I am so excited to be able to share this game with you all. On a whim, I had a look through the Deals section of the eShop and saw this peculiar icon. After looking at the game’s trailer, I HAD to have it so that I could review it for you guys.
Story
Choices that Matter: And the Sun Went Out is a game developed by Tin Man Games, who, from what I’ve seen, aren’t very well-known. I only found them on mobile app stores, where they seem to specialise in visual novels and text-based adventure games. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to say much in the story department because of how story-heavy this game is. The general gist is that you are an employee of a company called… The Company, who is trying to investigate the cause of a pretty horrifying phenomenon. If you’ve read the title of this review, you can kind of guess. The sun just went out one day, and nobody knows why. In your quest to uncover the secret of this very disturbing incident, you have to make decisions, some of which have more serious consequences than others. While none of your choices will result in your death, you hold the lives of those near to you in your hands.
(Credit: Tin Man Games)
Presentation & Gameplay
This game is one of the most minimalist games I’ve played, both in looks and gameplay, which is why I’ve combined these two sections. The game takes place on a monochromatic screen, with your thoughts and conversations being displayed in white text on a black background. There are arrows on the top and bottom of the screen that allow you to scroll through the text in the event that you zoned out while pressing on.
(Credit: Tin Man Games)
In addition to your thoughts and conversations being displayed, there is also your MotiCon, or Moti. Moti is a super high-tech AI assistant on your wrist that can send and receive files, ask questions, and offer advice. Moti refers to you as “Teacher” and is the best part of the game. He asks questions about human nature, offers help and useful tips that may seem logical to Artificial Intelligence, but can seem absurd to human beings because of the lack of context and attention to nuance. Although Moti thinks of you as his teacher, as you advance on your journey, you and Moti will be teaching each other a great deal.
(Credit: Tin Man Games)
Despite being able to scroll back up through your previous choices, you won’t be able to change them. The first time I tried to do this after a difficult decision I was pretty shaken up, as I really wanted to know what could have been. However, like in real life, your choices are final in this game. This game is sectioned out into arcs, and players are shown at the end of each arc what percentage of players made the same decisions that they did. When I end an arc after having chosen an unpopular path, I get super intrigued as to what paths others have taken in this thrilling game.
(Credit: Tin Man Games)
Final Thoughts
This game is a real gem. The story unfolds effortlessly, and has potential for lots of replayability. There are over 2,000 choices you can make across all paths and arcs in this game, which is comprised of over 600,000 words. For anyone who is slightly interested in mystery novels, or visual novels, I’d definitely recommend it.
Now excuse me while I go and yell at my friends to play it and beg them to tell me what choices they made. Bye!
VERDICT – “Masterpiece!”
Rating scale for games, from best to worst:
- Masterpiece!
- Loved it
- Liked it
- I mean… it’s aight
- Just… don’t.
- Certified trash, burn immediately
Choices that Matter: And the Sun Went Out is available on Nintendo Switch for $5.99 USD/€4,99 EUR. It’s also available on mobile, as a free download with some paid elements.
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