Ocedic 249 Posted June 16, 2013 Title: Hell Diary Author: Noyemi Version: 0.3 If there's one thing that catches my eye as a reviewer and player, it's uniqueness. If your game stands out in some way, it's likely to get a review from me at some point as many of these games tend to be ignored for not following conventional game molds. Hell Diary is such a game; if you think the graphics and premise are unique, that's really just the beginning of one of the strangest rabbit holes you will ever explore. Hell Diary challenges the RM game archetype, but does so quietly. This is in contrast to other designers, who take the Roman approach and loudly proclaim how unique and worthwhile their experience is to anyone who will listen on every communication medium known to man. Without fanfare, Noyemi has crafted a game that marches to the beat of its own drum. This is truly the hallmark of Hell Diary. It's one of the most interesting experiences I've had in any game, let alone an RM one. The graphics have a DOS look that harkens back to the days of floppy discs, but with modern sensibilities that keep it from being an eyesore. The environment boasts an old-school palette of blue and orange, giving a futuristic vibe that looks lively and explosive rather than drab and gray like many modern sci-fi games. All of the assets have a great deal of variety even within a single location without feeling disjointed or tacky. All of this is supported by solid mapping that wasn't riddled with pathing errors and showcased a balance between detail and clutter. The music is a bit of an acquired taste, but it definitely fits the tone and setting of the game. It reminds one of pre-Daft Punk Tron in all of its beep boopy glory. Some tunes are grating, but otherwise the soundtrack is excellent and at times beautiful and nostalgic. The most impressive part of the presentation is that the author created the custom graphics and soundtrack herself. The game is an adventure title that leans more toward visual novel than Monkey Island. You walk around, talk to people and explore the world around you. From what I played, it seemed like there were cases and mysteries to solve, but I never progressed far enough to experience this. In fact, it felt like I didn't do much of anything in spite of wandering around for about an hour or so. You can speak with a lot of NPCs, but none of the interactions felt meaningful or interesting. It seemed like the author wanted to have some sim elements, but they were never fleshed out or explored. Overall, it feels like you're just walking around and talking, which would be sufficient if that was engaging in its own right, but unfortunately it isn't (more on that in the next section). I'd describe the gameplay as interesting, but not fun or engaging. I don't think a game needs to beat you over the head with gameplay mechanics, but the combination of an obtuse storyline with a lack of action made for a very dull and confusing session. The writing itself is very good. The dialogue is well written, and it feels like the world is alive and everyone is doing their own thing, rather than reacting to the player. This is a difficult feat to accomplish, so I commend the author on that. Having said that, the story is just utterly confusing. You're thrown into the game with little explanation, and you basically try to grasp the narrative and setting through dialogue and object interaction. The author has a prequel to this title, so perhaps I was supposed to play that prior to this game, but I believe that games should stand on their own to some degree and regardless of understanding the backstory of this universe, there's a huge lack of direction when it comes to where to go or what to do. It's a shame because there's clearly an immersive story to be told here, but it remains concealed by a veil of obfuscation. Ever experience a game or story where you think, "Well that was an unnatural and blatant way for the author to explain the lore"? It happens a lot in RM games, and Hell Diary suffers from the opposite problem. I wish the author would hold my hand a little bit and explain what was going on, rather than dropping a series of names and jargon that are ultimately meaningless to the reader. Hell Diary is an impressive artistic feat that disappoints in that it could be so much more. The game is still in alpha, so there's certainly room for growth. I hope the author concentrates on conveying the story she wants to convey in a clearer manner. And in spite of its flaws, the game still has a certain aura of charm to it that few games ever achieve. Grade: C+ 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
