This review contains spoilers
Start Again as a game is very basic, very simple, and very rpg maker-y in a way a lot of games by art focused creators are. The rock-paper-scissors mechanic in lieu of traditional elemental weaknesses is cute but with the extremely small pool of enemies it doesn't make the strongest of impressions though the worldbuilding around this mechanic and "Crafts" (i.e spells and skills and apparently star signs??) is well integrated into the small piece of the world the player is allowed to see.
Much of the demo's pull is in the writing, the time looping concept, and the party themselves as the gameplay is just kind of there. Luckily everything else in this regard was good to ok. The art for the party and the handful of CGs was consistently charming up until the "final" loop where there were quite a few wonky frames and the banter amongst the party was homey in a way that a real band of traveling misfits turned pseudo family would feel like after months of harrowing journeying even if the main character is having like twelve breakdowns in the background of all the cute exchanges.
The looping itself along with the layout of the castle aids itself to making the player feel the protag's weariness over the repetitious nature of the whole thing B U T...I got the true loop on my second go aaaand i'm not sure if it was intended or not but it does undersell the idea a bit since, if you don't lose against the king (like I did...), you'll be done and miss a handful of fascinating little tidbits that would occur in extra loops like a whole section getting skipped over fast forward style without warning on the fourth loop (I thought that was neat.) and those itty bitty easy to miss scenes do add to the sort of psychological slow torture the hero has to endure.
The true ending was genuinely great in a sadistic way, it could have just been just a happy conclusion after a grueling ordeal but it kept going in a way I wasn't expecting which I love, love, L O V E D <3. The party members are fun and the worldbuilding intrigues me but all of this feels better as a self-contained, 1-2 hour thing than something longer. The only thing I can see benefitting from a full version is the gameplay and more time to learn about the game world.
Despite my wariness towards several more hours of time looping existential horror-terror I plan to try the full release anyways because the potential is there and I want to see what sprouts from it.
Much of the demo's pull is in the writing, the time looping concept, and the party themselves as the gameplay is just kind of there. Luckily everything else in this regard was good to ok. The art for the party and the handful of CGs was consistently charming up until the "final" loop where there were quite a few wonky frames and the banter amongst the party was homey in a way that a real band of traveling misfits turned pseudo family would feel like after months of harrowing journeying even if the main character is having like twelve breakdowns in the background of all the cute exchanges.
The looping itself along with the layout of the castle aids itself to making the player feel the protag's weariness over the repetitious nature of the whole thing B U T...I got the true loop on my second go aaaand i'm not sure if it was intended or not but it does undersell the idea a bit since, if you don't lose against the king (like I did...), you'll be done and miss a handful of fascinating little tidbits that would occur in extra loops like a whole section getting skipped over fast forward style without warning on the fourth loop (I thought that was neat.) and those itty bitty easy to miss scenes do add to the sort of psychological slow torture the hero has to endure.
The true ending was genuinely great in a sadistic way, it could have just been just a happy conclusion after a grueling ordeal but it kept going in a way I wasn't expecting which I love, love, L O V E D <3. The party members are fun and the worldbuilding intrigues me but all of this feels better as a self-contained, 1-2 hour thing than something longer. The only thing I can see benefitting from a full version is the gameplay and more time to learn about the game world.
Despite my wariness towards several more hours of time looping existential horror-terror I plan to try the full release anyways because the potential is there and I want to see what sprouts from it.