Played through the prologue available on steam
One of the best indonesian games that i've played. period
This game was on my radar for a while thanks to its beautiful pixel art visuals. Son now that it's finally out I finally got to try it and it's pretty great.
It's not perfect, but as a whole I really really enjoyed it.
Starting with the positives, this might be one of my favorite-looking games, at least as far as indie games go. The colors, the animations, the details... everything is perfect.
The soundtrack is also very good and helps to create a distinct feeling.
Even mechanically the game was surprisingly much better than I expected. I went into the game expecting it to be kind of a walking simulator, but to my surprise, there is a lot of exploration, side activities, puzzles, and mini-games which keep the game engaging even after several hours of playing it.
The negative for the most part aren't too serious, but I do think they are enough to hurt the game, mostly because this is a story-driven game and most of my issues are related to the narrative.
For starters, kind of a petty complaint, but still an issue is that there are several points in the game where the grammar, or spelling of dialogue was off, and on some occasions just weirdly worded. From the little I looked into it, this appears to be a translation issue as the game wasn't originally made in English, but it never the less was noticeable (and I'm not even a native speaker) and took me out of the experience.
The more serious issues with the narrative though would have to be that... well... I just didn't connect with the story enough... I really wanted to, especially at the end where it kind of hit close to home for me on a lot of things, but it just didn't do it for me... I just personally couldn't connect with these characters as much as I felt I should've and I don't know if this is a subjective issue I have with the game or if it's a writing issue.
If I had to try and point the finger at what might be the reason for my lack of investment, it would maybe have to be that I think that most of the characters are just not very likable. A lot of them just fit into troupes and while the game does try to give them backstories and explain why they act in the way they do, their backstories feel kind of surface-level, maybe if we got to spend more time with them I wouldn't feel this way, but as is, I just didn't connect with most of them.
I will also say that while I personally really connected with the ending and its message, I do think that it went on for a bit too long, and also felt a little far removed from the rest of the game, both tonally and also in terms of what happens in it. It almost feels like an ending to a different story, I think that the earlier chapters of the game could have done a better job of setting up some of the themes and ideas that the ending focuses on.
That said I still really enjoyed my time and would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a "relatively" short BEAUTIFUL game with a nice story with good messages.
It's not perfect, but as a whole I really really enjoyed it.
Starting with the positives, this might be one of my favorite-looking games, at least as far as indie games go. The colors, the animations, the details... everything is perfect.
The soundtrack is also very good and helps to create a distinct feeling.
Even mechanically the game was surprisingly much better than I expected. I went into the game expecting it to be kind of a walking simulator, but to my surprise, there is a lot of exploration, side activities, puzzles, and mini-games which keep the game engaging even after several hours of playing it.
The negative for the most part aren't too serious, but I do think they are enough to hurt the game, mostly because this is a story-driven game and most of my issues are related to the narrative.
For starters, kind of a petty complaint, but still an issue is that there are several points in the game where the grammar, or spelling of dialogue was off, and on some occasions just weirdly worded. From the little I looked into it, this appears to be a translation issue as the game wasn't originally made in English, but it never the less was noticeable (and I'm not even a native speaker) and took me out of the experience.
The more serious issues with the narrative though would have to be that... well... I just didn't connect with the story enough... I really wanted to, especially at the end where it kind of hit close to home for me on a lot of things, but it just didn't do it for me... I just personally couldn't connect with these characters as much as I felt I should've and I don't know if this is a subjective issue I have with the game or if it's a writing issue.
If I had to try and point the finger at what might be the reason for my lack of investment, it would maybe have to be that I think that most of the characters are just not very likable. A lot of them just fit into troupes and while the game does try to give them backstories and explain why they act in the way they do, their backstories feel kind of surface-level, maybe if we got to spend more time with them I wouldn't feel this way, but as is, I just didn't connect with most of them.
I will also say that while I personally really connected with the ending and its message, I do think that it went on for a bit too long, and also felt a little far removed from the rest of the game, both tonally and also in terms of what happens in it. It almost feels like an ending to a different story, I think that the earlier chapters of the game could have done a better job of setting up some of the themes and ideas that the ending focuses on.
That said I still really enjoyed my time and would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a "relatively" short BEAUTIFUL game with a nice story with good messages.
Por favor, jogue esse jogo.
This review contains spoilers
Please do not read if you have any intentions of beating the game, I think the non-spoiler experience is very worth it.
While I had my doubts as to how good of a game this is at many points, and perhaps I would still like this to be a part of a different medium, I think there are moments which do a great job with interactivity, and some really good puzzles once a chapter throws you into the deeper waters with its mechanics. There's also this great moment as you walk forward and fight against clones of yourself as the two godly cats duke it out in the background. That owned. There's also the great pixel-art and soundtrack that loops just perfectly. Rarely do we get such smooth loops.
A lot of this game is similar to the visual novels from the studio key and their anime adaptations. A cute girl that needs to be protected which possesses, or is a victim of mysterious powers beyond human comprehension. Usually, every character had something going for them, except the protagonist, who was usually a perfect hero, always making the right decision and saying the exact words the other person needed despite the problems being so complicated and vast. It never really worked for me. Atma is similar to this archetype. For a long time I was annoyed by how little character he had. But they made it work, in retrospect.
Atma, as the player knows him, was never real, which I thought was a fantastic twist that explained why he was the way he was. The only Atma we know is the one Nirmala perceived. He may have been real and died while caught up in that stream, in which case it shows how the sympathy and the kindness of a stranger can go a very long way. He may have had problems in his past life, he goes into them a tiny bit towards the end, but he may also not have been real, in which case it means our hopes for a person that understands us and cares for our vision of the future help us carry on.
A lot of this game is explained very openly at the very end, but I think a lot of the conclusions drawn are good ones and they are wrapped in a lot of good emotions. As sappy as it might sound, I hope whoever gets to that point grows to learn their worth, their place, their limitations. To look at things from a different perspective. Everything that this game tries to tell with sincerity.
And I hope others won't dismiss it because of its simple mechanics, its inability to fully commit to making some of them deeper, the cheesy "you were in a coma" conclusion, or a lack of a deeper perspective on bullying. I think all of those are valid complaints, but I still hope this game doesn't falter under them for everyone. There are some solid mechanics and puzzles in here, a great structure and the aforementioned great, ambigous twist about Atma's existence. It's not my ideal version of this game, but I am satisfied with what I got and glad it's out.
Finally, the award for best cats goes to this game. Not only is petting them a core mechanic, but you CAN NAME ALL OF THEM. Can you name all the cats in Stray and come back and say "you're as fluffy as ever Cherry"? That's what I thought. Top 1 cat mechanics. Undefeated.
While I had my doubts as to how good of a game this is at many points, and perhaps I would still like this to be a part of a different medium, I think there are moments which do a great job with interactivity, and some really good puzzles once a chapter throws you into the deeper waters with its mechanics. There's also this great moment as you walk forward and fight against clones of yourself as the two godly cats duke it out in the background. That owned. There's also the great pixel-art and soundtrack that loops just perfectly. Rarely do we get such smooth loops.
A lot of this game is similar to the visual novels from the studio key and their anime adaptations. A cute girl that needs to be protected which possesses, or is a victim of mysterious powers beyond human comprehension. Usually, every character had something going for them, except the protagonist, who was usually a perfect hero, always making the right decision and saying the exact words the other person needed despite the problems being so complicated and vast. It never really worked for me. Atma is similar to this archetype. For a long time I was annoyed by how little character he had. But they made it work, in retrospect.
Atma, as the player knows him, was never real, which I thought was a fantastic twist that explained why he was the way he was. The only Atma we know is the one Nirmala perceived. He may have been real and died while caught up in that stream, in which case it shows how the sympathy and the kindness of a stranger can go a very long way. He may have had problems in his past life, he goes into them a tiny bit towards the end, but he may also not have been real, in which case it means our hopes for a person that understands us and cares for our vision of the future help us carry on.
A lot of this game is explained very openly at the very end, but I think a lot of the conclusions drawn are good ones and they are wrapped in a lot of good emotions. As sappy as it might sound, I hope whoever gets to that point grows to learn their worth, their place, their limitations. To look at things from a different perspective. Everything that this game tries to tell with sincerity.
And I hope others won't dismiss it because of its simple mechanics, its inability to fully commit to making some of them deeper, the cheesy "you were in a coma" conclusion, or a lack of a deeper perspective on bullying. I think all of those are valid complaints, but I still hope this game doesn't falter under them for everyone. There are some solid mechanics and puzzles in here, a great structure and the aforementioned great, ambigous twist about Atma's existence. It's not my ideal version of this game, but I am satisfied with what I got and glad it's out.
Finally, the award for best cats goes to this game. Not only is petting them a core mechanic, but you CAN NAME ALL OF THEM. Can you name all the cats in Stray and come back and say "you're as fluffy as ever Cherry"? That's what I thought. Top 1 cat mechanics. Undefeated.
Good ideas, nice story. But sometimes it drags too much.
simply a masterpiece
Bella storia e bei personaggi, ma considerato anche il gameplay poco interessante e il modo in cui questa storia è raccontata non è sufficiente per farmi apprezzare il gioco più di tanto nel suo complesso. Lavoro molto coerente con lo stile di questa piccola casa di sviluppo, comunque, che ha dato vita a giochi come "When the past was around" e "Banyu lintar angin": se questi sono stati particolarmente apprezzati, probabilmente avverrà lo stesso con questo gioco
Beautiful delicious pixel art
Comfy nostalgia-inducing soundtrack
A story that starts out cute and finishes really really strong
Comfy nostalgia-inducing soundtrack
A story that starts out cute and finishes really really strong
Pros:
- Story has a lot of heart in how it handles its themes on mental health, with a particularly beautiful ending
- Lovely pixel style and very pleasant soundtrack
- Strong lead characters (Atma and Raya)
- Surreal fantasy in 90s Indonesia made for an interesting setting
- Multitude of small mini-games and (admittedly simple) puzzles helped add some variety to the gameplay
- You can pet and name a bunch of cats
Cons:
- Much of the game is spent running back and forth through the same few areas looking for items to collect, which got a bit repetitive and slowed the pacing down
- Story has a lot of heart in how it handles its themes on mental health, with a particularly beautiful ending
- Lovely pixel style and very pleasant soundtrack
- Strong lead characters (Atma and Raya)
- Surreal fantasy in 90s Indonesia made for an interesting setting
- Multitude of small mini-games and (admittedly simple) puzzles helped add some variety to the gameplay
- You can pet and name a bunch of cats
Cons:
- Much of the game is spent running back and forth through the same few areas looking for items to collect, which got a bit repetitive and slowed the pacing down
Through most of the game I found it to be enjoyable but not particularly remarkable, but this stuck the landing SUPER well and really resonated. Satisfying to see the narrative tie all its threads together in such an interesting and powerful way.
Content Warnings for A Space for the Unbound as provided by Mojiken Studio: abuse, depression, suicide, trauma, animal death, flashing lights
Tackling coming of age and the YA register in a way that games frequently struggle to meet, Space for the Unbound is a 2D adventure game taking flavors from life sims, JRPGs, and Shenmue-style "fuck around and talk to people" puzzle routing. 90s Indonesia depicted in lush pixel art gives a nostalgic sense of place to this Mamoru Hosoda-y fantasy-realism piece. While sometimes a bit verbose or hung up on challenge based sideshows, A Space for the Unbound nails a sense of scale and gravity in its handling of teens on the fringe of their own life where something like the Life is Strange franchise constantly seems to struggle with.
This game conducts itself without a huge dependence on melodrama to synthesize character beats with its fantasy elements. While it can be heavy-handed in writing or slightly off with timing or duration, the vital scenes and lock-and-key puzzle moments are meticulous and conservative. The palette and approach to line and weight in the animation give so much life to every second and the frequency at which the team at Mojiken knows when to let that speak is enlightening. I think some of the ways in which abuse are depicted and resolved is a little too simple, but the game doesn't claim at any point to be interested in making larger claims about the subjects. This is an incredibly charming game that delivers on everything it promise in its most gorgeous stills.
Tackling coming of age and the YA register in a way that games frequently struggle to meet, Space for the Unbound is a 2D adventure game taking flavors from life sims, JRPGs, and Shenmue-style "fuck around and talk to people" puzzle routing. 90s Indonesia depicted in lush pixel art gives a nostalgic sense of place to this Mamoru Hosoda-y fantasy-realism piece. While sometimes a bit verbose or hung up on challenge based sideshows, A Space for the Unbound nails a sense of scale and gravity in its handling of teens on the fringe of their own life where something like the Life is Strange franchise constantly seems to struggle with.
This game conducts itself without a huge dependence on melodrama to synthesize character beats with its fantasy elements. While it can be heavy-handed in writing or slightly off with timing or duration, the vital scenes and lock-and-key puzzle moments are meticulous and conservative. The palette and approach to line and weight in the animation give so much life to every second and the frequency at which the team at Mojiken knows when to let that speak is enlightening. I think some of the ways in which abuse are depicted and resolved is a little too simple, but the game doesn't claim at any point to be interested in making larger claims about the subjects. This is an incredibly charming game that delivers on everything it promise in its most gorgeous stills.
Singular play-through.
Graphics & Sound: Throwback pixel art style, basic at times, but charming. Some good sound moments. Nothing significantly memorable in either capacity, but effective in the moment. 3.5/5
Story: Lots of sprawl to the story, but wraps up nicely in the end. It's a heavy story, but fell short of affecting me. I appreciate what it tried, it did a great job. 4/5
Technicals: No bugs noticed, game ran well on the Switch. 5/5
Gameplay: Simple gameplay, a bit more involved than a visual novel, but not significantly more than that. Adventure games aren't the pinnacle of gameplay. 2.5/5
Replayability: Not much to really gain from playing again to me. 1/5
Overall: Cute game that tackles a difficult subject, and does a good job in execution. For $20, it's a simple game with a solid story. I don't regret a penny spent on it. 4/5
Graphics & Sound: Throwback pixel art style, basic at times, but charming. Some good sound moments. Nothing significantly memorable in either capacity, but effective in the moment. 3.5/5
Story: Lots of sprawl to the story, but wraps up nicely in the end. It's a heavy story, but fell short of affecting me. I appreciate what it tried, it did a great job. 4/5
Technicals: No bugs noticed, game ran well on the Switch. 5/5
Gameplay: Simple gameplay, a bit more involved than a visual novel, but not significantly more than that. Adventure games aren't the pinnacle of gameplay. 2.5/5
Replayability: Not much to really gain from playing again to me. 1/5
Overall: Cute game that tackles a difficult subject, and does a good job in execution. For $20, it's a simple game with a solid story. I don't regret a penny spent on it. 4/5
Finished Story
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: January 19, 2023
Genre: Action Adventure » General
Finished in: 13 Hours
A good sample of Indonesian story-telling video game. The progression of telling player narrative are so good. Like a fairytale in a kid's story book until they have to face a complex problem. There are so many many "inside joke" that probably can't understand if you're not Indonesian who born in the late 90s.
Beautiful pixel art set in the late 90s rural Indonesia that tells a story about overcoming anxiety, depression, and the relationship between a boy and a girl with supernatural powers. Follow two high school sweethearts, Atma and Raya, on a journey of self-discovery at the end of their high school years. When a mysteriously supernatural power is suddenly unleashed threatening their existence, they must explore and investigate their town to uncover hidden secrets, face the end of the world, and perhaps learn more about each other.
✔ Beautiful pixel art, specially a cat monster
✔ Well written story and progression
✔ Indonesian translation are so well damn! (gaul and fun)
✔ Beautiful ending, a happy one
❌ Lack of variety in fighting mechanic
Verdict: 10/10 ❤❤❤❤❤
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: January 19, 2023
Genre: Action Adventure » General
Finished in: 13 Hours
A good sample of Indonesian story-telling video game. The progression of telling player narrative are so good. Like a fairytale in a kid's story book until they have to face a complex problem. There are so many many "inside joke" that probably can't understand if you're not Indonesian who born in the late 90s.
Beautiful pixel art set in the late 90s rural Indonesia that tells a story about overcoming anxiety, depression, and the relationship between a boy and a girl with supernatural powers. Follow two high school sweethearts, Atma and Raya, on a journey of self-discovery at the end of their high school years. When a mysteriously supernatural power is suddenly unleashed threatening their existence, they must explore and investigate their town to uncover hidden secrets, face the end of the world, and perhaps learn more about each other.
✔ Beautiful pixel art, specially a cat monster
✔ Well written story and progression
✔ Indonesian translation are so well damn! (gaul and fun)
✔ Beautiful ending, a happy one
❌ Lack of variety in fighting mechanic
Verdict: 10/10 ❤❤❤❤❤
How do you carry on when your life in the running up to adulthood is, admittedly, a wreck? Is there a way to cope with depressive thought if the mask you put on to endure loss and abuse only attracts more anguish and misery? What to do when you keep pushing away the people dearest to you? A Space for the Unbound may not have the most sophisticated answer, but it excels in its wonderful sincerity. Cherishing your vision of existence, giving space to make amends with those who worth, and holding on to the most precious memories will go a long way towards healing.
Finally a game inspired by Earthbound, not copying it. But still I'm tired of psychological coming-of-age indie games with cute art style trend. Then again, A Space for the Unbound always managed to hit the right notes and blew my mind away. It makes an excellent presentation to its mysterious story, keeping the player lost between reality and fantasy just like watching a Makoto Shinkai film. Final chapter in particular has been an emotional rollercoaster at full speed. ASFTU was definitely worth my two year wait.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDblciIdBo0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDblciIdBo0
A space for the unbound is a game I had been anticipating for some time. I played the demo a year and a half ago or so and really enjoyed it, so I was pretty happy when I saw it had finally been released.
Its an adventure game set in Indonesia in the 90s. The gameplay does the pychonauts (and persona and like a million other things) thing of going into people's minds to help them and progress through the overarching story of the protagonist. The gameplay is generally fine, puzzles and quicktime events mainly, which I dont mind here cause they are core gameplay rather than an after thought.
I mused during a stream of the game that whilst perhaps overused, the trope of going into people's minds in videogames make perfect sense. Much like Books and Movies have the perennial "show, dont tell" (which isnt always universal I know, please stop yelling) Games have perhaps a similar "let [the player] do, not watch". Which is probably why the psychonauts thing is so useful, it lets the player learn about a character by doing rather than passively being told or shown a character's action in cutscene. It can lend itself to also telling us a character's personality somewhat unsubtly, but the framework gives it a sense of being organic : this character isnt telling us they feel sad, we're seeing their thoughts and they feeling sad in them. To that end I would say ASFTU does it pretty effectively, we learn about the key characters and their struggles with abuse, bullying etc in ways that humanize them whilst also not coming off as people uncharacteristically just telling us their wildest insecurities and traumas unprompted.
The pixel art and animations are gorgeous and the music is very good. Story wise, its mostly pretty good, the messaging at times is perhaps not as strong as it needs to be in terms of the character stories and I whilst I did feel something, I didnt feel as much as the game presumably wanted me to, if that makes sense? Its hard to get into it without spoilers and in all honesty Id rather not cause I think its very much worth experiencing.
It is slightly longer than it needs to be. Some bits feel pretty padded, especially with the different levels of reality you work with it ends up being a russian doll esque odyssey of going inside a rift inside a dream inside someones subonscious to do it all again so you can hand a pastry chef their dad's will.
Overall Im happy with a Space for The Unbound, perhaps it was the expectations set by anticipating its release that knocks it down a half star (and not making me cry) but I feel like for most playing it with fresh eyes will find a great experience here.
Its an adventure game set in Indonesia in the 90s. The gameplay does the pychonauts (and persona and like a million other things) thing of going into people's minds to help them and progress through the overarching story of the protagonist. The gameplay is generally fine, puzzles and quicktime events mainly, which I dont mind here cause they are core gameplay rather than an after thought.
I mused during a stream of the game that whilst perhaps overused, the trope of going into people's minds in videogames make perfect sense. Much like Books and Movies have the perennial "show, dont tell" (which isnt always universal I know, please stop yelling) Games have perhaps a similar "let [the player] do, not watch". Which is probably why the psychonauts thing is so useful, it lets the player learn about a character by doing rather than passively being told or shown a character's action in cutscene. It can lend itself to also telling us a character's personality somewhat unsubtly, but the framework gives it a sense of being organic : this character isnt telling us they feel sad, we're seeing their thoughts and they feeling sad in them. To that end I would say ASFTU does it pretty effectively, we learn about the key characters and their struggles with abuse, bullying etc in ways that humanize them whilst also not coming off as people uncharacteristically just telling us their wildest insecurities and traumas unprompted.
The pixel art and animations are gorgeous and the music is very good. Story wise, its mostly pretty good, the messaging at times is perhaps not as strong as it needs to be in terms of the character stories and I whilst I did feel something, I didnt feel as much as the game presumably wanted me to, if that makes sense? Its hard to get into it without spoilers and in all honesty Id rather not cause I think its very much worth experiencing.
It is slightly longer than it needs to be. Some bits feel pretty padded, especially with the different levels of reality you work with it ends up being a russian doll esque odyssey of going inside a rift inside a dream inside someones subonscious to do it all again so you can hand a pastry chef their dad's will.
Overall Im happy with a Space for The Unbound, perhaps it was the expectations set by anticipating its release that knocks it down a half star (and not making me cry) but I feel like for most playing it with fresh eyes will find a great experience here.
I can't believe this slice of life indie game made me sit down, pull out a pen and paper, and actually do fucking algebra.
Sem dúvida um das experiências mais belas e emocionantes que eu tive com um jogo.
Com um grande foco em narrativa e uma jogabilidade simples, o jogo consegue construir uma atmosfera e estética incrível em volta dos ambientes rurais da Indonésia no fim dos anos 90 e visuais em pixel art.
O jogo tem bastante foco na narrativa, exploração dos ambientes e puzzles. Os puzzles em si não são muito difíceis, mas na medida que o jogo vai avançando eles ficam um pouco mais complexos. Existem alguns momentos pontuais de combate, mas a mecânica é simples, quando entrar em combate com um inimigo, basta pressionar uma sequência de botões que aparece na tela para acertar um ataque no inimigo e se defender pressionando um botão no momento certo, não é nada muito complexo, mas como o foco do jogo não é combate, então eu gosto que ele seja simples nesses aspectos.
O enredo começa simples, mas a medida que vai avançando ele vai fica cada vez mais complexo, toca em temas delicados como ansiedade, suicídio, depressão, luto e amadurecimento, mas os desenvolve muito bem ao longo dos seus 5 capítulos principais(ainda contando com um prólogo e um epílogo), é um jogo que fica cada vez mais interessante a medida que avançamos na narrativa, consegue dar um nó em nossa cabeça por conta de todos os mistérios e elementos surreais que vão aparecendo durante o jogo, e chega a ser muito emocionante pela maneira que ele trabalha suas temáticas, personagens e enredos.
A direção de arte é impecável, os designs do mundo, personagens, etc, são feitos de uma das mais belas pixel arts que já vi. Na medida que avançamos no jogo, em partes específicas os elementos visuais às vezes fazem o jogo parecer uma espécie de sonho de tão surreal e abstrato que vai ficando, os visuais também lembram um pouco animes como os do Estúdio Ghibli misturados com os do diretor Makoto Shinkai e Mamoru Hosoda, é visualmente lindo, mas também imagino que existam outras inspirações. E a trilha sonora é muito bonita também, conseguindo se encaixar totalmente com essa atmosfera que vai desde ao relaxante, melancólico e surreal que o jogo vai criando, possuindo também algumas músicas cantadas que são incrivelmente belas e emocionantes.
Minha conclusão é que A SPACE FOR THE UNBOUND é um jogo simples, nostálgico e muito bonito, quem conseguir imergir e simpatizar com essa jornada com certeza vai amar e se emocionar. Eu com certeza me emocionei bastante com essa história e não vejo a hora de jogar novamente.
Aliás, fico muito agradecido que os desenvolvedores tenham conseguido lançar o jogo com tradução para Português do Brasil, é algo básico, mas existem desenvolvedores grandes que não fazem isso, muito obrigado!
Com um grande foco em narrativa e uma jogabilidade simples, o jogo consegue construir uma atmosfera e estética incrível em volta dos ambientes rurais da Indonésia no fim dos anos 90 e visuais em pixel art.
O jogo tem bastante foco na narrativa, exploração dos ambientes e puzzles. Os puzzles em si não são muito difíceis, mas na medida que o jogo vai avançando eles ficam um pouco mais complexos. Existem alguns momentos pontuais de combate, mas a mecânica é simples, quando entrar em combate com um inimigo, basta pressionar uma sequência de botões que aparece na tela para acertar um ataque no inimigo e se defender pressionando um botão no momento certo, não é nada muito complexo, mas como o foco do jogo não é combate, então eu gosto que ele seja simples nesses aspectos.
O enredo começa simples, mas a medida que vai avançando ele vai fica cada vez mais complexo, toca em temas delicados como ansiedade, suicídio, depressão, luto e amadurecimento, mas os desenvolve muito bem ao longo dos seus 5 capítulos principais(ainda contando com um prólogo e um epílogo), é um jogo que fica cada vez mais interessante a medida que avançamos na narrativa, consegue dar um nó em nossa cabeça por conta de todos os mistérios e elementos surreais que vão aparecendo durante o jogo, e chega a ser muito emocionante pela maneira que ele trabalha suas temáticas, personagens e enredos.
A direção de arte é impecável, os designs do mundo, personagens, etc, são feitos de uma das mais belas pixel arts que já vi. Na medida que avançamos no jogo, em partes específicas os elementos visuais às vezes fazem o jogo parecer uma espécie de sonho de tão surreal e abstrato que vai ficando, os visuais também lembram um pouco animes como os do Estúdio Ghibli misturados com os do diretor Makoto Shinkai e Mamoru Hosoda, é visualmente lindo, mas também imagino que existam outras inspirações. E a trilha sonora é muito bonita também, conseguindo se encaixar totalmente com essa atmosfera que vai desde ao relaxante, melancólico e surreal que o jogo vai criando, possuindo também algumas músicas cantadas que são incrivelmente belas e emocionantes.
Minha conclusão é que A SPACE FOR THE UNBOUND é um jogo simples, nostálgico e muito bonito, quem conseguir imergir e simpatizar com essa jornada com certeza vai amar e se emocionar. Eu com certeza me emocionei bastante com essa história e não vejo a hora de jogar novamente.
Aliás, fico muito agradecido que os desenvolvedores tenham conseguido lançar o jogo com tradução para Português do Brasil, é algo básico, mas existem desenvolvedores grandes que não fazem isso, muito obrigado!
It's a visual novel puzzler inspired by all kinds of things from Shinkai to Ace Attorney. Takes some time to get going and the overall pacing isn't the best, but it's a worthwhile adventure for those who want to cry a bit.
que jogo maravilhoso, que carinho toda a equipe teve nesse jogo, Pixel Art é absurda, Personagens cativantes, historia emocionante, com varias mensagens muito importante q pega no coração.
best indonesian story-based game ever
Review completo: https://gamelodge.com.br/critica-a-space-for-the-unbound-uma-tocante-ode-a-vida-e-suas-adversidades/
Uma ode à vida
A Space for the Unbound superou minhas expectativas. Desde a primeira demo que eu joguei, eu sentia que seria um bom jogo, mas consegui ainda ser surpreendido além dessas expectativas.
Naturalmente é um jogo que precisa ser jogado em um ritmo diferente, por ser um adventure em que você não vê tanta ação acontecendo na sua tela. Mas mesmo se não seja o seu tipo de jogo, vale a pena conferir se você gosta de narrativas intimistas e tocantes. E claro, se você curte um draminha também e não se importa em derramar algumas lágrimas jogando.
E apesar de tratar de temas como depressão, o jogo fala muito mais sobre como é bom viver, apesar de tudo. E que as adversidades sempre irão existir, sendo mais importante como lidamos com elas.
Além disso, gostei de ver a Indonésia sendo representada pelo seu próprio povo, de forma que conhecemos um pouquinho mais do país e da sua cultura, pelos olhos deles mesmos. E fiquei particularmente feliz de ter me identificado tanto em alguns pontos, seja lembrando um pouco de como era minha cidade na virada do milênio bem como com a referência ao Ronaldo, mostrando uma lembrança carinhosa e positiva que os indonésios têm do nosso país.
E pra ser sincero, eu não ficaria surpreso se o jogo fosse adaptado para um anime futuramente. Sua narrativa e arte combinariam perfeitamente com uma obra slice of life animada. Se alguém da Mojiken ler esse review, fica a sugestão.
A Space for the Unbound abriu o ano de lançamentos independentes de forma bastante positiva, na minha opinião. Era um dos jogos que mais estava aguardando e estou bastante satisfeito. Em meio a tanta turbulência que vivemos atualmente, o jogo foi uma pausa reconfortante para respirar e apenas apreciar a obra.
Uma ode à vida
A Space for the Unbound superou minhas expectativas. Desde a primeira demo que eu joguei, eu sentia que seria um bom jogo, mas consegui ainda ser surpreendido além dessas expectativas.
Naturalmente é um jogo que precisa ser jogado em um ritmo diferente, por ser um adventure em que você não vê tanta ação acontecendo na sua tela. Mas mesmo se não seja o seu tipo de jogo, vale a pena conferir se você gosta de narrativas intimistas e tocantes. E claro, se você curte um draminha também e não se importa em derramar algumas lágrimas jogando.
E apesar de tratar de temas como depressão, o jogo fala muito mais sobre como é bom viver, apesar de tudo. E que as adversidades sempre irão existir, sendo mais importante como lidamos com elas.
Além disso, gostei de ver a Indonésia sendo representada pelo seu próprio povo, de forma que conhecemos um pouquinho mais do país e da sua cultura, pelos olhos deles mesmos. E fiquei particularmente feliz de ter me identificado tanto em alguns pontos, seja lembrando um pouco de como era minha cidade na virada do milênio bem como com a referência ao Ronaldo, mostrando uma lembrança carinhosa e positiva que os indonésios têm do nosso país.
E pra ser sincero, eu não ficaria surpreso se o jogo fosse adaptado para um anime futuramente. Sua narrativa e arte combinariam perfeitamente com uma obra slice of life animada. Se alguém da Mojiken ler esse review, fica a sugestão.
A Space for the Unbound abriu o ano de lançamentos independentes de forma bastante positiva, na minha opinião. Era um dos jogos que mais estava aguardando e estou bastante satisfeito. Em meio a tanta turbulência que vivemos atualmente, o jogo foi uma pausa reconfortante para respirar e apenas apreciar a obra.
This review contains spoilers
Coma dream games just don't do a lot for me, but the journey is cute and the animation is stunning
In every storm you’ll find your sunrise ):
This game has heart and a lot of good ideas, but doesn’t execute them all well. A lot of the game was essentially just fetch quests, which I normally don’t mind, however they felt tedious and required quite a bit of backtracking. Pacing was a bit off around the middle of the game as well, which also dampened my enjoyment of the game. There were still some fun puzzles and I enjoyed the simple combat mechanic.
What I did love was the Indonesian setting of the game. I like when a game is set in a real place instead of an entirely fantasy location, and it was fun cruising around the streets in this game experiencing the culture. The mental health themes in this game also weren’t too heavy handed or overly sappy, and all the major characters were well-written and realistic. Ending was a bit cliche but I thought it landed well. It lost me a bit around the end of chapter 4, especially with the pacing issues over the prior two chapters, and I took a break, but came back to the game and did end up enjoying the last chapter.
Overall a generally pleasant, although sometimes tedious gaming experience.
What I did love was the Indonesian setting of the game. I like when a game is set in a real place instead of an entirely fantasy location, and it was fun cruising around the streets in this game experiencing the culture. The mental health themes in this game also weren’t too heavy handed or overly sappy, and all the major characters were well-written and realistic. Ending was a bit cliche but I thought it landed well. It lost me a bit around the end of chapter 4, especially with the pacing issues over the prior two chapters, and I took a break, but came back to the game and did end up enjoying the last chapter.
Overall a generally pleasant, although sometimes tedious gaming experience.
Es reconfortante ver cómo existe, de forma más asidua, una mayor pluralidad reflexiva en el medio, cada vez más internacional y rico si conseguimos ampliar las miras.
También es importante, creo yo, que propuestas como A Space for the Unbound se sientan honestas y no a rebufo, porque también existe el riesgo de diluir la buena intencionalidad de su temática en una fatiga textual y en la trivialidad mecánica.
No llegamos aquí a estos límites porque se genera un interés genuino en sus personajes, en lo empático, en lo costumbrista, en el descubrimiento cultural. Es una experiencia nostálgica y triste, pero también esperanzadora, con mucha simbología, influencias y voluntariedad.
Es una pena que, en ese esfuerzo por el lugar destacado (notable en lo artístico y musical), resulte una experiencia muy recargada, más presuntuosa de la cuenta, casi redundante y reiterativa.
También es importante, creo yo, que propuestas como A Space for the Unbound se sientan honestas y no a rebufo, porque también existe el riesgo de diluir la buena intencionalidad de su temática en una fatiga textual y en la trivialidad mecánica.
No llegamos aquí a estos límites porque se genera un interés genuino en sus personajes, en lo empático, en lo costumbrista, en el descubrimiento cultural. Es una experiencia nostálgica y triste, pero también esperanzadora, con mucha simbología, influencias y voluntariedad.
Es una pena que, en ese esfuerzo por el lugar destacado (notable en lo artístico y musical), resulte una experiencia muy recargada, más presuntuosa de la cuenta, casi redundante y reiterativa.
Played the 15 second after credits scene of the demo version at a video gaming convention
The premise of the game had me intrigued but ultimately the story didn't do much for me. I heard people saying they cried. I love to cry yet I can not imagine crying to this game. Overall it is a fine mystery game in a likable world.
I enjoyed my time with this cute little game. It has really nice pixel art, some cool characters, an interesting story and there are many cats and other animals you can pet along the way. What's not to like? It's basically an adventure game, with puzzles and QTE events to progress throughout the game. It has cool environments and a lot of charm. If it sounds like you'd be into this game, then I recommend it.
Side note, this is the third game in the past few months that I've missed out on the platinum trophy because I missed a stupid collectible. I follow guides but somehow I end up missing something cuz I am a dummy. It's all starting to make me feel jaded on trophies in general.
Anyhow, fun game!
(EDIT: I went back and played through a second time and got the platinum. I was almost defeated but NOT THIS TIME. ^_^)
Platinum Trophy #127
Platinum #3 of 2023
Side note, this is the third game in the past few months that I've missed out on the platinum trophy because I missed a stupid collectible. I follow guides but somehow I end up missing something cuz I am a dummy. It's all starting to make me feel jaded on trophies in general.
Anyhow, fun game!
(EDIT: I went back and played through a second time and got the platinum. I was almost defeated but NOT THIS TIME. ^_^)
Platinum Trophy #127
Platinum #3 of 2023