The Other Half

This game isn't like any other I've played before. The art and music are beautiful, the gameplay is simple but not boring, the difficulty is adjustable, and it's incredibly clever how the characters and their surroundings are all metaphors telling a deeper story. That story is much darker than the fantasy story on the surface, but both tie into each other so well. The content warning is there for a reason... I think it's important that this game deals with the issue in a way that is subtle and told from a perspective we don't usually get to see. It's important to see abusers as humans, to see their good parts as well as their bad parts,so we don't just brush off abuse "because the person is too kind to be an abuser." Abusers are not entirely evil. They can be both kind and cruel, and there's usually a twisted kind of logic they use to justify their actions. I feel this game represents that concept very well. It's also interesting to see how the game handles the topic of one action ruining the lives of several people. Even those who were not directly involved in the incident have to deal with the aftermath. I understand why some people don't like this game. It deals with sensitive…

Took me some time to realise I'm fighting ♥♥♥♥♥.

beautiful game with a story more people should hear

Is the price range really generous for a game like this? Absolutely. Is it worth buying? Maybe. While I commend The Other Half messaging of unwarranted sexual assault and mixed communication, I don't believe the game mechanic and length help it unless, for instance, there were more enemy varieties and more abilities to exploit. The gameplay was about 25 minutes too long to my liking as most of those 25 minutes ended up feeling fillerist, fighting the same 3 enemy types. It seems like the developers were trying to extend the gameplay to over the 2-hour mark to prevent you from getting a refund. If that's the case, I can understand why they would do so (admittedly, I may do the same thing if I were in their shoes). At the same time, it hinders the experience, making the game drag out of the repetitiveness. The upgrade system also feels like a time waster. Purchasing things that improve your stats, like making your character resistant to certain attack items, doesn't feel like it made much of a change, and this isn't a hard game as you soon essentially have a lifesteal every time you defeat an enemy. Some would argue it should have cost more for the value it offers of highlight…

A short, well made game that's certainly worth $1 and 2 hours of your time. The game does what it sets out to do, and executes the concept well with an obviously small budget. It's gameplay focused, and tells a story with voice-overs during gameplay. The movement and combat are solid, although pretty minimal. The short runtime is perfect; otherwise, the minimal combat would start to overstay its welcome. In a longer game, there would have to be more player development to keep things interesting, but this game is over before the combat becomes boring. For the price I paid and what I got, this is good. I enjoy taking a chance on obscure, low budget games. Sometimes, I find gems like this. It has a nice artstyle, interesting setting, and has some cool visual effects especially later in the game.

It's not long (can be finished in 2-3hrs) or difficult. Combat uses a novel radial-motion attack where you direct a flame around yourself in order to hit weak points. It's simple, but manages to fill the game's short length before it can get too stale. The story touches a sensitive topic about emotional abuse, both onto others as well as oneself, but the game just isn't long enough to address anything significant about it. So it's easy to find it metaphorically obtuse at best, or offensively self-centered/pity-fishing at worst. It's a modest project, but does some surprisingly brilliant little things, such the "purpose" that its equipable items serve. A huge gameplay spoiler: Avoid this if you have any interest in actually playing it. [spoiler]Equipment stats offer boosts to Attack, Damage reduction, and Cold resistance. The equipment's flavor text all revolves around how they're pieces of increasingly radical rationalization, coping, and deflection of wrongdoing. But their stat boosts in actuality do nothing. Absolutely ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ nothing. They're placebos. Over the course of the game, you'll be forced to give up equipment slots (thus losing aspects of your maladaptive behaviors in …