The Game Room: "Afterparty" (X-Box One)

We're back from the dead folks!

And to commemorate this momentous moment, it's somehow appropriate we review a game that deals with... the ultimate after party!

Lola and Milo wake up the day after their graduation party to discover that they are dead... and in Hell. Desperate to find a way back to the Land of the Living, they learn of a way out:

Drink The Devil under the table...

Night School Studio brings you a fun little romp through the underworld. The story is interesting, and maintains a nice flow of humour and a serious examination of the morally ambivalent choices many adventure games force you to make to complete your quest. The story also throws in a bit of philosophy as it asks you to re-examine your attitudes about sin- and how hard line and unmoving the rules are relating to punishment for them. Certainly deeper in concept than many of the games out there these days.

The characters are interesting as well as complicated. You learn about them and their lives as the game progress, and the questions that their actions and reactions to Life make it a bit more complicated determining who burns in Hell, or not. They are likable, charming and witty characters. The supporting cast are equally well rounded, and add more than just filler to the story and world around them. Even Satan himself is shown with human frailty and issues.

The graphics are not super complex- but are pleasing to the eye, with an amazing colour palette that creates a stylish, yet pretty recognizable world for the characters and player to travel through.

While the game mechanics are shit simple, they are more than compensated by the story, characters, and visual style of the game. It shows you don't need complicated button combinations to tell a well thought out and thought provoking story.

"Afterparty" was a joy to play, and often made me pause to think about the choices I made, and the nature of sin and its consequences at it relates to Religion. I would absolutely recommend- and will be playing again to see which of the multiple endings I can get next. A solid "Good"!

Comments

Meridian: Kiss of the Beast (1990)

Sometimes, a director/producer will surprise you- such was the case during " Terrorpolooza 2012 " when I watched Charles Band's " Meridian: Kiss of the Beast " Catherine Bomarzini has come home after her father's death. Needing company, she asks Gina to stay with her. Soon, the two meet a wondering troupe of performers that Catherine invites to dinner at her castle. Catherine find herself pulled into a love triangle and an ancient curse that only she can break. After watching movies like " Evil Bong ", and " Demonic Toys ", I really wasn't expecting too much from this Charles Band movie- but I was pleasantly surprised by it. The story is actually quite interesting with lots of potential for eerie scenes, and character development. It's a nice twist on the classic " Beauty and the Beast " story. It's a bit slower than most of Band's other works, but moves smoothly and draws you with it. I have to ad...

Grave Questions: Jessica Cameron

February is " Women in Horror Month "- a month in which to celebrate the impact that women have had on the genre and the industry- from writing, to acting, to directing and producing. Jessica Cameron has experienced the industry in all those capacity- making her a perfect choice for me to ask some " Grave Questions " of in order to raise awareness of the great women in Horror. Please not that this article SHOULD'VE been posted in February, but due to technical difficulties, we're putting it up now. Thank you. TCoT : Which female horror stars helped to inspire you to not only enjoy the genre- but to get involved in bringing scary movies to the world? Jessica : I literally said to my " Truth or Dare " producer, "If the Soska sisters can make " Dead Hooker in a Trunk " with nothing, then I can make " Truth or Dare ". So needless to say that those girls have been a huge inspiration in everything I do behind the ...

The Bat (1926)

This past " What Movie Wednesday " saw the first time that a silent film was chosen for me to watch and tweet along to... While staying at the mansion of the local bank manager, a group of people are searching for the money that had been recently stolen from the bank. Soon, their lives are at stake as well as The Bat searches for the hidden loot... and kills anyone who gets in their way... " The Bat " was originally based on a hit Broadway play written by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood. Until recently, this silent film was thought to have been a lost film- as are many films from the silent era of cinema. Roland West went on to remake this film in 1930 as " The Bat Whispers "- which Bob Kane credited as the inspiration for the creation of Batman . I always enjoy the opportunity to watch silent films. Some are masterpieces of cinematic magic and creativity, while others are interesting as a reminder of how far we have come in regards to...

Search This Blog