions and adjustments. The whole feel is better and the gameplay is much more dynamic, but it's like I had to re-acclimate to having new and changed options for tackling bigger and more complex levels - get myself out of that "Innocence" state of mind.
Ok I do like A Plague Tale its on my List I will get to it some day
Very much worth it. I'd definitely recommend not skipping the first one. Part of what's making the second game so good for me is actually down to the growth in these characters and the ways they're building on the first game's narrative themes. There just isn't much I can say without spoilers - not to mention I haven't finished it, so it could still let me down. The game, for all of its wonder, is nothing without the main characters and their stories. Amicia and Hugo ARE Plague Tale. The first is more accessible anyway. Smaller adventure, but it's complete and satisfying. They were smart not to overload it, make it something you can get into and enjoy without putting too much on the table in terms of time or personal investment.
