Welcome to part 10 of this series, in which I’ll be wrapping up with 5 capsule reviews written for games that I completed in 2020. That makes for 50 of these small reviews that I’ve put on TAY2 since we migrated over here! Today’s batch includes the conclusion of Kentucky Route Zero in Acts IV and V, Blind Men, Shadowrun Returns, and Streets of Rage 4. Let’s get to it!
Kentucky Route Zero Act IV
There’s a lot of grief in this episode. That’s not to say it’s all bad, or even that the episode is a downer. It’s more that Cardboard Computer largely has players surrender the wheel for this part of the story. The characters just need time. So the assembled cast moves through the episode onboard a tugboat that heads down the underground river that runs between their destination and the Zero. That means there’s no driving or small side destinations. But there is still plenty of player choice, here in terms of decisions to follow characters who disembark the boat at different points or who stays on board.
Grief in this episode is quiet, and mostly unspoken. Some of it is certainly up to the player and how they feel after the events of Act III. New characters are introduced, new constellations of relationships can sprout between characters, and there’s a feeling that everyone has to move on. Nobody is exactly sure how to do that, or what comes next, but the river is going to carry them somewhere, regardless.
Kentucky Route Zero Act V
I don’t know how Cardboard Computer managed to stretch themselves and provide a new experience in each act, all without losing the plot. But they did, and Act V brings the story to a conclusion. True to Kentucky Route Zero, it brings it to a conclusion, but not a definitive one. And also, true to form, the player has a say in where it seems most characters will end up. They do this through a negotiation with the game through text, nudging responses here and there. More so even than previous chapters, this one felt like a great evolution of old hypercard games. Click this bit of text here to see how that story might change in the telling, but weigh how many times you’ll be able to do that – the game usually won’t let you explore every option.
Following how Act IV took away some player agency with a river and tugboat that moved in just one direction, in Act V, the player can roam in the most open 3D environment that Carboard Computer has yet created. That free movement is brilliantly balanced out by limited conversational perspective – the player is put in the position to overhear conversations and participate in them through limited means. That eases the feeling of control over these characters – after all, at the end, the player has to let them and the story go. Thiis amounts to a very free, open approach to the ending. Cardboard Computer has often provided players with different perspectives throughout their journey. Act V continues to open things up, providing one more day at the end of the road.
Blind Men
I suppose that Blind Men follows through on its premise – it only goes through the first mission in the life of a young supervillain and its aftermath. I think the disappointing thing is how insubstantial that turns out to be. There are few choices to be made in that first mission, and only a few paths extend the runtime by a couple minutes or so. That lack of substance extends to the endings – at best, they’re somewhat unsatisfying conclusions to a first or second chapter. There’s some flirtation, but it doesn’t add much substance. The writers don’t seem to quite be able to stick the landing in between cheesy and explicit, and so just about everything defaults to the former. All that and it doesn’t quite do enough to justify the hackneyed use of KGB and GI Joe counterspies. Save yourself the time and watch a single episode of the Venture Bros. instead.
Shadowrun Returns
The best part of Shadowrun Returns is how much Shadowrun is in here. The story and gameplay are straight out of the old TTRPG, right down to the Seattle setting and cameos from prominent characters. The writing strikes the right world-weary tone, the character options are fun – I played a Dwarf Rigger – and there’s a solid option to stick it to the shitty lieutenant who gets in your way at the end. All that and dialog and choice options right for role-playing, even if they’re not too consequential for the story. All in all, a faithful adaptation of one of my favorite old RPGs.
Streets of Rage 4
A faithful sequel to a most excellent brawler series. The smooth cartoon graphics, varied movesets, and kickin’ soundtrack all do credit to the Streets of Rage name. This one preserves its arcade-style roots while adding all kinds of accessibility along the way, from more varied characters to assist modes. 4 player co-op multiplayer is the icing on the cake. Brawlers are underrated, and SoR4 is simply a blast to play. The picture of simple to learn and hard to master, and fun the whole time.
Previously on the blitz: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9
Optional Objectives is a contributing editor for Gamers with Glasses. He also writes for a bunch of other online publications and zines, including Unwinnable, Heterotopias, First Person Scholar, Clickbliss, and Haywire Magazine. You can find more on twitter, both @opobjectives and @donaever.
Get involved!
Comments