Kindred [High Tide]

Victoria continues to improve in nearly every respect with each subsequent entry in her portfolio. The Kindred series started out with a small, humble entry that was laser-focused on a specific character and setting, and it just seems to be getting bigger and better. Mechanics, art assets, and characters are pushed and developed further and further. In High Tide, Victoria has included a much higher degree of player choice when it comes to the plot progression. This game play out sort of like an Ace Attorney title, and I think that the mystery/investigative elements here are super impressive coming off the back of the other two [Kindred] titles. Perhaps most impressive, though, is the developer's restraint when it comes to exploring the [Kindred] setting. Even three games deep, we are still invited to explore the Komitet and the supernatural with a cautious and carefully-growing perspective. There is no world-shattering event, no enormous lore dump to be found... at least, not yet. You will likely be replaying this game multiple times to plumb its secretive contents, and compared to the other titles in this series, I think High Tide does the best job truly enticing you to come back…

High Tide is yet another great entry in the Kindred series, and I had the pleasure of playing this one at an event earlier this year. The story in this entry is once again engaging, but the real highlight here is the mystery. You have 3 days to unravel the truth behind a mysterious event at sea, and where and when you search for clues will affect what you uncover. I had a lot of fun seeing the variations in clues and what conclusions I found myself arriving at based on what information I had or didn't have on a given playthrough. Really enjoyed my time with this one!

Not usually super big on visual novels, but this one surprised me! The mystery of the story is compelling and I specifically enjoyed figuring out how to handle the anomaly. Big fan of the world and excited to see more stuff in it.

Unfortunately, I just could not get into this game. I am not a big fan of the mechanics (the quick time events and the game being driven by deciding in what order to investigate sites). But the art is lovely and I could see how this game could appeal to other folks! It just did not grab me.

This was a fantastic visual novel! The suspense, and the dread of what was to come, kept me on the edge of my seat. Everyone who worked on this did an amazing job! I couldn't have asked for more from an eldritch horror, SCP-inspired game!

This was a really fun game to play through. The setting and mystery are excellent, and I ended up playing the game multiple times because I wanted to learn more about the mystery itself, but also the world and characters. However at the same time, all the endings I got felt conclusive and satisfying in their own right. it's a beautifully designed narrative with excellent pacing, and I'm really looking forward to the next game in the series.