Recommending Story-first games

[jufot]

I finally played Zero End's latest chapter, and I can't believe how much I loved it. No other VN so expertly balances gravity with levity. One minute, you have perfectly in-character humour like:

Caleb: How many guys can you take?
Brendan: Uhh, two, I guess? Four if I use my hands, maybe, but that's too much effort. Not sure what that has to do with anything, though.
Caleb: ...
Caleb: In a fight, Brandon.
B: Oooh, right, that makes a lot more sense.

... and soon have it followed by Brianna's most excellent rooftop sequence. It's so wonderfully well done, especially if you've failed to save her, as I have.

With this chapter, I felt even more strongly that this game is meant to be played without pursuing any LIs, save perhaps Marie. The game actively rewards celibacy with smarter dialogue, insight and intrigue. I love it!

From the beginning, my favourite characters have been the ostensible villains - Marie, Silver, and Swansong. I now feel a bit vindicated for my faith in Marie. Her backstabbing was telegraphed well in advance, but the possibility of her real motivations being agreeable to Caleb is looking stronger than ever. Similarly, Silver and Swansong both have more heart to them than their roles might otherwise imply. Especially for Silver, her connection to Marie and her inability to defy Marie must be related to the Daughter of Eve bit, but it's hard to see the whole picture just yet.

Likewise, Lilith has been a brilliant introduction to the cast. Her motivations are shrouded, but I didn't expect the game to steep her background so heavily in Jewish mythology. It has much creative potential, but I wonder if the dev might write himself into a corner? Lilith's fate in the mythology might not fit fell with the Son of Adam / Daughter of Eve thing that's going on. Still, it should be exciting!


Anyway, it's high time Zero End made it to the list. Better late than never

 

[boobsrcool]

Finally played through the newest update of A Long Journey. Really liking the increased stakes and rising tension

 

[365 others]

Finally played through the newest update of A Long Journey. Really liking the increased stakes and rising tension

I like it a lot as a VN/game, but I have to admit that I'm starting to hate the (currently only) LI. The MC is also too candid for my liking, but overall I like how he's been fleshed out.

 

[Tulrek]

I like it a lot as a VN/game, but I have to admit that I'm starting to hate the (currently only) LI. The MC is also too candid for my liking, but overall I like how he's been fleshed out.

I understand the hate for the LI but she is in survival mode and it seems that of the two, the younger sister has the brain so...
The MC is dealing as best he can and start to manup as the story goes on.
Sure I'm pretty eager to wake up the others potential LI from their cryo-coffin.

Let's get rid of the bad guys and have some naughty fun!

 

[jufot]

I understand the hate for the LI

I don't, at all. She is doing everything someone in her situation should be doing. It would be quite dumb of her to implicitly trust MC, a stranger who has every reason to throw her under the bus to save his own family. It's a good thing that neither are thinking with their dicks.

 

[Tulrek]

I don't, at all. She is doing everything someone in her situation should be doing. It would be quite dumb of her to implicitly trust MC, a stranger who has every reason to throw her under the bus to save his own family. It's a good thing that neither are thinking with their dicks.

I understand the hate but don't hate myself !

 

[Canto Forte]

How do you both tell me you actually never read the dialogues of this entire game without outright confessing you just skipped through to get the hot scenes?

Well, you both managed that.

This game is horrendously dragged on, all it does now is pandering the gratuitous plot armor of the two antagonists.

The family of MC is never brought into question and the only thing the girl ever had to do to win MC over is tell him the whole truth and there would be no tension, no emotional blackmail and no lost love between them - she is the slave human trafficking victim of two brain dead pshichos who want to play mind games with their victims, before mass murder.

As terrorists looking to bomb the whole ship, they are effectively holding everyone and the A.I. hostage with the very possible threat of murder - they outright confess they want to see the ship bomb with everyone on board.

There is no end game out of certain death - so she has no rational reason to hold anything out on MC - she is going to die with everyone on board.

She is fighting for her life, the life of her sister and the life of MC - MC is blackmailed with the sister of this girl - then MC finds out the full story - they want to blow up the whole ship - effectively killing everyone on board, including themselves.

There is nothing holding MC or her back from shagging like rabbits and bonding in full body and soul and fight to the death for survival - their purposes overlap totally - they are fighting against suicidal murderers who want nothing more than to blow up the ship and everyone on it.

I understand the hate for the LI but she is in survival mode and it seems that of the two, the younger sister has the brain so...

I don't, at all. She is doing everything someone in her situation should be doing. It would be quite dumb of her to implicitly trust MC, a stranger who has every reason to throw her under the bus to save his own family.

Let's get rid of the bad guys and have some naughty fun!

I understand the hate but don't hat myself !

Well .. carry on living in your heads and making up the story as you see fit .. your bubble lives on!

 

[Tulrek]

How do you both tell me you actually never read the dialogues of this entire game without outright confessing you just skipped through to get the hot scenes?

Dude really ?
Look at my signature M8.

I'm transalting it in french !
So yeah, I'v read the dialogues like hundred times already.

Yeah there might be some inconsistencies in the choices made by the protagonists (all of them), but yet the story gripped me in and I want to see what's next. Sorry about that, but not sorry.

So be cool with other's opinions, espacially if they are not the same as yours (however relevant they are).

Peace !

 

[Canto Forte]

Then, you might have noticed that MC is canonically distrusting and effectively ostracizing the girl in the latest update, to the point he would better have a wet dream of his ex girlfriend rather than work out a phisical relationship he already had with this living breathing gorgeous looking babe he has right now.

Of course the players would hate her, MC does for the most idiotic reasons ever: for her being the victim of human traficking slave driving psichopathic mass muderers turned into terrorists holding her and everyone on this ship hostage for the end game of blowing everyone up.

That is the sentiment this game wants to instill in the players - because we play as the MC, so we have to at least tolerate and take up the same state of mind if we are to keep gaming and delving deep into the mind of MC and into the plot of this game.

Yeah there might be some inconsistencies in the choices made by the protagonists (all of them)

The total dissolution of everything we ever worked for up until the last update, when suddenly MC and the girl totally broke up, when they should have bacome best friends, fkk buddies and total devoted comrades in their struggle to overthrow the murdering terrorrists - but for the plot armor of the antagonists and the pandering of their game time keeps hindering this game, I guess.

We had to sit through a whole unnecessary and absolutely bloated update about being human garbage to the person you just forged a relationship with under absolute murderous circumstances. Wonderful description of forced dehumanizing of MC while pandering the runtime of those plot armored dumber than bricks terrorrists.

 

[Tulrek]

Then, you might have noticed that MC is canonically distrusting and effectively ostracizing the girl in the latest update, to the point he would better have a wet dream of his ex girlfriend rather than work out a phisical relationship he already had with this living breathing gorgeous looking babe he has right now.

Of course the players would hate her, MC does for the most idiotic reasons ever: for her being the victim of human traficking slave driving psichopathic mass muderers turned into terrorists holding her and everyone on this ship hostage for the end game of blowing everyone up.

That is the sentiment this game wants to instill in the players - because we play as the MC, so we have to at least tolerate and take up the same state of mind if we are to keep gaming and delving deep into the mind of MC and into the plot of this game.


The total dissolution of everything we ever worked for up until the last update, when suddenly MC and the girl totally broke up, when they should have bacome best friends, fkk buddies and total devoted comrades in their struggle to overthrow the murdering terrorrists - but for the plot armor of the antagonists and the pandering of their game time keeps hindering this game, I guess.

We had to sit through a whole unnecessary and absolutely bloated update about being human garbage to the person you just forged a relationship with under absolute murderous circumstances. Wonderful description of forced dehumanizing of MC while pandering the runtime of those plot armored dumber than bricks terrorrists.

M8 you are too bright and too cleverly educated for me.
You know exactly what the DEV/"game WANT to instill in the players."

...to the point he would better have a wet dream of his ex girlfriend rather than work out a phisical relationship he already had with this living breathing gorgeous looking babe he has right now.

Of course you can control what you dream !

You know what:
I conceed that you are right on anything you just said.

But I'll continue to wait the next update and translate it. If you don't mind.

Peace.

 

[365 others]

I understand the hate for the LI but she is in survival mode and it seems that of the two, the younger sister has the brain so...

I completely agree... she seems to be anything but sharp.

The MC is dealing as best he can and start to manup as the story goes on.

I disagree with how lenient he has been with all that is going on, but I agree that he's getting braver and has started getting more decisive.

Let's get rid of the bad guys and have some naughty fun!

All I know is that as soon as the game lets me, I'm dumping her as LI. I'm not exactly fond of the backstabbing type.

I don't, at all. She is doing everything someone in her situation should be doing. It would be quite dumb of her to implicitly trust MC, a stranger who has every reason to throw her under the bus to save his own family. It's a good thing that neither are thinking with their dicks.

I can see the point in not fully trusting MC, but come on... she has 2 available paths to save her sister: play along with the murderous terrorists, that have not given any guarantee they will be spared if they cooperate, or to collaborate with a MC that has been putting his neck and his friends'/family's neck on the line to save her and the whole ship.

While she only thinks of her sister, MC has been trying to save the whole ship (her and her sister included)... so... I'd say it's even dumber to backstab the one who is trying to help her out that way.

 

[jufot]

MC has been trying to save the whole ship (her and her sister included)

We know that, she doesn't. Why should she trust her? Because he says so? Because he fucks her?

I think if your plan A for escaping your homicidal captors is to trust the stranger you've known for a few days (and decided to fuck, for some reason), then you're not the sharpest tool in the box.

 

[365 others]

We know that, she doesn't. Why should she trust her? Because he says so? Because he fucks her?

I think if your plan A for escaping your homicidal captors is to trust the stranger you've known for a few days (and decided to fuck, for some reason), then you're not the sharpest tool in the box.

Rather than plan A, that's the only plan there is. She does not know the ship nor has any chance to pilot or use any feature of it, she has no access to anything. Before the MC was awakened, she even had to endure eating crappy food (until he shared his). So it is not like if MC was evil she could do anything to save her sister or herself.

So going back... she has, on one hand, a couple of murderous terrorists and on the other a guy SHE decided to bang, and that she supposedly feels something for (according to her scenes), and that is the only one willing to help. A guy that also despite her actions has been taking beatings and getting his family/friends lives threatened so he can help her save her sister.

And her choice is to backstab him in case he ever wants to betray her... brilliant! What could go wrong?

Edit to add:
Although I am starting to hate her, I have to admit that I love the way the character has been developed. If I'm so passionate about how much I disagree with her choices is because they somehow resemble the ones a real person could make.

One thing that this VN has, and that has me hooked and looking forward to the next updates is precisely how well each character has been written. All of them are evolving (whether evil, good, or in between), all of them are learning and have had to adapt to unexpected changes in their story lanes.

 

[realjitter]

murderous terrorists on a ship....

Last time i've played this it took place at school with some "hocus pocus" happening

 

[365 others]

murderous terrorists on a ship....

Last time i've played this it took place at school with some "hocus pocus" happening

At a school? Sounds interesting. What game is it?

 

[realjitter]

We're talking about Zero end right?. Maybe I have a complete brain fart, but I could've sworn that it takes place at school/college.. Does it not, am I trpping?

 

[365 others]

We're talking about Zero end right?. Maybe I have a complete brain fart, but I could've sworn that it takes place at school/college.. Does it not, am I trpping?

I haven't played that one. We were discussing A Long Journey. How much content is there (in play/read time) for Zero End? I've read many good reviews, but I'm not sure how long is it so far.

 

[boobsrcool]

I haven't played that one. We were discussing A Long Journey. How much content is there (in play/read time) for Zero End? I've read many good reviews, but I'm not sure how long is it so far.

If the past year of content has been up to the standard set by earlier updates it's one of the easiest recommendations on the site

 

[365 others]

If the past year of content has been up to the standard set by earlier updates it's one of the easiest recommendations on the site

Ok, I'm sold. I'll play it.

 

[Mravac Kid]

Some great advice that many of the authors in this medium really should take to heart, from the Great Procrastinator himself, GRR Martin

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