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Let's Talk About This

Before you begin reading this review, I'd advise you to read my earlier reviews on this series.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3

Again, I'll start with things that I don't like compared to previous entries and then talk about things I actually do like. This is so that my review ends with a positive note.

First, the things I don't like.
It seems that this game has less gameplay then any of the previous three chapters. I am very disappointed by this. It's cutscene after cutscene with very little to spice up anything. If there is more gameplay, then it also happens to be swallowed up by even more cutscences. There is a lot talking in this game, maybe too much. At this point I'd almost rather read the script with the soundtrack blaring in the background. This game is very, very writer led. Where are all the puzzles?
What exactly is the point of this chapter? It expands the plot a lot, I'm not sure it's in the right direction. It seems to be more cliched and filled with plot holes. It doesn't contribute directly to the conflict. Sure, it may come around with the next chapter in explaining this, but this open ended book continues to be in the rising action. I figured we'd reach the climax of the story in the chapter, but that doesn't seem to be the case. There are a lot of open plot threads and more things are being brought up! The gameplay is already being sacrificed to the story, the last thing it needs is to be entirely consumed by the story!

Secondly, the things that I liked.
I may have sounded harsh above. The story isn't terrible, it's actually pretty good. The story is probably as good as Chapter 1, but it isn't as good as Chapter 2 or 3. It feels like a step back, but it's pretty good.
The stand alone nature of this chapter works better than the Chapter 3.
The gameplay itself is good where available. The mapping is good and the music is as nice as always.

Overall, this chapter seems skeletal. It's like the meat got ripped off before it was served. I would hesitate to recommend it to anyone who hasn't played the previous 3 chapters. I would have to warn those who played the previous three games that this one seems a tad vacant. Maybe if it weren't standalone and all the chapters of this game were placed in a single running collection, then this would seem only like a more plot heavy part of the story.

Posts

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Yeah, I felt like I was sacrificing gameplay for story in this one. But I thought it was for the best since I didn't want to jam a bunch of puzzles and stuff like that in just for the sake of having them. I've always hated it when it feels like games are doing that.

I also fear it may get worse in the following chapters as I have a lot more sub plots planned. I really don't like the idea of cutting them out, I already merged some planned characters together in the previous chapters (you may have noticed some characters with poorly set personalities because of this) and I regretted that. The scope of the story I had planned is definitely out of my league.

The next chapter is also solely a large flashback so it doesn't really advance the main story, although I believe it will answer some questions you may have so there is a point to it.
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