Tale of Two Cranes

First, the positives: The writing is good, the epilogue is lengthy, and it's an interesting setting. The bad: Many choices are presented that lead to bad outcomes not because of a skill check failure but because the choice itself was misleading. E.g. when choosing how to prosecute a war, if you select the option that is basically to exercise caution and surgical strikes, the *actual* choice and way it is perceived is cowardice. The story is much more on rails than most CoG stories. It leans far more into "game" than "story." The ROs are bland and you have too few interactions with them. I lost count of how many situations are lose-lose no matter what you do. Going back and altering save files to maximize skills, alter personality traits, and increase relationship scores - in many situations, none of this will alter key outcomes. This is forgivable with situations like when a particular lord is killed while you are away, but I can't ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ stand it when it's something like failing to persuade someone or getting your ass kicked in single combat. Why even present the reader with the the illusion of choice, the illusion that you have any control? Anytime interactive fiction title…

Despite the wonderful and indept writing i am not happy with this game. Why? Because every Chapter you are send out to accomplish something, get no choice in it, have to cater to the court even when your character woudlnt want to, making a loyal charater the only thing that can be played resonably and then! The game throws a massiv curveball, everything changes, your efforts are negated regardles of stats and then comes a three year timeskip. This is great in a story when it happens ones or twice but here it happens ever single chapter. Your just left exausted and often confused at the change of fortune. It kind of takes the joy away.

Meh ! Did almost finish it. But all are generic and predictable. Everything ! In the end the story leave everything behind and continue by itself not caring about who read it. To respect the extensive work on it i had to stop it on the last fight then reload the chap, confirm what other choice was before the stop reading again. Yeah, the generic story and dialogue ruin it. The good part was the development of the character minus the time skip. If you buy it, don't hope much.

Boring no war, just talking.

Took me two years I guess to finally play it all the way through. Attention to chinese history? Myth? Culture? is nicely done; but otherwise this is pretty much close to trash. Narrative strands left untied, random charecters constantly introduced for no real reason or matter. Don't play is the best advice, though not as bad as many titles, this is low.

love it