Spoilers: I think the game is instructive in its bleakness. Yes the revolution failed but the world is still populated with people who keep on living. Fetishizing the old revolution and giving into the legitimate hopelessness will not save you or anyone else… that is to say, you love your ex something the way the guy on the island loves his revolution. Neither of you can bring it back, only destroy yourselves. But Harry can manage to make a new lifelong friend Kim, help the people of Martinaise in small ways, and discover something totally new and wonderful. The world may end but you still get to decide how you live in the ashes and there are still enriching experiences and relationships to discover.
I don’t think a game where you restart the revolution would be more uplifting because when you turn the game off it isn’t true. What the game actually is means something to me about our present reality.
the Revolution was still doomed and isn’t coming back soon.
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I thought it was implied the RCM was up to something? At least in the ending I got
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The RCM absolutely are privy to some kind of revolutionary plans, the esprit the corps check during the ending is pretty unambigous with them making a list of officers that will "side with the people". It's possible that the Union plans to make a literally hostile takeover of the harbor is in fact another cover story told to you and that's just one step in "The Return", IMO seems like a plausible conclusion depending on how many connections the Claires have been making. Theres also a check that makes Klaasje talk about having heard of it approaching apparently.
i did a similar pathetic wet meow meow high inland empire playthrough my first time and felt the same way, that i couldn't play it again because i got so attatched to my harry and just couldn't imagine him any other way.
The way i got around that was just making the most different not-harry guy i could. i went straight fucking fash. no psyche full physical. Shivers spoke to me literally one (1) time last playthrough and now its everywhere. Half light is always screaming at me and i've already punched a child. Allow yourself to take the shitpost options and piss off kim and go down the avenues that your harry never allowed you to explore.
My second playthrough was the one that felt the most 'real' to me, and I went mostly art cop social/mental, but did also pump as many points into Shivers as possible. Honestly, might be my 'favorite' skill for all the unique bits it can give you.
Now you have to play it again, this time save scumming in order to pass every single check. Seriously it's incredible how much of the game's best content is hidden from you if you don't pass a few specific checks.
But I felt the same way about replaying with a different Harry. The writing is so good and Harry feels like such a real character that I just can't picture him any other way than the one I played him as - playing him as a fascist, for example, means making this otherwise sympathetic person into a bitter and angry monster, and who would do that?
That just means you still get to experience it :CommiePOGGERS:
Assuming you played Commie, I suggest playing an extremely pathetic centrist the second time. Really puts the world into perspective when the most powerful people in it take their mask off in front of you.
Here's a video about disco and hope you might enjoy as much as I did
It's very strange, you can tell the writing for this game is all-timer level great because people can have wildly divergent interpretations of the game's ultimate tone. It's either one of the most depressing and defeatist games ever made, or one of the most optimistic and hopeful. And both interpretations are equally valid.
(I'm more in the optimism camp, for the record).
Pretty much mirrored my experience tbh. It and planescape are my two faves ever
Re-reading myself sober, I should have clarified: the main dialogue is voice acted specifically when it's about the main quest, and not systematically. You will have to read a lot without voice acting. Planescape is a game with 800k words of dialogue - that's more than the bible; only the main stuff is voice acted, and not systematically if I remember right.
Fair enough; I really can't recommend it enough. The entire scenario revolves around one question: What can change the nature of a man ?
I’ve known people that refuse to play or finish the game because it was so bleak and hopeless, that no matter what the player does, the Revolution was still doomed and isn’t coming back soon.
un jour je serai de retour prés de toi