South of the Circle

Really cool "game", the story is very nice, over the course of the game you get so much attached to Clara in real life. In the game you don't really have any choice or anything. The truth is present time. You cannot change your past. In the present time, you are stuck in Antarctic with only one choice, survive. However you are presented "choices" in the past, which i think is how you actually like to remember the past. In the ending you could die while dying in denial, not accepting your past, or die peacefully knowing you've done wrong things in past. Either way it won't change the present condition.

I went into this game as one of the guinea pigs for my newly purchased handheld PC (MSI Claw) thinking it looked 2D and should be easy to run. I was surprised by how quality the game was. - Sound - The first thing I noticed was the sound. The sound direction was very atmospheric from the menu and into the first moments of the game. It suited the white of the Antarctica setting really well. - Graphics / Art Style - The art style and visuals did not impress right away, but as I played I came to appreciate how well it worked. They drew snow bleak, suspenseful and tense, and hopeless really well. The game also had a few really picturesque scenes, especially on the mountain. Also, the effect of Molly's red coat was not lost on me (with it being reminiscent of Spielberg's film Schindler's List). There were a few instances of feet not matching the ground. - Storytelling - The storytelling was superb, transitioning naturally between the here and now and scenes from the past. It was interesting like a well written novel, or perhaps a well done film (Atonement with Keira Knightley and James McAvoy comes to mind), and I kept wanting to see more, discover more of the story of these characters. - Characters - The two main characters were very likeable and understandable. The supporting cast fit their roles really well too. - Voice Acting - The voice acting was superb. It felt cinema quality. I loved the protagonist's British accent, and the other main character's Scottish accent. So quaint the accents of those British Islanders. The Australian's accent really put him in character. The protagonist's friends were quite believable. The Russian was the only one who felt somewhat off. - Themes - I appreciated the variety of mature themes on display, which made this a thoughful game. - Ending - The ending left me scratching my head, so that's where I detracted one star. It made sense thinking about it, but still, was this the best way to do it?

Not so much a game as there were no real obstacles or objectives to achieve. But rather more like an interactive graphic novel. Still story was compelling and will definitely play it again to select different opportunities.

...But not much of an actual game, is it? This would have been much better in pretty much any other medium BUT as a game. As a book, I could have read it at my own pace; as a movie I wouldn't be interrupted constantly by silly and immersion-breaking boxes and circles; and as an audio drama, I could have engrossed myself in the great acting and soundscapes.

"Gameplay" is just click on a few dots which represent a certain emotional tone in which you "respond" to the continuous dialogs. Sometimes you don't even get a choice, just "one dot" shows on screen and it's Hobson's choice! Graphics are nice, detailed non-textured polygons. Reminiscient of early 90's games like "Another World". Flight sims of the time would have been good with this style of scenery back in the 90's instead of the ugly first generation textured polygons! Worth every penny for the £0.00 I got it from - but I wouldn't pay for it. It's more a "lefty student" art project than an actual game.