The game looks really nice and has some interesting mechanics, like: - switching between the first-person 3D "real" world and the 2.5D isometric book world. - different "worlds" (books) with their own story - interacting with the neighbors, borrowing stuff and never giving it back, is kinda funny. However, overall it's not very satisfying: - The game is _very_ short. 6(.5) books sounds like a lot, but each is very short. Completed it within a few hours. - The story is very linear. Every step along the way there is only one real option. And at some points in time there seems to be some ethical choices, but none affect the story. There's just one solution to everything and thus just one ending. Apart from dying, but you always get a new chance (there's no save game, so that's the only mechanic to handle errors/mistakes). - The puzzles are very simple. Also related to/caused by the linear gameplay: by just following the single path that you get, you already solve all the puzzles. - The stories in the books are very shallow. You get a short glimpse of a world, but there's no real build up. It's just: get in, get to your target and get out. You don't get immersed in the stories. - The side quests, like getting stuff from locked boxes don't relate to the story at all. It just some resources. That's dissatisfying. - The 3D engine requirements are high. On my GTX1660 Super in 4k I got more lag/lower fps than games with comparable graphics. - the menu gives no settings to change the graphics quality (e.g. to get more fps). It all feels "rushed". They spend a lot of time on graphics, so no time was left for the story. Nice to play once, but I'll never play it again. 15 euros seems ok-ish for such a thing.
I liked the idea of these old-timers re-releasing a game. And there's a good amount of humor in the game. The game starts off really well... But quite quickly you've seen everything and it's just running around the same places. Then the number of interactions with new NPCs ramps down towards the end of the game. And I found the actual ending to be REALLY disappointing. It's like they ran out of budget and just used development sketches as padding. Doesn't leave you with a satisfied feeling.
