I thought it was great I love the music gread job
Reviews for "The Cloud"
JackAstral responds:
Thanks!
I can't say I understand how depression or SAD works, since I've never experienced it firsthand or known anyone who has, but it seems to be presented in a strange way here - as if the character is consciously trying to avoid positive thoughts or happiness in life.
The gameplay is repetitive, but it adds to the monotonous, dreary feeling of the game. I can see what you were going for, but the overall execution could've been handled a bit better and more carefully.
JackAstral responds:
Thanks- that's kinda the idea of it. "Comfort in your misery" is I guess what I was going for
I finished the game. I am under psychiatric treatment and as a patient I may provide you with a different perspective. Detailed review SPOILER AHEAD.
The game captures five days of a person's life who commits suicide on the fifth day. When making a game about such a delicate subject matter you should at least be familiar with how depression works. By forcing you to avoid happy thoughts the game basically conveys the idea that a person who suffers from depression is doing a hard job to stay depressed. He deliberately avoids happyness. This is an extremely patronizing way to misunderstand depression. Also, since more and more bubbles are to be avoided by the player it seems to suggest that a patient has to fight harder and harder everyday IN ORDER TO STAY depressed, which is laughable since you remain depressed by not doing anything. At least that's how it works in real life..nothing is easier than not doing a thing about your condition. Laying back and doing nothing guarantees that the "disease" worsens....no need to struggle there.
Programming and gameplay wise this work is garbage. I get it that (perhaps) you wished to establish a monotonous, aimless atmosphere by creating the minigame, but this level of repetition will not make the player think about how shallow existence is...it will simply make us rage. It also negatively impacts the way the "story" is told. You spend minutes avoiding bubbles then a few seconds to read the lines. At the end it does not even matter, since you commit suicide which is kind of a strange way to reward the player for enduring the "1200" level. It makes all your efforts seem a waste.
The way your character moves and "climbs" ladders just reek of an unifinished / badly programmed game. That is especially sad when you take into account that people on Patreon actually supported you.
The music should be the saving grace but it too is monotonous and the ending is a blatant ripoff off The Terminator's soundtrack.
BUG: hold down the dash key and you can dash infinitely, it never goes on cooldown
I don't see any saving grace here. Misunderstood subject matter, uninspired gameplay and a mediocre score are enough to induce depression in anyone who previously did not have it.
JackAstral responds:
Not everyone has the same kind of experience this kinda stuff, but thanks for giving this little project a go anyway
Thanks for pointing out that bug- I'll fix it now.
I really couldn't do it. The gameplay is pretty repetitive (the music also), artistically it's a bland black and white mix of pixels and there isn't anything else in there... I beat the second level just by standing in the corner. This game feels like a scrapped project, you should put more effort in what you do.
I believe it's worth it.
Me myself is suffering from SAD, well not that serious, but just hanging in there, and I can really feel the words in the game. It's not like I want it or I do not want it, it just happened. No can do. I'm not actually avoiding the happiness, but the depression just happened, without a sign. Without a reason too. Well, anyway, I am still seeking for hope. Just, I want to see all the reasons that suicide is not the way. Maybe that is the part a part of me wish to see in the game, although I always liked your way expressing the depression.
I like the graphics, nice as usual, good music, and the darkening effect in the cloud mini-game. But I think the same mini-game repeating might be a little boring for most gamer. There could be variation, and maybe, let there be a little color at first, and slowly fade out every day. Well that makes the hopelessness more convincing to me. I personally like the heart-chasing-sadness mini-game very much, hope it could be a bit longer. On the other hand, I found the sound effect when you put down the gun and waking up a little annoying. Maybe the pull off gun part could be a bit more depressing. The image seems a little over-pixelized that makes it hard to differentiate where to jump on (frustrated for Saturday XD). Another thing, I don't really get the tempo of the dashing thing in the cloud mini-game, but that's okay, I think I'm just a bit too lame for it.
Overall, a nice one, but can be improved compared to the other works of you.
Thank you for the enjoyable game.
Oh, and looking forward to Alula 3. :)
JackAstral responds:
Thanks :)