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Richard & AliceThose who are playing it, please review it(11 posts)(11 posts)
(11 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted February 22, 2013
Some of us are curious about this game, but finding any reviews it's kinda difficult; so if you could take a moment and write a small review of it, gameplay, narrative, the goods, the bads... either here or in the gamecard section, I'd appreciate it. And probably upvote your post.

Thanks for reading.
Posted February 22, 2013
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rodrolliv: Some of us are curious about this game, but finding any reviews it's kinda difficult;
im sure youve already stumbled past this page.
at least it has a few different screenshots

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/02/21/wot-i-think-richard-alice/
Posted February 22, 2013
don't wanna spoil too much (these games are best played without knowing anything about the story, just as I did :), but from a technical point of view:

- it is an adventure game: you walk around (so far I had a chance to play two different characters but I think there'll be more), examine your surroundings, pick up items (there aren't many, and a large amount of them are just notes or pictures you read/look at to get deeper into the story), talk to characters, solve quite simple use-hammer-on-a-nail puzzles (if you get stuck you just probably forgot to pick something up)

- there are A LOT of dialogues (only text of course) but it's really interesting to listen to them, the characters are believable and likable; but it's not some discussion club, the story is catchy and dynamic (there are parts where the pace is slow, and you get to know the people which is very well done, then there are parts that are quite tense - but it's not a horror - that will raise your heartbeat a bit)

the goods:
- classic mouse controls (left click to pick up / right click to examine etc.) so nothing holds you back from the very start; you control the dialogues by your mouse so nothing will go away unless you click (or press a button) which is always good
- great story that makes you want to know what happens next (as I said in the game forum itself)
- likable characters (I hate playing as some idiot, so far there aren't any here :)

the bads:
- hmm, let me think...
- ok, the graphics aren't "crysis-like", but who cares, honestly :D they are decent (and so are animations), and the looks of characters are good too (I fell in love with Alice almost immediately, and I didn't even know what she's like at the start of the game :)
- there aren't any options, and I'm not sure how it behaves on 4:3 monitors
- I need to get to work now so I can't play it :D

I'm not very good at reviews (as you might have noticed), but if you can't decide whether or not to get this, think about these questions:

do I like a good story (and a well told story too)?
do I like to get thrilled a bit (and then calmed down a bit)?
do I like a game with an atmosphere that will just pull me in?
am I indiferent to graphics style if a game provides the three points above + great characters, easy controls, no technical problems, good sound effects and music?

anyway, go get it!
Posted February 22, 2013
Post it in the reviews section, dude :-) The current "reviews" give bad impression about GOG community.
Posted February 22, 2013
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keeveek: Post it in the reviews section, dude :-) The current "reviews" give bad impression about GOG community.
I don't feel that this one would raise the bar much... :) also, I still need to finish the game before I can write a proper review...
Posted February 22, 2013
Welp, just finished it. What a fucked up game (and I mean that in a very good way). Awfully depressing too. There are several puzzles here and there, but most of the solutions are immediately obvious. The atmosphere is really good, despite the simplistic art style.That's about all I can say, really, without giving away any spoilers. Definitely worth the $6 I paid for it, but I'd advise against getting it if the lack of puzzles bothers you. On the other hand, any fan of story-heavy games should not pass up on this.

Btw, just to clarify some of the misconceptions stated in the reviews, it's not:
- a rip-off of To the Moon
- made with RPGMaker
- beautiful (but it conveys the mood perfectly)
Post edited February 22, 2013 by lowyhong
Posted February 22, 2013
My review's up, if anyone cares. It's actually supposed to be much longer, but GOG's review system forced me to trim it down considerably.
Richard & Alice is an excellent adventure game, made with much thought given to the development of its characters and plot. The story is centralized around the theme of moral relativity, and is very well-written, never coming off as being too pushy with its philosophy.
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As indicated by the title of the game, the plot revolves around two main characters, Richard and Alice (three, counting Barney). Little can be said about the story without giving away spoilers, but suffice to say, as it unfolds and alternates between the past and present, there are quite a few surprises in store for the player. The final scenes culminating into the ending may or may not blow you away, but they'll almost certainly give you something to think about.
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One other thing I like is that you must pay attention to the details. Reading notes and clues is completely optional, and isn't necessary to solve the puzzles, but if you choose to blaze through the game, you'll be left confused by the end of it. Indeed, you have to put the pieces together to fully understand the plot, and even so, there are points in the story best left to speculation.
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What of the puzzles? The game's emphasis is on the story and dialogues, and while there are puzzles, the solutions are almost always immediately obvious. Make what you will of that.
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Despite the simplistic graphics, which are functional at best, the game oozes atmosphere. Thanks to the well-crafted music and sounds, the game evokes a haunting, chilling and downright depressing mood, with an ever-lurking foreboding sense of dread, always suggesting something bad happening at the next turn.
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So, should you buy it? I bought it at $6, and while it lasted me 3-4 hours, it was a thoroughly enjoyable and riveting experience. It's not the sort of game I would play after a rough day at work. Instead, it excels at what it does: telling a very well-written, cohesive story of an unforgiving and harsh reality.
Post edited February 22, 2013 by lowyhong
Posted February 22, 2013
Would it be giving away spoilers to talk about the message or themes that the story explores?
Posted February 22, 2013
Nah not in my opinion. You need something to bait the reader with, after all. And since the selling point of the game is its plot, if we leave that part out entirely, then there really isn't much else to praise other than the sounds and music :P
Posted February 23, 2013
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Kunovski: - ok, the graphics aren't "crysis-like", but who cares, honestly :D they are decent (and so are animations), and the looks of characters are good too (I fell in love with Alice almost immediately, and I didn't even know what she's like at the start of the game :)
I really wish they had better animations for the game. That's my biggest gripe. The abstraction of the sprites and their animations works against the game in conveying the closeness of the mother and son bond between Alice and Barney, which is one of the most important plot points presented in the story. As for the backgrounds, they get the job done, so I'm indifferent towards them. The character portraits are very nice.

Doesn't change my opinion that this is one of the best indie adventure games to be released in recent years though.
Post edited February 23, 2013 by lowyhong
Posted June 29, 2014
A nice game to play, though its pretty short. Can be finished in one play through quite easily.

The puzzles are okay, neither too difficult or illogical. Pixel hunting is minimal as well as having to travel back and forth to finish tasks. I encountered no glitches or game bugs. Graphics simple pixel art, but done well. McCloud does the music and is very well known for his enthralling music scores for other simple games, I am a huge fan.

The game itself was entertaining, I am glad I bought it on sale at Gog, as the short length would not merit the full price. The text story was very good, atmospheric. The use of flashbacks was seamless and added immensely to the storyline. The characters were plausible though I found Alice to be a bit useless, whiney and annoying, especially in the latter story where I would have gladly left her. (trying not to spoil the game)

I did feel the dialogues were not clear in alot of details, I felt the need to come to the forum to clarify some things I had missed. I did not realize there were alternate endings and am curious to see them but have no desire to replay the game in order to access them. I feel good about my game choices and will stick with the ending I earned.

Overall, the game was worth the sale price, I got slighty over an hour and half of immersive gameplay with no annoyances like bugs, illogical puzzles, or pixel hunting common to adventure games. The graphics are simple but done well for the genre. I am finding these simple pixel games are more engrossing then the full on hyper realistic blockbusters being released now. There is a replayability factor you might enjoy, to see the different endings. I would get more games from this developer.
Post edited June 29, 2014 by mintee
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Richard & AliceThose who are playing it, please review it(11 posts)(11 posts)
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