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I don't understand this copy
Chivi-chivik- 07/08/2016 10:36 PM
- 3018 views
NOTE: There might be spoilers, but I'll try to avoid them.
NOTE2: English is not my first (nor my second) language. Remember this.
-------------------------------------
Chivi-chivik played: copy
It's beenmonthsquite time since I finished playing this game. I didn't think of making a review, but I saw ManU's review and I told to myself "Why not? People can know what you think!" So here I am!
The game's so short I replayed it before writing this, but I don't think you should go play it before reading my (or ManU's) review.
Gameplay
Let's see if I understood.
So... you gotta choose which mirror copies you want to take with you and which ones you should let go of, and... I think that's it? This is literally the only game which gameplay I haven't figured out completely (I had to reread the manual file several times to figure out something yet I failed). If there was something else I had to do (aside from taking the clock into account) then I don't know about it.
Graphics
Graphics are nice! Minimalistic, and don't hurt your eyes... except for the last rooms, where you're already an orange colour.
That hurt my artistic feelings since it wasn't an "ordered disorder"; it looked more like a jumble of random tiles.
Hahaha, don't worry, it gets worse.
Also, the clock should be way more visible. It's too hidden in that corner of the background it took me a replay to see where it was.
Can you tell me what time is it by looking at this image?
However, the game has NOICE visual effects (the breaking glass effect of what I suppose is the game over sequence needs to be mentioned, since it looks great!)
Music
The music tries to be ambiental, but it fails. It ends up being a monotone... something. I think it adds to the "What is this" factor of the game.
Technical stuff and the like
Oh boy.
There are many passability errors in the random tile jumble sections of the game. Passability errors, or an unintelligible maze. Anyway, it made me have a headache (literally, summer heat doesn't help). The reset function is helpful here, but I feel like the reset was programmed more as a patch than an useful mechanic.
Also, there's the clock. To be honest, putting what the clock is for in the manual is unprofessional: the best games tell you how to play in-game... without the use of lengthy tutorials (I'm looking at you Mario & Luigi series! I love you, but HECK...)
But wait! There's more! Let's talk about the text. No, the fact that everything is in lowercase is a stylistic choice and must not be critiqued, but I can totally complain about the lettering pace. It's fine to put some small pause to add emphasis to the dialog, but when those pauses are almost in every single piece of dialog, then it gets annoying fast. In my opinion, the pauses should've been way shorter and more sparse, since there are lots.
Story
Story? What story? If there was a story, I totally missed it. It's supposed that this game has a growth theme (according to IMGC's rules) but I haven't seen it anywhere.
If this was the kind of story that "it's implied/you have to figure it out",then it also failed at that.
Overall
Honestly, this is the most negative critique I've written, and I haven't written many reviews.
The creator of this game knows how to make graphics, but it's obvious they don't know how to make a playable game. Yes, the game is playable in the literal sense, but not in the "fun" or "interesting" sense. The most I got from this game has been a big "What the hell did I just play?".
You can make criptic or mysterious games that are exciting or interesting. OFF is a great example (the world and characters are mysterious as heck, but those two and the dialogs are interesting and the gameplay is smooth).
I haven't checked the IMGC winners at all, but I can totally understand why this game isn't between them... or hasn't been noted much by the RMN community.
Again with my honesty, this is exactly why I pity Tumblr RM game makers. They tend to forget that a game must be fun or entertaining to play. I love Tumblr, but damn... a game is a game.
-------------------------------------------
Chivi's out, and gives this game a rating of...
NOTE2: English is not my first (nor my second) language. Remember this.
-------------------------------------
Chivi-chivik played: copy
It's been
The game's so short I replayed it before writing this, but I don't think you should go play it before reading my (or ManU's) review.
Gameplay
Let's see if I understood.
So... you gotta choose which mirror copies you want to take with you and which ones you should let go of, and... I think that's it? This is literally the only game which gameplay I haven't figured out completely (I had to reread the manual file several times to figure out something yet I failed). If there was something else I had to do (aside from taking the clock into account) then I don't know about it.
Graphics
Graphics are nice! Minimalistic, and don't hurt your eyes... except for the last rooms, where you're already an orange colour.
That hurt my artistic feelings since it wasn't an "ordered disorder"; it looked more like a jumble of random tiles.
Hahaha, don't worry, it gets worse.
Also, the clock should be way more visible. It's too hidden in that corner of the background it took me a replay to see where it was.
Can you tell me what time is it by looking at this image?
However, the game has NOICE visual effects (the breaking glass effect of what I suppose is the game over sequence needs to be mentioned, since it looks great!)
Music
The music tries to be ambiental, but it fails. It ends up being a monotone... something. I think it adds to the "What is this" factor of the game.
Technical stuff and the like
Oh boy.
There are many passability errors in the random tile jumble sections of the game. Passability errors, or an unintelligible maze. Anyway, it made me have a headache (literally, summer heat doesn't help). The reset function is helpful here, but I feel like the reset was programmed more as a patch than an useful mechanic.
Also, there's the clock. To be honest, putting what the clock is for in the manual is unprofessional: the best games tell you how to play in-game... without the use of lengthy tutorials (I'm looking at you Mario & Luigi series! I love you, but HECK...)
But wait! There's more! Let's talk about the text. No, the fact that everything is in lowercase is a stylistic choice and must not be critiqued, but I can totally complain about the lettering pace. It's fine to put some small pause to add emphasis to the dialog, but when those pauses are almost in every single piece of dialog, then it gets annoying fast. In my opinion, the pauses should've been way shorter and more sparse, since there are lots.
Story
Story? What story? If there was a story, I totally missed it. It's supposed that this game has a growth theme (according to IMGC's rules) but I haven't seen it anywhere.
If this was the kind of story that "it's implied/you have to figure it out",then it also failed at that.
Overall
Honestly, this is the most negative critique I've written, and I haven't written many reviews.
The creator of this game knows how to make graphics, but it's obvious they don't know how to make a playable game. Yes, the game is playable in the literal sense, but not in the "fun" or "interesting" sense. The most I got from this game has been a big "What the hell did I just play?".
You can make criptic or mysterious games that are exciting or interesting. OFF is a great example (the world and characters are mysterious as heck, but those two and the dialogs are interesting and the gameplay is smooth).
I haven't checked the IMGC winners at all, but I can totally understand why this game isn't between them... or hasn't been noted much by the RMN community.
Again with my honesty, this is exactly why I pity Tumblr RM game makers. They tend to forget that a game must be fun or entertaining to play. I love Tumblr, but damn... a game is a game.
-------------------------------------------
Chivi's out, and gives this game a rating of...
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CloseI didn't end up finishing this game myself because my computer is junk and it played incredibly slowly on it. Once I reached a bad end, I didn't particularly feel like continuing, though I may have felt differently if I'd been playing it at the proper speed.
I don't feel like games necessarily need to be "fun", as long as they're "interesting", and I've enjoyed a lot of games that could be described as Tumblr-esque (and didn't particularly like OFF's gameplay). I was happy to play some weird, mellow game about holding hands and picking between the different types of people you could be. You could get some really interesting situations like that - are the traits that inspire you to protect certain copies more than others traits you'd be willing to take into yourself? What kind of person switches between the most beneficial companion whenever they want, even if that means leaving people who depend on them behind? What kind of person sticks with the same companion through thick and thin, even it becomes more and more obvious that this companion isn't the best influence? What does it mean if they're not really real or separate people? How does the way we sometimes treat the self like a separate sort of "character" - behaving in certain ways because it's desirable to be the sort of person who behaves like that, defining ourselves in ways that suit the stories we tell about our lives, seeing ourselves as good people who deserve better or bad people who deserve worse - encourage or inhibit growth? What sorts of traits do we really value in ourselves when it comes down to it?
Some people would find a game like that enjoyable. Others wouldn't. Maybe Copy does do more interesting things with its premise after I stopped playing, but while I loved the atmosphere, I didn't feel much of a connection to anyone or anything in the story, and if it was trying to communicate "disconnectedness", I wish it had done so a little more overtly. But I don't think the issue was that it wasn't exciting, or that it was too Tumblr, and I don't think focusing on those things really communicates whether it's a worthwhile game to people who enjoy more mellow experiences.
I don't feel like games necessarily need to be "fun", as long as they're "interesting", and I've enjoyed a lot of games that could be described as Tumblr-esque (and didn't particularly like OFF's gameplay). I was happy to play some weird, mellow game about holding hands and picking between the different types of people you could be. You could get some really interesting situations like that - are the traits that inspire you to protect certain copies more than others traits you'd be willing to take into yourself? What kind of person switches between the most beneficial companion whenever they want, even if that means leaving people who depend on them behind? What kind of person sticks with the same companion through thick and thin, even it becomes more and more obvious that this companion isn't the best influence? What does it mean if they're not really real or separate people? How does the way we sometimes treat the self like a separate sort of "character" - behaving in certain ways because it's desirable to be the sort of person who behaves like that, defining ourselves in ways that suit the stories we tell about our lives, seeing ourselves as good people who deserve better or bad people who deserve worse - encourage or inhibit growth? What sorts of traits do we really value in ourselves when it comes down to it?
Some people would find a game like that enjoyable. Others wouldn't. Maybe Copy does do more interesting things with its premise after I stopped playing, but while I loved the atmosphere, I didn't feel much of a connection to anyone or anything in the story, and if it was trying to communicate "disconnectedness", I wish it had done so a little more overtly. But I don't think the issue was that it wasn't exciting, or that it was too Tumblr, and I don't think focusing on those things really communicates whether it's a worthwhile game to people who enjoy more mellow experiences.
Chivi-chivik
880
author=dreamland
I don't feel like games necessarily need to be "fun", as long as they're "interesting"
An interesting game that plays in a boring way will put off most people. Gameplay is as important as the story, theme and interesting-ness of the game.
This game could've had a great gameplay if it was more well-made.
author=dreamland
But I don't think the issue was that it wasn't exciting, or that it was too Tumblr, and I don't think focusing on those things really communicates whether it's a worthwhile game to people who enjoy more mellow experiences.
- Who cares about specific gamers here? This review (and basically all my reviews) are focused on a general view. It's true that there might be people who would love this game, but that's not general. That's specific. (Also, almost every review here contains the player's feelings. That's unavoidable. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ). Also, I've played many mellow games that were better than this one (Wither is a good example, check it out!)
-
I don't mean exciting in the sense of "HOLY SHIT I MUST PLAY THIS GAME FOREVER" but in the sense of "Wow I like this game I must keep playing it". The games that achieve that kind of feeling are the most successful ones (let's not talk about "best" games... mediocre games can also be exciting to play).
- The problem I've seen with Tumblr is that many users think that as far as you have an intention, your fiction will work/will be good. That's now how it goes. Nobody will care what you put in your book/show/comic/game if you don't show them a good format first (that is, stuff that complement the thing they wanted to convey/show). In the end, people is simple as heck, so you have to hook them with something.
And this happens with this game.
I mean, it's all fine to make an artsy game (I haven't studied art for nothing. Also, this TVTropes page shows many good artsy games (but not all of them are good)), but when the art becomes unintelligible that's when it alienates people (there's a reason most common people dislikes everything that looks like "contemporanean art"). And games are something that shouldn't alienate at all.
I'm totally willing to interpret a game and think of its themes (there's a reason I loved thinking of OFF and Dreaming Mary all day), but there's a reason these games are successful. They didn't have an intention only, but they also gave us good stuff to show it.
I still think this game's theme and mechanics were delievered poorly. However, it just needs to be improved, as with any piece of fiction.
Chivi-chivik
880
author=zDS
I didn't even know Tumblr RPG Maker games were a thing, lol.
There are TONS of projects being hosted on Tumblr XD
cankero
93
Thank you for the reviews.
You're absolutely right! I was a newbie when I made "copy", and the only reason I began making it was participating in IGMC. It was a self-challenge: "make something in a month and see what happens next". In the end I was disqualified for using unlicensed copy of RPG Maker. It wasn't played or checked at all.
It was a lazy-made maze: it was on purpose.
You got the point. I was lazy and needed a story that would be short 'mysterious' and flexible. Take a lost child and put him in a nightmare, the rest will happen by itself. Moreover, the rest will be made by strong-feeling tumblr girls. If they want a plot or a moral they'll find it in almost anything. I use tumblr to host my website, but nowdays tumblr subculture has reached even my snowy hideout with bears and vodka. And boy I'm a little ashamed of hosting it there.
I have no time and no interest in improving it. Target achieved: game is done and something is still happening around it. Mamma mia. Not to mention that nowadays I am too busy to spend time on RPGmaker.
author=Chivi-chivik
This game could've had a great gameplay if it was more well-made.
I still think this game's theme and mechanics were delievered poorly.
You're absolutely right! I was a newbie when I made "copy", and the only reason I began making it was participating in IGMC. It was a self-challenge: "make something in a month and see what happens next". In the end I was disqualified for using unlicensed copy of RPG Maker. It wasn't played or checked at all.
author=Chivi-chivik
There are many passability errors in the random tile jumble sections of the game. Passability errors, or an unintelligible maze.
It was a lazy-made maze: it was on purpose.
author=dreamland
too Tumblr
author=Chivi-chivik
Again with my honesty, this is exactly why I pity Tumblr RM game makers. They tend to forget that a game must be fun or entertaining to play. I love Tumblr, but damn... a game is a game.
You got the point. I was lazy and needed a story that would be short 'mysterious' and flexible. Take a lost child and put him in a nightmare, the rest will happen by itself. Moreover, the rest will be made by strong-feeling tumblr girls. If they want a plot or a moral they'll find it in almost anything. I use tumblr to host my website, but nowdays tumblr subculture has reached even my snowy hideout with bears and vodka. And boy I'm a little ashamed of hosting it there.
author=Chivi-chivik
However, it just needs to be improved, as with any piece of fiction.
I have no time and no interest in improving it. Target achieved: game is done and something is still happening around it. Mamma mia. Not to mention that nowadays I am too busy to spend time on RPGmaker.
Chivi-chivik
880
author=cankero
In the end I was disqualified for using unlicensed copy of RPG Maker. It wasn't played or checked at all.
WTF- well I do understand them but... heck, maximum security! >_<
author=cankero
And boy I'm a little ashamed of hosting it there.
Don't be! I would totally host my games on tumblr (as well as here) just to get publicity. Yeah, most of Tumblr has no idea about gaming at all, so that's why getting publicity there is so easy (specially if you pull their strings). Sometimes I'm glad they're this supportive.
author=cankero
I have no time and no interest in improving it. Target achieved: game is done and something is still happening around it. Mamma mia. Not to mention that nowadays I am too busy to spend time on RPGmaker.
It's okay (◠‿◠) I don't have time either to keep developing games, but I'm 100% sure you will be able to do an amazing game in the future!
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