D is a sometimes-horror adventure game, with Myst-style interactive FMV gameplay. No sense in beating around the bush. Most of the screenshots you'll see for this game make it look pretty exciting, right? The dread. The dread!!! The reality is that most of the puzzles are very dull and simply not scary at all. While the languid pace does contribute to the atmosphere, the repetition of rotating the view and walking between the same waypoints to solve these puzzles makes them feel even more mundane. HOWEVER, the premise, mood, and super creepy ending make it worth the effort. D is very much its own game, with its own style. It's the first game in the Laura trilogy--D, Enemy Zero, and D2 all feature the same protagonist (or do they??), but the stories are unrelated. If D only serves to introduce people to the other two games, then that's cool on its own. Enemy Zero is tops. Hardcore Gaming 101 had an excellent feature on Kenji Eno, Warp, and the D series (warning: SPOILERS AHEAD): http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/warp/warp.htm And ripping full paragraphs from Wikipedia does not constitute a review.
This took me back to my Spycraft days :) Okay, maybe a bad comparison since this does not have the diversity of that game, but Her Story gave me the same chills. This actually isn't a review so much as it is a (possibly) helpful warning. DO NOT in the User Preferences box click "Delete Session Data" unless you want to clear your search term history and unmark/uncheck all previously viewed videos (effectively resetting the game). I thought clicking it would just clear the "Clips stored in this session" box, but no. Knowing which videos you've already watched is essential. DO NOT click the button unless you want to completely start over.
Pros + Animations are good... + Big color palette... + Tight controls... + Very pick-up-and-play + Narration... Cons - ... but not enough is animated - ... but nothing stands out - ... but bland combat mechanics - Cut and paste area design - Weak story - ... but narration Summary Pretty/nice graphics and sound, tight but annoyingly un-special gameplay, Vegemite story and narration. It's a cheap game, so maybe this is being overly critical, but I found the combination of mid-intensity music, soft colors, slow-jog pace, and the cool-attitude narrator really adrenaline-killing. Doesn't matter how many enemies are on-screen--it always feels the same. For real, pick up the pace, Bastion. Alternatives: * Crusader: No Remorse and Crusader: No Regret -- They're really clunky in comparison, and mind-numbing in their own way, but the combat is more demanding. The theme is bolder, too. * NOX -- More frantic gameplay, different combat options, tedious menus/inventory, but better items, item visualization, and interactivity. * Time Commando -- Psychotic tank controls, but great level design and great variety in fights. * Blade of Darkness -- Okay, this is nothing like Bastion. It's an over-the-shoulder, third-person, Demon's Souls-before-Demon's Souls-existed slash-fest. It's the best. FOR PROFESSIONALS ONLY.
