this is a terrible 'game'

[deadted]

And whilst there is the tacked on 'interactive story', it's not actually that interactive.

I don't see or understand why this is being pushed as 'the hardest hitting game on depression ever!11!!11'

Whilst it is well written and, you know, we've got a duty to support game developers because otherwise all games would be terse FPS clones - this interactive story is awful and not worth buying for more than £1.50 or whatever the equivalent is in your local currency.

[Mr Windblade]

Is it well written or is it awful? I am getting mixed messages and I just...

I can't believe it's come to this after all we've been through.

[deadted]

it's an awful game that is written well enough. It's a cogent sentence.

[Mr Windblade]

Well that's even more confusing. Is it a game or an interactive story? I was told it's an interactive story and that there's really no gameplay to speak of. It's supposedly an illustration of the perspective of an individual suffering from severe mental illness. I mean, if that's the case, isn't the writing equal to 100% of the quality of the software? If the story is the whole point?

[deadted]

divide by zero equals yawn? Its a bad game/interactive work of fiction which is critically acclaimed and lauded by neckbeards and trolls.

A good example of interactive fiction would be Analogue: A Hate story

A bad example is Actual Sunlight because it's over priced for what it is.

Perhaps you identify with the protagonist?

[happy]

Another good example of a interative story is To The Moon. I'm sorry but this is just bad.
I mean, I saw it was made with RPG Maker and I gave it a chance because TTM was really good. But this...like OP said worth maybe £1.50.

The creator didn't even take the extra 5 minutes to make the maps remotely interesting or decent.

I've played with RPG Maker and it's not that hard to create a decent map, the maps the author created are the kind I made back when I was 12 on Rpg Maker 2000.

This is horrible, you can find plenty of free RM games with a storyline that's 20x than this.
The Way, Quintessence-TBV, Final Fantasy Endless Nova, and Blurred Line just to name a few.

[TGC> The Games Collector]

Yeah, it's all a bit overrated.

[Ailes]

It's gameplay values are nonexistent, but I think the idea is nice, just going with these themes is bold enough to be supported imho. The writing is interesting and feels strong.

"To the Moon" isn't exactly offering more gameplay. In TTM all you do is walk around and click on things to interact either. There are these puzzles, but they are very easy and felt kinda forced, something that was put in only to make it look like there was some actual gameplay to it. Would wou want to grab items and do this puzzling in Actual Sunlight too? I'm not sure. I think it would felt misplaced.

[robilar5500]

I also feel it would be misplaced to grab items and solve puzzles. That isnt what this game is all about. It is interactive in that you have to click on various items and people to advance the story. There arent however branching paths. You can skip a few things, but basically, there is one story arc and one resolution. It takes about an hour to play. The story itself is well written I thought. Sardonic humor is interjected, but the subject matter is actually not fun or funny at all.
I'd say if you are wanting a game that will make you contemplate mental illness (maybe you or somebody you know suffers from depression, clinical or otherwise), then this would be a good game to play. I felt it was worth the time and the sale price and am glad to have played it, but I'd say opinions will definitely vary with this game.

[JS]

This isn't a game as such, more an interactive story.
I thought that was pretty clear before I bought it.
If you've dealt with bouts of depression before, and I'm not talking about being 16 and breaking up with a girl or going through a "rough patch" I mean real problems, bi polar disorder or clinical depression. I think this software can make you laugh at yourself, at least at the start.
I found it brutally honest and spot on. It's art without being "artsy".

I totally understand that some will dislike it or not see the point of it all.

[s e n s i t i v e s a i l o r]

Have you ever suffered from (real) depression? I feel like if you had you would like the game more.

[deadted]

Originally posted by IhaveNoAvocado,andIMustbeFilthy:

Have you ever suffered from (real) depression? I feel like if you had you would like the game more.

can you elaborate on what you mean by (real) depression?

[will93]

I liked this title. It was a good story and good writing, and was relatable as well. But that being said, I personally feel like this game should be posted on RPG Maker website for download. As someone who uses the RPG Maker software quite often, I feel like its a tool used to help learn and experiment creating games, but not really to sell for profit.

This is a good buy, if it's on sale like the OP said.

[Power of Seven]

The point of this game was basically to inform others what it's like to suffer from severe depression. It may not be the same as a traditional game, but maybe that's the point. Maybe for Evan, he felt that he was on a single track that he couldn't escape or alter. For him, everything was a predetermined event and it was going to end badly.

There's a few things that I noticed about this game. First of all, while all video game stories are fictionalized to an extent, there's enough in the game that states that it's coming from somebody with personal experience or deep research into the matter. I'm pretty sure that it's the former, as it's not written from the viewpoint of a therapist.

Second, think about how TV and movies depict clinical depression. It resembles nothing like this game. Evan is able to dress himself, have a normal job, chats with his coworkers and family, and even goes out after work. However, he's still deeply troubled on the inside. He hates himself and hates everything and everybody around him, and nobody can see it.

Finally, the one thing about depression that is common with anybody suffering from it is that it is like a gravity well or a spiral that you can't escape. A person suffering from it feels bad about themselves, and they can't get motivated to do anything. Then that person hates themselves even more, because their inability to do anything about it implies that they are weak and pathetic. The cycle repeats over and over, and it's more damaging than you'd expect.

[Jamtown]

They mean game written on 'depression'... other than like Depression Quest that's no other game so not hard to take that claim.

I think they mean depressing in the crazy person 'diseased' diagnoses. Not the conventional that was a sad event/feeling sense...

I'm not big on stories in game but I can still think of a few off the top of my head that ''the hardest hitting game on depression ever' back of the box tag line like; Bioshock (wrenches hurt) or To The Moon (so many feels)

[AustNerevar]

You can't peg this game in a black or white category. It is certainly a needed look at depression and, unlike Depression Quest, it actually has gameplay and a little more interaction. That said, if you're playing this to have fun playing a game, you're playing it for the wrong reason. Nobody watches Schindler's List to enjoy themselves. This game has a message and a purpose and it's a great look at a demographic of depression that is almost always ignored. The whole "depression doesn't care about 'privilege'" concept is exhibited in this game well.

If you've never been depressed and have never studied depression, then you likely won't understand everything that happens in this game and might even attribute those things that bad writing or melodramatic anger. It's not. This game can be relentless in it's anger and it's nihilism, but in being that it perfectly epitomizes what depression is and how it affects people.

So, if you go into this game not expecting it to be those things, you might misjudge it.

It sickens me when I think how little attention this game got in comparison to that text-based adventure that got so much visibility simply because the dev was involved with the journalist who wrote about it. Actual Sunlight has a lot more to offer to the discussion about depression, I feel, and certainly shouldn't be passed off as bad writing or not being interactive enough. If you have those complaints, then likely are not playing this game for the right reason and don't fully grasp it's tone.