Dawnfall

First time I've quit an interactive fiction title out of sheer boredom. The characters are dull, there's a lot of introducing bug alien people and bird people and telling me "You care deeply about this character" or "You know you can trust them," and just, holy ♥♥♥♥ someone tell the author that if you want your audience to like your characters, you have to write them in such a way that ... They are likeable and interesting. This almost reads like it's just the kind of placeholder text a lot of fiction writers will do to keep the flow going, e.g. <the heroes escape certain doom somehow> and then moving to flesh out the next scene where they have a clear idea of the dialogue. But the greatest sin of all is that it's just.so.boring.

Not the best from CoG, but still decent. The characters were good, I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the story was interesting. I wasnt very interested in romance in this one (ironic for a game in their hearts label). Most of the characters are already in relationships, which isnt my cup of tea, though if you like poly stuff you might enjoy it.

A story in which your choices as the main character do not matter, at the beginning the story seemed engaging but after the betrayal of the members of the circle to which the main character belongs I felt discouraged with the characters and tried to distance myself from them all and all the time the narrative told me all the time how much my character feels like a part of the crew and I feel happy in their company. I tried after the end of the whole story to go in my own direction and the characters I had bad relations with felt disappointed with my decision but in the end they went with me anyway as if we were good friends? No thanks. The author had a good idea for the world but as a book and not an interactive book because I feel like my decisions did not change anything in the previously established narrative.

*I played this in the Heart's Choice omnibus app* Combine one part fantasy, one part science fiction, and one part romance (maybe). Toss in an interdimensional pirate ship. Stir in a sprinkle of rock and roll, a generous splash of found-family vibes, and a piquant pinch of danger, and bring to a frothy boil. The result, in the words of author RoAnna Sylver, is "a giant ridiculous queer space magic pirate adventure." I don't think it's possible to describe Dawnfall any more succinctly than that. In Dawnfall, you play as a Navigator, one of the skilled specialists that work in small teams to open portals between the magical world of Zephyria and the dystopian world of Eclipse. (It should probably be mentioned that you're not human; you belong to one of two sapient species described in the publisher's blurb as "space elf" and "bird-person.") In recent months, you've observed an increasing instability in the balance between worlds, but it still comes as a shock when one of your teammates is injured by a rush of energy from a malfunctioning portal - and the other, an unassuming fellow you never would have suspected, lets you in on a secret that will change everything you thought you …

“Dawnfall” is a solid Heart’s Choice title with a few quirks that will matter more to some players than others, and this updated review is meant to reflect that more clearly. The story is fairly railroaded, but you do get meaningful control over your character’s sexuality and how much intimacy you want to engage with. That part is handled well. Where things get more divisive is the romance structure. Most of the potential partners are already in relationships, and the game leans heavily toward polyamorous dynamics. You don’t have to pursue romance at all, but if you prefer strictly monogamous routes, your options are extremely limited. For players who enjoy or are open to poly relationships, this won’t be an issue; for others, it may be a deal-breaker. Another point worth mentioning is the narrative style. The author often tells you how your character feels, even when it doesn’t match the personality you feel your character has at that point based on your choices. There are moments when the game decides you’re smitten by someone or emotionally invested in a situation even when you’re not. It’s not game-breaking on its own, but it does reduce the sense of agency compared to other …

I really enjoyed it. 🥰