Ira, a Kentucky Route Zero ripoff?

[Matej]

If it is not allowed to talk about other games on here, then I apologize for this post.

However, has anyone seen Act I of a game called Ira that many YouTubers have played in the past week?
Here is Markiplier playing through it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnTuflapkBw

While this game may actually be very interesting on its own, it started off as a total ripoff of Kentucky Route Zero.

-Countryside Americana setting.
-Very similar minimalist graphics.
-The game episodes are called Acts.
-Banjo player.
-A mine and miners play a big role in the story.
-The looming presence of a big brother-type company owning and controlling everything.
-Profound writing and dialogue.
-The style and font of the dialogue boxes and the way the player chooses responses are pretty much identical.
-Radios playing eerie noises on their own.
-TV's playing static.
-Reaching and feeling for things in the dark.
-Traveling to a mysterious place.
-Quirky charismatic robot/computer.
-Deep and depressing character backstories.
-Ira. Ira is the name of Conway's deceased boss and friend in Kentucky Route Zero. I would write it off as coincidence if the game did not already lift so many other things from KRZ.

Does anyone know if the people making this game actually worked on Kentucky Route Zero? That would be the only acceptable justification for shamelessly copying so many elements from it.

[mendel]

http://iragame.com
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/825838374/ira-act-1-pilgrimage

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=591033658
http://store.steampowered.com/app/438120/

[Anla'Shok Na]

I do get a sort of KR0 vibe from Ira (though the artstyle is markedly different), but I won't complain--as long as it's well done I'd love to see more games like this. Where it will break down is if it doesn't evoke the same haunting thought-provoking atmosphere as KR0.

[DasMotocade]

Hmm, here's my take on this.

I really enjoyed Kentucky Route Zero, and I really enjoy following Ira's development! Full disclosure: I've been following Ira since the original Kickstarter and backed them as well (I'm getting a bomb a$$ art book and poster). That being said, I think they are both awesome / unique experiences, and I don't think these games have anything concerning in common. Maybe that's because I've been following both pretty closely over the last few years. They do have a similar mysterious nature/vibe about them but I'm not complaining.

Story: KR0 is a southern Gothic ghost story, right?... Ira is a dust punk / Sci Fi adventure across multiple planets, and time... Enough said? I think one of the characters (Ira) starts in the back woods of no where. Maybe that's were the confusion comes in?

Art style: I agree with AdmZaarin. I think they look markedly different too. I think Ira looks more like Fire Watch mixed with Inside or something like that. It's hard to put my finger on it though.

Points: So, a lot of your points are inaccurate (not trying to be rude or anything). Maybe that's why you posted this discussion? You were thinking the game was something its not? Like some of these for example.

-Countryside Americana setting.
(Dust punk Sci fi mixed, not Americana at all)

-Very similar minimalist graphics.
(I don't think so. They have very different sensibilities.)

-The game episodes are called Acts.
(Isn't that a common theme across movies, books, and games?)

-Banjo player.
(Maybe I'm missing the connection?)

-A mine and miners play a big role in the story.
(KR0 mentions miners and they see miner ghosts? In Ira you play as an actual miner mining the Martian surface in a dust punk culture / world!)

-The looming presence of a big brother-type company owning and controlling everything.
(Isn't that a common theme across movies, books, and games? I don't even remember a company in KR0.)

-Profound writing and dialogue.
(That's subjective right?)

I'm going to stop myself there. The points listed are either really generic or they don't actually relate to Ira. At least not in a way that I can figure out. You could always just ask the creators yourself or follow along with the development process on Kickstarter. Maybe research a little about Ira? They just released a Mechanics teaser the other day.

[ac3]

There's 2 extra words at the beginning of the thread title. You can't be ripped off if you didn't finish.