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Soul Sacrifice (VITA) Status: Stopped playing - Got Bored I started playing this game on Tuesday 19 January, 2016 // I stopped playing this game on: Friday 19 February, 2016
Current opinion of this game
No comment, yet.
February 19, 2016 03:20:04 PM
Ok, I was able to sacrifice myself AND then "win". The game then went on as usual (so, no special messaging or anything) with the only weird thing is that I wasn't able to choose "Save" or "Sacrifice". The AI companion chose "Sacrifice" (which is not what I wanted), but I'm not sure if that's because I messed up or if the character chose by itself. I recently read something online published before the game came out that I thought was really interesting. It was basically the designer (Keiji Inafune!, that was a surprise for me) talking about how death and sacrifice was a central theme in the game - the idea that you might sometimes want to sacrifice yourself for a friend and that sort of thing. I hadn't thought about it that way, and it made me realize that it's a particularly interesting theme in games where "death" is usually a learning opportunity or an annoyance. So, I decided to try it out in online multiplayer but...well, there wasn't anyone playing, which I guess should come as no surprise to me. :-) Anyways, INTERESTING game, lots of cool ideas (I really got a kick out of the talking book and the way that everything in the game is essentially a page in the book that serves as a memory of something that happened. For now though, I'll be moving on to something else...
February 17, 2016 11:09:28 AM
So I had decided to stop playing - while the story is interesting and intriguing, and I really enjoy how it's presented (memories in a book that is being read and remembered as you make progress in the game), the gameplay itself wasn't all that exciting to me - mostly some combination of button-mashing with choosing which powers you want to use. But still, a fair amount of button smashing. Yes, the environments are a wee bit interesting (in the epic God of War sense), but they get old really fast and, at least so far, there hasn't been to much variation. And then I died...and I realized I don't understand how the death system works. When you die, if there's another character with you (in my current mission this was Magusar - who is the final baddie) you can choose to have your companion revive you but you can also choose to sacrifice yourself and (I think) your companion gets a power boost. Or you do a bunch of damage to the monsters? Either way, something happens and THEN you can watch the rest of the fight unfold AND, via the touchscreen, either boost your companion's attack or lower the monsters defense. There's a bar at the top and everytime you tap the screen it goes down. I don't really know how it works - am I supposed to quickly tap OR press the screen and while I do so the effect is in place (until the energy bar depletes). I haven't been able to "win" a fight once I'm dead so I also don't know how the game responds to it all - in terms of allowing the story to make sense and all that... Either way, it's an interesting system where you continue playing (sort of) once you're "out".
January 27, 2016 05:50:38 PM
Ok, I'm now four fights in this is slowly starting to make more sense. And it's REALLY interesting. Aesthetically the game now feels to me like a throwback to the 90's aesthetic that was part of "dark/gritty" tabletop RPGs (like most of White Wolf's stuff) as well as the Vertigo comics - the ones that unconventional typefaces, combined painted/drawn art with photos, used lots of collage-ey sorts of layouts, and such. So, it feels retro, but not videogame retro (e.g. 80s pixels, or 90s low poly). I'm also starting to understand how the different powers work: they're like powerups that you can use up/deplete, you can swap out different ones depending on the mission, and they have different kinds of effects that are (presumably) more/less effective in different situations. I'm also continuing on my goal to "save" all the enemies (in other words, I'm being good). I've assumed that "optimal play" lies in pursuing one goal (good or bad) consistently rather than deciding each time based on...however you feel about the particular monster at hand. I think I will be missing out - and the game might get a lot harder but we'll see. My read is that I'll have more hit points (save option) but all my powers will be super weak (destroy option). There's still a bunch of stuff I have no idea about - even though I'm collecting stuff as I play. I guess I'll find out soon?
January 20, 2016 04:32:54 PM
I've only played about 20 minutes, which isn't much at all. I've mostly seen videos/cut scenes and a some introductory gameplay. I think. The "I think" part is really because up until know I have no idea what this game is about other than the fact that it involves a creepy demonic book that talks to the player (and is, I think, the interface for the entire game - which seems like a neat idea actually) and some other kinds of demonic creatures/forces. I'm mostly in awe at how confused I am, but in the "I'm curious and want to find out more" sense, rather than frustration and helplessness.

Soul Sacrifice (VITA)