As someone with a track record of focusing solely on romance furry games, I do not regret playing this. This is such a good story. I am so, so excited for future updates!
get on this update as soon as possable i loved it soo much and the cliffhanger i cant wait to see what happenes and my favourite person is garret but what happened to conner tho i hope conner is alive and not dead....
but 10/10 game wuld be waiting for the next update for more of this..
if you can tell me when is the next update for more of this game karras
Personally, one of the best horror game and visual novel experiences I've ever played. Starting with the introduction, which is one of the most important points that made me read the rest of the game: it's impeccable, really well done, and conveys Connor's fear and desperation of dying in that situation perfectly. The music also helps set the melancholic tone. I swear, I got chills when I read that part for the first time, and it made me even more intrigued about the rest of the game.
The game, so far, is excellent—well-written, with characters that genuinely make you want to learn more about them. I found it really interesting how the author focused more on telling the story rather than primarily on romantic pairings. Tabby and Rufus are my favorites :3, and Garret is so sweet, i just want to hug and take care of him, he is an amazing protagonist :). Sometimes you get frustrated by the decisions they make in certain situations, but it's understandable considering they're under such stressful circumstances. The soundtrack complements the story's writing and truly immerses you in the atmosphere that's created. I have nothing but praise for the art, it's stunning.
One last thing—I’m not sure if this will be answered, but I’ll ask anyway. In future updates, will Garret be able to make choices that directly or indirectly save or kill other crew members? It’s something I’ve been wondering, as, so far, Garret’s decisions haven’t had much impact on the crew.
Well, that’s it! This game is a hidden gem, and I hope it keeps getting updated. I’m looking forward to seeing how this story ends.
I’m a few months late but the update was awesome! I lost my save file and had to play through the entire game all over again, but was still glued to my screen the entire time. As for the new content, the writing, music choices, atmosphere, and tension were superb as always, and the cliffhanger had me dyingggg. Definitely one of the most tense and gripping stories I’ve read on itch. Dana is shaping up to be my favorite character, but I think the entire cast is well-developed with both good and bad qualities.
As a survival-cannibalism history aficionado, this feels suspiciously like a mashup of the lost Franklin expedition of 1845 and the Greely expedition, to the point where I would be more surprised if it was coincidental than intentional. That isn't a bad thing, and I am very interested in this VN whether that is true or not, but I see many similarities in a lost ship having gone far off-course (Franklin) and been abandoned on the ice after the captain & crew left to go elsewhere (Greely). Of course, there are clues in this story to indicate that survival cannibalism hadn't taken place, but one could make a case for other parallels. If that was intentional, then great job and I see you—and if it wasn't, then congratulations for unconsciously connecting to a long tradition of doomed arctic expeditions.
I LOVED THIS!! The characters are their own person which makes for more likable characters. Not to mention that if you like voicing VN characters, this VN has a good amount of them with different accents and all that. I’m hoping the next update comes soon because that cliff hanger was amazing.
Game was absolutely stunning, soundtrack sent chills down my spine, its an experience I hadn't known I could have from a game. I can only wait until another update arrives, absolutely loved the shark and a opossum!
I've been seeing this VN for a while (Polar Night),
We're going to start, already from the start he puts us in the bath by playing the game during the night and incredible, I was scared because of the sounds of the sound effects it was well placed and it was scary I was immersed in the game, the incredible CG, the characters the environment frankly what can I say magnificent nothing more, the writing resembles a screenwriter of course I did not notice any errors in my point of view, frankly for a horror story a score of 10 out of 10 even if it is not finished it deserves another high score especially in terms of graphics and artistic level it is a masterpiece, 5 stars
Question :
I have a question, you don't have to answer. I noticed that at the start of the game you could choose other routes. Is this the route that will change history? (for example) the choice to change boats is everything,
(PS: I'm a little bad at English, I hope I still wrote well)
In any case, I can't wait to see what happens next ^^
All renpy stuff should run native on Linux with no intervention, the windows build has the Linux files present by default, if they are for some reason missing just copy the game directory into a copy of the SDK and you can launch it from there. But otherwise the .sh file launches the game just fine.
We've waited so long, and it's incredible that this VN makes us dream. It's crazy how the message below says you're a master of sounds—I completely agree. Honestly, I have nothing to say except that I love it. I’m really excited to see the rest of the story. Just a little jumpscare idea, that’s all😏🤔
Just a quick question: are you working alone on this project?
.... You absolute madman, this update was truly worth the wait, i just finished it and *god damn* you are a master with the sounds, sent shivers trough my spine in several ocasions, keep up the good work and i wish you the best of health ^^ take care
This VN was a breath of fresh air and wildly different than I was expecting. I felt like I was clicking through "The Thing" with the way the framing and pacing was set up. I also thoroughly enjoyed that same significant effort was put into making the ship feel real.
I can't wait to see it process and hope it doesn't take another year for a release.
It was worth the wait. There really aren't many visual novels like this. What I love here, which is a problem for many furry vn, is the focus on the story instead of the romantic relationships of the characters. Of course, something is very subtly visible between certain two characters and it has the potential for a really nice relationship development. And I like it. But the main advantage is the story and telling it layer by layer. I love how there are little hints and bits of information about what could have really happened. It really gives me room for many theories about what's really going on. The solution to the mystery could be anything. And I really look forward to what this story will surprise me with next. The atmosphere building is divine. A ship somewhere in the Arctic does its job. Additionally, moments of tension caused by various unexplained phenomena. A few times I had something like: Okay, this is the moment when something fucked up is going to happen... and you know, it didn't. It lulled my vigilance when something finally did happen that gave me shivers down my spine. Really good job. Most of the characters are written well. I would have a few comments. Sometimes some characters irritate me a little. I have the impression that they sometimes behave extremely emotionally and irrationally in relation to the situation. On the other hand, I partially think that this is their role. They are in a difficult situation and it is justified. Although I think that it looks a bit too strong this way sometimes. However, I do not see any major problems related to this. Other characters are played well. I think Dane is my favorite and I think she needs more time in the game. I also like how Garret's character is made. His thoughts, sometimes mundane and taken from everyday life, add authenticity to him. He is a character who has a rather weak character. Full of fear, complexes and anxieties. Despite this, he seems to have some influence on himself and somehow hold on and perform his roles. There is something heroic in this, but at the same time he remains a very ordinary person. I hope that we will have some nice character building here. I do not want my comment to be too long. It is difficult for me to write without giving spoilers. I am glad that the project is being continued. If the next part is around Halloween time, I'll be really happy, especially if it has a similar amount of content.
I just discovered this, played what there is so far, and I have to say I'm loving what I see! Obviously the game is unfinished, both in story and in art assets, but what's here is very good. The characters are well developed, their interactions land really well, and the overall story has me hooked. There's equally good setups for potential mystery, horror, or both.
I apologise for the time taken. Unfortunately There's a couple things limiting my progress: My ability to fund the project and my artists time they can spend on the project.
I don't have an ETA yet, but progress is being made, thank you for your interest!
No no, it's completely fine, I mean life happens haha. I'm just glad the game isn't dead, because I find it well-written and captivating. It means a lot that you answered my question, take care, hope you can finish it someday.
I like this story, especially how it swiftly throws characters into an almost unknown urgent situation, forcing them to muster all their attention to observe the potential dangers lurking in the darkness. That's what a horror story should be! It's not that I dislike gradually building up a scary atmosphere; it's just that I don't like some visual novels—where you spend hours reading but don't even know what you're supposed to fear or anticipate, with no suspicion, no scenes that feel out of place, not even a wobbling cup on the edge of a table. It's truly quite exhausting and frustrating.
Thank you very much for your dedication to this story, looking forward to the next update.
It's a slog to get through the absolute abundance of details this VN throws at you. It's walls and walls of text of irrelevant things, like what coffee each person in the room ordered, their clothes, every single change of expression, every single thought the MC has on EVERYTHING... It's just too detailed. The author obviously wanted to write a book, not a VN.
Also all characters are incredibly flat. If someone has a habit of saying "dude" - he will say it every single time he is talking to someone. If someone is secretive - he will be secretive about absolutely anything and everything, in the most blatant way possible.
Fake choices aren't helping keep my interest either. What's the point of even giving choices when the player MUST go through all of them? Just play out the scenes one by one and don't waste my time!
And the few real choices don't feel like choices - the MC doesn't stand up to the challenge he just chose, he is just being a dead weight in every situation. It's not rewarding or interesting to be this person and his overwritten backstory is not making things better, it makes them worse.
The MC is NOT player incarnate, you are just with him for the ride and it's annoying as hell.
I don't agree with this, but I think it may be partly a matter of taste. The main character is more of an introvert and we see everything through his... eyes. He can pay attention to many details because it is his character. I also think that more detailed descriptions help you better imagine things in this world. Even if these are simple things that most of us do not pay much attention to on a daily basis. Of course, stories with too detailed descriptions can be boring, but in my opinion the descriptions here are okay.
Maybe it's a matter of taste, I don't know. I've seen a few visual novels that were poorly written and for me the level here is decent. The action itself is a bit limited because everything is happening on a ship in a closed space and everything is only gradually starting to reveal itself. That's why the atmosphere here and the tension must be built slowly.
Check out https://aucyonproject.itch.io/echoes-from-valeth! Amazing story and no choices because the author focused on the story and the characters are complex and the art is great <3 I can't recommend it enough. It's also done!
I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I think I'll refrain myself from playing that VN. It doesn't seem like my kind of VN and I would neither enjoy it nor be able to say anything good about it afterward. So I better not.
The main character has his own name, backstory, and distinct motivations. Whatever gave you the impression that he was ever meant to be the player incarnate? And why is it as a failing on the game's part that that's not the case?
I love it when people who missed the point of my comment get angry at me for supposedly missing the point. You're thinking about blank slate characters and that's not what I was talking about here at all.
Also, I think you are mistaking player incarnate and viewer incarnate, which are two completely different things from different types of media that serve different purposes.
In any interactive media, the protagonist is, by definition, player incarnate, literally - you are in control of the character.
And it's great that the protagonist of this VN has a backstory and his own character.
BUT
He is not accepting player's inputs. They are not his. He does not believe in the choices the player makes. He is half-assing the actions that are supposed to be made by his own choice. It undercuts the player agenda and the whole point of interactivity.
Because when you decide to do something - you don't maybe kinda try to do it, you just do it. But the protagonist of this VN doesn't freaking care about completing anything he supposedly decided to complete, unless he is actively being electrocuted. So your choices barely matter. And it sucks! And I'm annoyed that more people aren't annoyed at this.
I'm so tired of people praising mediocre VNs just because they have good furry art.
Your second-to-last paragraph sums up your problem with PN. You can't stand Garret's character because he's a reluctant protag. That's fair enough, but it doesn't make PN a mediocre VN.
The MC makes it clear from the beginning that he doesn't want to be there, but feels he has to for his mom. He really, really hates confrontations but also wants to do the right thing. He's constantly conflicted and isn't enthusiastic about any of the choices he makes up to this point.
As you noted, the one exception is when he can fall back into his professional identity during the electrical crisis. Then he's calmly assertive and decisive.
Garret is a really well-written reluctant protag, and I enjoy tagging along with him and trying to figure him out, at most nudging the reluctant wolf one way or another. I understand not being able to stand this sort of character, but that doesn't make the VN mediocre.
Oh my, you're right! I thought about this for a couple of minutes and realized I do hate reluctant protagonists. Not just in VNs, but generally, in media - they turn any plot into a slog because they just won't do what needs to be done.
And it's especially hard on me with interactive media, as the reluctant protagonist makes it less interactive by their hesitation to do anything.
Nicely spotted, I should have realized this myself!
Though I still think it holds the VN back quite a bit and I'm confident it would have been better with a protagonist who isn't hoping to coast through the plot. Maybe he'll grow as a character later on, I guess we'll see :p
I thought about this some more, since I think I normally wouldn't like reluctant protagonists either. I relate easily to Garret because I can see why he's so conflicted. He's torn between family duty to give his sick and not-entirely rational mother some peace, his own opinion that the expedition is pointless, and his justified hatred for his brother. He feels stuck in a job he doesn't want.
He's also a walking, furry, deadly weapon, and everyone knows it. Despite his timid nature, even much larger animals regard him as a physical equal and see him as the obvious go-to for the very confrontations he hates so much.
I think the author did an especially good job of using hints and cryptic flashbacks to show why Garret is the way he is. He's seething with repressed rage. He's visibly and lastingly maimed by the same person he's risking his life to follow, for the sake of what sounds like a dysfunctional family relationship. He's more scared of himself than anything.
This is a setup for a really intense character arc, so I think you still might want to keep an eye on the updates.
I've read through all your comments, and boy that's a lot of expectations you have, friend. Since you seem to be an expert on storytelling, perhaps you could proffer the struggling author some advice on writing believable flawed MCs?
Hey! Sorry for how long it's taken for me to reply!
I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the story, In some cases I think it's a matter of personal taste but in the case of choices, I have been working on making meaningful choices a core facet of the story, but I haven't yet had a chance to fill them out.
You are welcome to try future builds where I hope to flesh out these choices, but it might be some time before that happens, as I am focusing on writing a single storyline first!
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As someone with a track record of focusing solely on romance furry games, I do not regret playing this. This is such a good story. I am so, so excited for future updates!
how come is dana's first thought that someone within the group killed joseph instead of going out to search for him, now that's pretty suspicious
suspiciously stupid 🤨
edit: i review this demo 12.4 out of 10
get on this update as soon as possable i loved it soo much and the cliffhanger i cant wait to see what happenes and my favourite person is garret but what happened to conner tho i hope conner is alive and not dead....
but 10/10 game wuld be waiting for the next update for more of this..
if you can tell me when is the next update for more of this game karras
Personally, one of the best horror game and visual novel experiences I've ever played. Starting with the introduction, which is one of the most important points that made me read the rest of the game: it's impeccable, really well done, and conveys Connor's fear and desperation of dying in that situation perfectly. The music also helps set the melancholic tone. I swear, I got chills when I read that part for the first time, and it made me even more intrigued about the rest of the game.
The game, so far, is excellent—well-written, with characters that genuinely make you want to learn more about them. I found it really interesting how the author focused more on telling the story rather than primarily on romantic pairings. Tabby and Rufus are my favorites :3, and Garret is so sweet, i just want to hug and take care of him, he is an amazing protagonist :). Sometimes you get frustrated by the decisions they make in certain situations, but it's understandable considering they're under such stressful circumstances. The soundtrack complements the story's writing and truly immerses you in the atmosphere that's created. I have nothing but praise for the art, it's stunning.
One last thing—I’m not sure if this will be answered, but I’ll ask anyway. In future updates, will Garret be able to make choices that directly or indirectly save or kill other crew members? It’s something I’ve been wondering, as, so far, Garret’s decisions haven’t had much impact on the crew.
Well, that’s it! This game is a hidden gem, and I hope it keeps getting updated. I’m looking forward to seeing how this story ends.
I’m a few months late but the update was awesome! I lost my save file and had to play through the entire game all over again, but was still glued to my screen the entire time. As for the new content, the writing, music choices, atmosphere, and tension were superb as always, and the cliffhanger had me dyingggg. Definitely one of the most tense and gripping stories I’ve read on itch. Dana is shaping up to be my favorite character, but I think the entire cast is well-developed with both good and bad qualities.
As a survival-cannibalism history aficionado, this feels suspiciously like a mashup of the lost Franklin expedition of 1845 and the Greely expedition, to the point where I would be more surprised if it was coincidental than intentional. That isn't a bad thing, and I am very interested in this VN whether that is true or not, but I see many similarities in a lost ship having gone far off-course (Franklin) and been abandoned on the ice after the captain & crew left to go elsewhere (Greely). Of course, there are clues in this story to indicate that survival cannibalism hadn't taken place, but one could make a case for other parallels. If that was intentional, then great job and I see you—and if it wasn't, then congratulations for unconsciously connecting to a long tradition of doomed arctic expeditions.
Really great, Also if Connor isn't still alive so him and Garret can hug it out I will be very upset :(
Cant wait for new stuff i think this might be my fave vn ever!
Is this novel dead?
it’s not dead! Life is just crushing me right now and assets take a while to create, but it’s still being worked on!
Oh. No worries, then. I'm glad this is still being worked on. Take your time and take care
I sincerely cannot wait for more. This is sooooooo so damn good.
I LOVED THIS!! The characters are their own person which makes for more likable characters. Not to mention that if you like voicing VN characters, this VN has a good amount of them with different accents and all that. I’m hoping the next update comes soon because that cliff hanger was amazing.
I neeeeeeed more of this vn lmao
bro idk how but you made me more in love with your game
Game was absolutely stunning, soundtrack sent chills down my spine, its an experience I hadn't known I could have from a game. I can only wait until another update arrives, absolutely loved the shark and a opossum!
I've been seeing this VN for a while (Polar Night),
We're going to start, already from the start he puts us in the bath by playing the game during the night and incredible, I was scared because of the sounds of the sound effects it was well placed and it was scary I was immersed in the game, the incredible CG, the characters the environment frankly what can I say magnificent nothing more, the writing resembles a screenwriter of course I did not notice any errors in my point of view, frankly for a horror story a score of 10 out of 10 even if it is not finished it deserves another high score especially in terms of graphics and artistic level it is a masterpiece, 5 stars
Question :
I have a question, you don't have to answer. I noticed that at the start of the game you could choose other routes. Is this the route that will change history? (for example) the choice to change boats is everything,
(PS: I'm a little bad at English, I hope I still wrote well)
In any case, I can't wait to see what happens next ^^
Will be be getting a Linux version or no? if so that's understandable, might have to use wine or something on my end.
Hey! Sorry, I thought I had made one already. I will create a Linux version shortly!
All renpy stuff should run native on Linux with no intervention, the windows build has the Linux files present by default, if they are for some reason missing just copy the game directory into a copy of the SDK and you can launch it from there. But otherwise the .sh file launches the game just fine.
Ah okay I'm still fairly rusty/new on Linux but getting the hang of it, I'll see what I can do. And thank you buddy, sorry for the late reply!
I want to the shark and the opossum
The plot thickens and I actually felt chills while reading it!
This update is amazing! In my opinion you're espeacially doing such a great job with the character dialogs, it's crazy good.
That cliffhanger is already killing me! I can't wait for whats coming. ^^
We've waited so long, and it's incredible that this VN makes us dream. It's crazy how the message below says you're a master of sounds—I completely agree. Honestly, I have nothing to say except that I love it. I’m really excited to see the rest of the story. Just a little jumpscare idea, that’s all😏🤔
Just a quick question: are you working alone on this project?
.... You absolute madman, this update was truly worth the wait, i just finished it and *god damn* you are a master with the sounds, sent shivers trough my spine in several ocasions, keep up the good work and i wish you the best of health ^^ take care
This VN was a breath of fresh air and wildly different than I was expecting. I felt like I was clicking through "The Thing" with the way the framing and pacing was set up. I also thoroughly enjoyed that same significant effort was put into making the ship feel real.
I can't wait to see it process and hope it doesn't take another year for a release.
I'm starting to read this and I'm curious is there different routes set for different endings or is it completely linear.
“There will definitely be choices and depending on how you play, some characters may or may not survive - including the MC!”
-Karras, in reply to another comment.
Ok makes sense
It was worth the wait. There really aren't many visual novels like this. What I love here, which is a problem for many furry vn, is the focus on the story instead of the romantic relationships of the characters. Of course, something is very subtly visible between certain two characters and it has the potential for a really nice relationship development. And I like it. But the main advantage is the story and telling it layer by layer. I love how there are little hints and bits of information about what could have really happened. It really gives me room for many theories about what's really going on. The solution to the mystery could be anything. And I really look forward to what this story will surprise me with next. The atmosphere building is divine. A ship somewhere in the Arctic does its job. Additionally, moments of tension caused by various unexplained phenomena. A few times I had something like: Okay, this is the moment when something fucked up is going to happen... and you know, it didn't. It lulled my vigilance when something finally did happen that gave me shivers down my spine. Really good job. Most of the characters are written well. I would have a few comments. Sometimes some characters irritate me a little. I have the impression that they sometimes behave extremely emotionally and irrationally in relation to the situation. On the other hand, I partially think that this is their role. They are in a difficult situation and it is justified. Although I think that it looks a bit too strong this way sometimes. However, I do not see any major problems related to this. Other characters are played well. I think Dane is my favorite and I think she needs more time in the game. I also like how Garret's character is made. His thoughts, sometimes mundane and taken from everyday life, add authenticity to him. He is a character who has a rather weak character. Full of fear, complexes and anxieties. Despite this, he seems to have some influence on himself and somehow hold on and perform his roles. There is something heroic in this, but at the same time he remains a very ordinary person. I hope that we will have some nice character building here. I do not want my comment to be too long. It is difficult for me to write without giving spoilers. I am glad that the project is being continued. If the next part is around Halloween time, I'll be really happy, especially if it has a similar amount of content.
So hyped for this update!!!
Love to see it! Glad you're feeling/doing better! Pneumonia f**king sucks!
I was wondering if we can look forward to mobile-friendly versions of the new update anytime soon?
I will try to get an android version released ASAP, I need to remind myself how that works hah
Android version is up, let me know if you have any issues running it!
Ran flawlessly. And may I say DAMN! That was a ride. Thank you for keeping this alive and I cannot wait to follow along.
I just discovered this, played what there is so far, and I have to say I'm loving what I see! Obviously the game is unfinished, both in story and in art assets, but what's here is very good. The characters are well developed, their interactions land really well, and the overall story has me hooked. There's equally good setups for potential mystery, horror, or both.
Great work so far, and I'm hoping for an update!
Hello, sorry to ask this, but... Is the game dead? It's been over a year without any updates.
I apologise for the time taken. Unfortunately There's a couple things limiting my progress: My ability to fund the project and my artists time they can spend on the project.
I don't have an ETA yet, but progress is being made, thank you for your interest!
No no, it's completely fine, I mean life happens haha. I'm just glad the game isn't dead, because I find it well-written and captivating. It means a lot that you answered my question, take care, hope you can finish it someday.
This game is awesome and deserves to be finished!
Hoping for day three soon 🙏
I like this story, especially how it swiftly throws characters into an almost unknown urgent situation, forcing them to muster all their attention to observe the potential dangers lurking in the darkness. That's what a horror story should be! It's not that I dislike gradually building up a scary atmosphere; it's just that I don't like some visual novels—where you spend hours reading but don't even know what you're supposed to fear or anticipate, with no suspicion, no scenes that feel out of place, not even a wobbling cup on the edge of a table. It's truly quite exhausting and frustrating.
Thank you very much for your dedication to this story, looking forward to the next update.
Happy anniversary
Hope you doing alright man
got me locked into it, hope to see more!! this is getting really good!
Very much looking forward to the next update!
It's a slog to get through the absolute abundance of details this VN throws at you. It's walls and walls of text of irrelevant things, like what coffee each person in the room ordered, their clothes, every single change of expression, every single thought the MC has on EVERYTHING... It's just too detailed. The author obviously wanted to write a book, not a VN.
Also all characters are incredibly flat. If someone has a habit of saying "dude" - he will say it every single time he is talking to someone. If someone is secretive - he will be secretive about absolutely anything and everything, in the most blatant way possible.
Fake choices aren't helping keep my interest either. What's the point of even giving choices when the player MUST go through all of them? Just play out the scenes one by one and don't waste my time!
And the few real choices don't feel like choices - the MC doesn't stand up to the challenge he just chose, he is just being a dead weight in every situation. It's not rewarding or interesting to be this person and his overwritten backstory is not making things better, it makes them worse.
The MC is NOT player incarnate, you are just with him for the ride and it's annoying as hell.
Relax, the story is still early in development!
I don't agree with this, but I think it may be partly a matter of taste. The main character is more of an introvert and we see everything through his... eyes. He can pay attention to many details because it is his character. I also think that more detailed descriptions help you better imagine things in this world. Even if these are simple things that most of us do not pay much attention to on a daily basis. Of course, stories with too detailed descriptions can be boring, but in my opinion the descriptions here are okay.
Maybe it's a matter of taste, I don't know. I've seen a few visual novels that were poorly written and for me the level here is decent. The action itself is a bit limited because everything is happening on a ship in a closed space and everything is only gradually starting to reveal itself. That's why the atmosphere here and the tension must be built slowly.
You know, maybe there is something to your point. I have read a bit too many books lately and played a bit too many VNs.
Maybe I'm just getting spoiled by the good ones and too tired of the same mistakes the bad ones make to appreciate an average work that's just fine.
Check out https://aucyonproject.itch.io/echoes-from-valeth! Amazing story and no choices because the author focused on the story and the characters are complex and the art is great <3 I can't recommend it enough. It's also done!
I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I think I'll refrain myself from playing that VN. It doesn't seem like my kind of VN and I would neither enjoy it nor be able to say anything good about it afterward. So I better not.
No explanation? I mean… you are a sergal.
Funny that I just finally got around to finishing the last update to EfV. Shi got my crying but in a happy good way.
You have a very good point!
The main character has his own name, backstory, and distinct motivations. Whatever gave you the impression that he was ever meant to be the player incarnate? And why is it as a failing on the game's part that that's not the case?
I love it when people who missed the point of my comment get angry at me for supposedly missing the point. You're thinking about blank slate characters and that's not what I was talking about here at all.
Also, I think you are mistaking player incarnate and viewer incarnate, which are two completely different things from different types of media that serve different purposes.
In any interactive media, the protagonist is, by definition, player incarnate, literally - you are in control of the character.
And it's great that the protagonist of this VN has a backstory and his own character.
BUT
He is not accepting player's inputs. They are not his. He does not believe in the choices the player makes. He is half-assing the actions that are supposed to be made by his own choice. It undercuts the player agenda and the whole point of interactivity.
Because when you decide to do something - you don't maybe kinda try to do it, you just do it. But the protagonist of this VN doesn't freaking care about completing anything he supposedly decided to complete, unless he is actively being electrocuted. So your choices barely matter. And it sucks! And I'm annoyed that more people aren't annoyed at this.
I'm so tired of people praising mediocre VNs just because they have good furry art.
Your second-to-last paragraph sums up your problem with PN. You can't stand Garret's character because he's a reluctant protag. That's fair enough, but it doesn't make PN a mediocre VN.
The MC makes it clear from the beginning that he doesn't want to be there, but feels he has to for his mom. He really, really hates confrontations but also wants to do the right thing. He's constantly conflicted and isn't enthusiastic about any of the choices he makes up to this point.
As you noted, the one exception is when he can fall back into his professional identity during the electrical crisis. Then he's calmly assertive and decisive.
Garret is a really well-written reluctant protag, and I enjoy tagging along with him and trying to figure him out, at most nudging the reluctant wolf one way or another. I understand not being able to stand this sort of character, but that doesn't make the VN mediocre.
Oh my, you're right! I thought about this for a couple of minutes and realized I do hate reluctant protagonists. Not just in VNs, but generally, in media - they turn any plot into a slog because they just won't do what needs to be done.
And it's especially hard on me with interactive media, as the reluctant protagonist makes it less interactive by their hesitation to do anything.
Nicely spotted, I should have realized this myself!
Though I still think it holds the VN back quite a bit and I'm confident it would have been better with a protagonist who isn't hoping to coast through the plot. Maybe he'll grow as a character later on, I guess we'll see :p
I thought about this some more, since I think I normally wouldn't like reluctant protagonists either. I relate easily to Garret because I can see why he's so conflicted. He's torn between family duty to give his sick and not-entirely rational mother some peace, his own opinion that the expedition is pointless, and his justified hatred for his brother. He feels stuck in a job he doesn't want.
He's also a walking, furry, deadly weapon, and everyone knows it. Despite his timid nature, even much larger animals regard him as a physical equal and see him as the obvious go-to for the very confrontations he hates so much.
I think the author did an especially good job of using hints and cryptic flashbacks to show why Garret is the way he is. He's seething with repressed rage. He's visibly and lastingly maimed by the same person he's risking his life to follow, for the sake of what sounds like a dysfunctional family relationship. He's more scared of himself than anything.
This is a setup for a really intense character arc, so I think you still might want to keep an eye on the updates.
I've read through all your comments, and boy that's a lot of expectations you have, friend. Since you seem to be an expert on storytelling, perhaps you could proffer the struggling author some advice on writing believable flawed MCs?
Hey! Sorry for how long it's taken for me to reply!
I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the story, In some cases I think it's a matter of personal taste but in the case of choices, I have been working on making meaningful choices a core facet of the story, but I haven't yet had a chance to fill them out.
You are welcome to try future builds where I hope to flesh out these choices, but it might be some time before that happens, as I am focusing on writing a single storyline first!
Regardless, thanks for your feedback!
I started playing it last night. I must say that I love what I see and I hope to see more ^^
Gonna be honest I hope Garret and Tabby become besties by the end of this!
Quite enjoyed what I've read, I think it has a lot of potential. Hopefully will be able to read more soon, keep it up, you've got fans ^^
Honestly, crazy good so far
This promises to be a really, really good game. You managed to make me interested in this story and its secrets. I am waiting for more.