1997 RELOADED

[i]1997 RELOADED[/i] is a mystery VN with a remarkable concept and an entertaining story that will hook you right from the start. Three sixteen-year-olds (Marco, Federico, and Shirley) find a vintage answering machine at a flea market. There’s a tape inside. They play it. And this is where things get exciting and… complicated. The man on the tape turns out to be Andy Quinn, a member of an American alt-rock band who died under unexplained circumstances in 1997. His message, left for his friend Bev right before his death, reveals that a woman (supposedly his lover) was murdered and that he knows the killer. The three friends resolve to investigate, and the story takes you from coastal England to the neon-lit streets of New York and Los Angeles. It’s a proper mystery, full of atmosphere and escalating tension. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3710648557 What gives the whole thing its texture is the language dynamic between the three leads. Shirley speaks no Italian. Federico’s English is shaky at best. Marco is bilingual and perpetually stuck in the middle, translating in both directions. This isn’t just flavor; it’s the heartbeat of the narrative, surfacing co…

Andy, whatever happened to you? I'm not usually into gaming but I watched on as my son played this for a while at my house and I decided to sign up to Steam and play the game myself, at my leisure. I've got to say I'm hooked. I'm right in the middle of the game and the atmosphere is incredible, especially as the story is linear and the choices cosmetic. Thus far all vital info has been re-capped so, as a newbie, I'm not struggling or feeling confused. i'm loving the hand-drawn frames, they have a unique feel. Knowing it's entirely made by human hand is nice, there's a lot of love gone into the details. I'm new to the world of enhanced comics but I get it and I love the way the novel unfolds on screen, the atmospheric music complimenting the graphics beautifully. For me, the use of music can make or break a film I'm watching so I was pleasantly surprised that it's used to good effect to emphasise mood of a scene. I must admit I was initially caught out by the blend of English with Italian dialogue but I got used to it in no time and it works. I've travelled a fair bit in my time and could relate to it. It's actually a nice touch that adds to the whole storytelling and 'summer a…

Pure ‘90s nostalgia: an interactive comic with major Goonies vibes! I just started 1997 RELOADED and it is absolutely brilliant. It captures the exact feeling of the adventure stories I used to make up as a kid. The opening somehow reminded me of The Goonies and Stand by Me—two iconic movies for my generation that, for me, are the very definition of adventure and coming-of-age drama. Here we have three kids digging up in the past, accidentally bumping into a mystery which promises to be bigger than anything they’ve ever dreamt. What initially caught my eye in the trailers—and looks even better in-game—is the unique art style. It’s a refreshing break from the usual 3D graphics or standard anime-style visual novels. The flat, 2D images with thick black outlines look just like a comic book, and the digital coloring is beautiful. Having the dialogues inside actual speech balloons makes it feel like playing through an interactive comic. While the game isn't voiced, the immersive sound design perfectly sets the mood and makes you feel right there in the room with the characters. A standout feature for me is the answering machine player; listening to the messages adds such a realistic,…

This is such an amazingly told story with some simple, yet pretty, art! [strike] RIP to the artist who drew every single one of the 2000+ illistrations [/strike] The aesthetic really brought back the nostalgia, not only with the setting and the visuals, but also some of the items we interact with! Meanwhile the story was a great read and I love how creative it got with the text on screen using ren'py!

If you like powerful and emotional stories, stories that leave a mark on you, this one is for you. THE PLOT (AVOIDING SPOILERS) I can’t tell much of the plot without spoilers! Suffice it to say that it’s a coming-of-age adventure revolving around three kids finding an answering machine at a flea market that contains a spooky message from 1997. The kids are honestly confused and also moved by this voice revealing that a murder has happened, and they start realising that the past is never too far, and that past wrongs should be amended. It’s a story about justice, set in 2023 and in an alternate music scene in 1996 and 1997. An ‘ENHANCED COMIC’ ‘1997 RELOADED’ is by definition an ‘enhanced comic’. You can get the vibe by watching the product page here on Steam already, but when you dive into it, that’s when you really understand what an ‘enhanced comic’ is. And you completely enjoy it! It’s like reading a graphic novel brought to life by a compelling sound design and an atmospheric soundtrack, with every frame being the equivalent of a comic book panel. The dialogues appear in balloons (with each character also having their own colour to make it easy to understand who’s talking, o…

Really enjoyed this! The story is original and engaging, and I loved the combination of illustrations, music and the whole 90s atmosphere. It's very different from anything else I’ve played before, but that's the plus. The artwork is phenomenal and you can tell a huge amount of work and care went into making it - no AI involved. Definitely worth checking it out if you enjoy visual novels!