Games worth discovering
A First Look @ Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical
2K View2023-08-13Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is an interesting addition to the narrative storytelling genre - as it takes the choose-your-own-adventure format that a number of players may associate with Telltale-esque formats, and turns it into a Broadway-style musical.
And the brilliant thing in all of this, is that it meshes seamlessly with the narrative. See, the protagonist, Grace, finds herself stuck in the midst of a murder mystery - one where she's the prime suspect, due to the victim dying rather literally on her doorstep. While already a problem, it's further compounded due to it being Calliope, The Last Muse, a member of the now dwindling Greek Pantheon. With only a week to prove her innocence, she must rely on her wits - and the vestiges of the muse. Namely, the ability to force those she encounters to sing from the heart.
That said, that's hardly the extent of Stray gods' cleverness. As I mentioned earlier, this title belongs to the interactive fiction genre - with the typical trappings of making choices in order to progress forward through the narrative. That said, very early on in the game, you'll be given the option between a trio of Character Traits, being Charismatic, Clever, or Kickass - which provide access to dialogue options that would otherwise be barred to you. Here's the thing, though- these dialogue options -also- apply to the musical numbers, changing up the overall tone, and even imagery of those segments to a considerable degree.
Admittedly, the song segments might be slightly stressful for some folks- since they are wholly comprised of timed dialogue elements- but, that decision ultimately feels like the correct one, given that it allows for a sense of musical flow. On the other side of things, you can actually disable the timed segments which crop up in the midst of normal dialogue.
That said, while I mentioned that there's a certain brilliance to how it addresses the matter of player agency, this is also where the experience starts to fray. You won't necessarily notice it during your initial playthrough of the game, but once you loop around to the second, it becomes rather apparent that regardless of your choices, the outcomes turn out largely the same. While there are certainly elements that can go awry as you progress, these ultimately don't do anything to direct the course of the story one way or the other - having more of an influence on the final act and the ensuing epilogue, then anything else.
That said, I do want to be clear here- this isn't an attempt to dissuade someone from trying it. On the whole- Stray Gods remains a fascinating and altogether solid first entry for Summerfall studios. That said, it would have highly benefited from a more efficient means of navigating the story and it's permutations, rather than locking players into playthroughs where it will take a notable amount of time to start making choices that feel impactful. Especially given that you're unable to skip the song segments, which adds a significant amount of waiting time if youre truly intent on seeing everything.
And the brilliant thing in all of this, is that it meshes seamlessly with the narrative. See, the protagonist, Grace, finds herself stuck in the midst of a murder mystery - one where she's the prime suspect, due to the victim dying rather literally on her doorstep. While already a problem, it's further compounded due to it being Calliope, The Last Muse, a member of the now dwindling Greek Pantheon. With only a week to prove her innocence, she must rely on her wits - and the vestiges of the muse. Namely, the ability to force those she encounters to sing from the heart.
That said, that's hardly the extent of Stray gods' cleverness. As I mentioned earlier, this title belongs to the interactive fiction genre - with the typical trappings of making choices in order to progress forward through the narrative. That said, very early on in the game, you'll be given the option between a trio of Character Traits, being Charismatic, Clever, or Kickass - which provide access to dialogue options that would otherwise be barred to you. Here's the thing, though- these dialogue options -also- apply to the musical numbers, changing up the overall tone, and even imagery of those segments to a considerable degree.
Admittedly, the song segments might be slightly stressful for some folks- since they are wholly comprised of timed dialogue elements- but, that decision ultimately feels like the correct one, given that it allows for a sense of musical flow. On the other side of things, you can actually disable the timed segments which crop up in the midst of normal dialogue.
That said, while I mentioned that there's a certain brilliance to how it addresses the matter of player agency, this is also where the experience starts to fray. You won't necessarily notice it during your initial playthrough of the game, but once you loop around to the second, it becomes rather apparent that regardless of your choices, the outcomes turn out largely the same. While there are certainly elements that can go awry as you progress, these ultimately don't do anything to direct the course of the story one way or the other - having more of an influence on the final act and the ensuing epilogue, then anything else.
That said, I do want to be clear here- this isn't an attempt to dissuade someone from trying it. On the whole- Stray Gods remains a fascinating and altogether solid first entry for Summerfall studios. That said, it would have highly benefited from a more efficient means of navigating the story and it's permutations, rather than locking players into playthroughs where it will take a notable amount of time to start making choices that feel impactful. Especially given that you're unable to skip the song segments, which adds a significant amount of waiting time if youre truly intent on seeing everything.
The TL;DR
+Engaging Story
+Character Customisation
+The music segments are great, as is the choice between 3 song variants.
+I really like the voice acting, especially for Pan.
+Very Quick Patches when bugs are found. A save issue was addressed Day 1.
-The story is less replayable than you'd think.
-Meaningful choices feel limited in scope, and don't change the storys direction.
-The character traits aren't as influential as you'd think.
-The audio balancing isn't ideal.
-Worse, there are segments where you hear voice actors lean away or towards the mic.
-You can't manually save. Or chapter select.
-You -can- skip normal dialogue, but not songs. Also, no conversation log.
+Engaging Story
+Character Customisation
+The music segments are great, as is the choice between 3 song variants.
+I really like the voice acting, especially for Pan.
+Very Quick Patches when bugs are found. A save issue was addressed Day 1.
-The story is less replayable than you'd think.
-Meaningful choices feel limited in scope, and don't change the storys direction.
-The character traits aren't as influential as you'd think.
-The audio balancing isn't ideal.
-Worse, there are segments where you hear voice actors lean away or towards the mic.
-You can't manually save. Or chapter select.
-You -can- skip normal dialogue, but not songs. Also, no conversation log.
Mentioned games
Stray Gods - A Broadway Style Musical Murder Mystery
Hey folks, thanks for tapping and tuning in as I dive headlong into Summerfall Studios' recently released Visual Novel, Stray Gods - A Musical RPG. And they're not kidding on that front- so bear with me.
An Inspired Investigation
Stray Gods tells the story of Grace, whose mundane life as a would-be singer is abruptly de-railed due to a chance encounter with Calliope, The Last Muse. Last, because the old Greek Pantheons are real, and not -quite- as immortal as previously rumoured. A trend which continues to hold true, given Callope's blood winds up literally (but not figuratively) on Graces' hands.
Crit Hit Arlyeon2K2023-08-14
Myth meets Modern: A Musical Adventure | Impressions - Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical
In Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical, players embark on a journey as Grace, an aspiring musician who unexpectedly inherits the powers of the Last Muse, due to an unexpected circumstance. Set in an urban fantasy world where myths and monsters intertwine with normal, modern life, Grace becomes entangled in a murder mystery that demands her musical prowess – enhanced by the powers of the Gods. The player's choices shape Grace's path as she navigates the intricacies of Greek deities, uncovers dark secrets, and harmonizes her way to justice.
lyndonguitar2K2023-08-13
Stray Gods has me completely divided.
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical (Reviewed)
Developer: Summerfall Studios
Publisher: Humble Games
Released: Aug 3, 2023
Price: $30 USD
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is a short murder mystery visual novel that follows the legends of the Greek Gods, or what remains of them in this story.
It is your responsibility to help them in their time of need while also deciphering the mystery surrounding them and why things are unfolding the way they are.
Pawkt1K2023-08-14
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