This likely would fare better were it simply regular DLC for the main game.
I'm not entirely sure I understand the thought process behind making things like this standalone. Presumably to allow people to buy it who do not have or are not interested in the main game. But then, looking at a semi-niche product like this, those people aren't gonna buy this either.
So first and foremost, this is ostensibly DLC for the main game.
Gameplay tweaks:
- There are more guns. And the gunplay is improved.
- The minimap displays more information.
- Ammo and batteries refill at stations.
- New enemy types. [spoiler]Not recommend if you have severe arachnophobia.[/spoiler]
- The entire game, aside from the arcade mode, takes place on 3 open maps.
- There are weapon chests that contain heavy weapons that you can only open after collecting a certain amount of manuscript pages. However, they are totally unnecessary. There is plenty of firepower elsewhere. Most of them open with just a few pages that you'll run into along the way anyways.
It's not super interesting that there are only 3 open maps that are not really worth exploring a great deal. This is exacerbated by the fact that the story, involving Mr. Scratch, puts Alan in a time loop and repeatedly has to come back to these places and perform the same tasks.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2271595823
[spoiler]The time loop only occurs 3 times and different events happen each time. The characters aid Alan in the more tedious tasks setup by the first time loop.[/spoiler]
Just what is going on here?
You might be thinking to yourself, why on Earth hasn't Alan written himself out of these horrible stories where everyone is dying. After all, it's his fault. They're his stories. Well, Mr. Scratch is the main problem. What this character is could easily be argued depending on what you believe is going on in the universe. There is a canon. However, I believe that canon has an amount of ambiguity that needs explanation. —
Alan posits that he cannot alter the story in his favor. He says this because there are rules of drama that need to be followed. As in, what you imply has more significance than the actual words you use. Because there are things out there that will use your words against you. What I think is going on here is that what people infer from non-explicit text or otherwise is simply out of your control. Or rather, out of Alan's control in this context. But don't read into that. ;)
As LeVar Burton would say: “You don't have to take my word for it.”
THE GIST:
It's not a great game. It's not really even a good game. But it's FAR from being bad. It's only a few hours long and arcade mode theoretically lasts forever until you get bored with it. I think it's appropriately priced for what it is.
Zitat:
If you've read this far, consider following my curation —
Station Argus
