fuck




theres something about this game. while i could start off this review by describing it succinctly with the help of a few words; quiet, slick, kinetic, psychotic, vomit-inducing, i dont think that would exactly convey across how it made me feel. theres something about this game, something about the universe and the characters and their worlds, their lives. normally any given piece of media would invite you into its world in this ritualistic dance of immersion, show you its literary teeth, its ideas, its context, give you a window into the lives of its characters etc. up until now that was also how we were introduced into this myopic world of Hello Charlotte, as the first two episodes despite making up the main story seemed more like worldbuilding exercises in comparison. but episode 3? as soon as you begin its story you can feel a presence, a something, beyond the grating dry wit and the tumblr esque tenants you had grown accustomed to, a real something within this game. a something that chafes at the restraints between art and voyeur, that spews out its characters and circumstances out like bile, crashing and gnawing at one another violent and abrasive repressive and cathartic all in one and all for nothing and nothing and nothing at all. it is but a barely contained violence that permeates the experiences of the characters, the very language of the story, of its medium, of its audience. hc3 cranks up the body horror and the psychological fuckery to eleven, it tears down what we thought we knew about the story and our very relationship with it with such force that it may as well be concussive. all for what? meaning? if only that was so easy to obtain. maybe that is the meaning of this game. but is that what we seek media like this for? for meaning alone? maybe i, like some within the story am only constrained to carry out what is written out for me. maybe by writing about this game right now meaning has infected my brain and everything is now lost on me. perhaps. regardless, i like this game. five stars.


SPOILERS AHEAD


n.b im so saaad vincent/c turned out to only be a vessel :((( he was my fav boy and when the option came up in 2 i chose to commit suicide and be in his arms forever without skipping a beat LOLLL

this game is truly an achievement. ep 2 expands everywhere where ep 1 left me asking, and boy what a world that unfolded from that humble demo. a cerebral force at times, and an achingly gorgeous coming of age story at others, this completely otherworldly yet so human parable of relationships, of identity, of happiness, of godhood was simply put a piece of art. there's just not enough i can say about this story, with the characters and their relationships being all so just captivating. all the little details, the fiercely intricate world built here that just screams character from every tile to every background. its a work of art. and without a doubt i will be thinking about it for a long time to come <3