Game: Paper Lily: Chapter 1
Platform: PC
Genre: Free to Play, Psychological Horror, Adventure, 2D
Overview
I believe many are hesitant to try new games, particularly those that look and feel like games they have grown to dislike, such as most RPGmaker games, which are better described as games with little attention to detail or charm, using the same assets and boring generic characters regardless of the story behind them most of the time.
I've seen several people say that this is an RPGmaker game. It's a game built by two developers within the GoDotENGINE. It is a well-written 5-hour adventure full of charm, story, characters, and tension, considering it is of course a horror game.
There's no excuse not to pick it up and give it a shot because it's free and available to play right now, along with the prologue that inspired this game, Project Kat.
Story
Lacie is a young girl who was once considered normal and healthy. She had a wonderful family, friends, and a big brother who always looked after her no matter what. But one day somewhere down the line, her life takes a turn for the worse, and she is plagued by a shade, a demon, a curse, or a possession; she is not sure, but she is no longer the cheery young girl she once was with this hell around her to live with.
Friends turned bullies, parents turned neglectful, and society rejecting her very existence. She wants nothing more than to resume her usual life; all she has left is a small amount of sanity and her older brother, who is as joyful and dedicated to making her as happy as ever. She requires your assistance in breaking this plague, and in order to do so, you must guide her through one nightmarish hell.
Graphics & Presentation
I'm surprised at how many various art styles they were able to incorporate into this game without disrupting the balance and qualities of the 2D parts, which included both high-quality and degraded artwork to express the many different emotions that the main character goes through throughout her adventure.
All while retaining a well-designed and clean UI that, complements everything that this game offers. I've seen games use two or three, but they use up to 4-5 different types in such a short period of time that you are likely to be surprised as well.
With their great OST, you can expect a fantastic experience laced with unsettling, eerie tones on occasion as you make your way through this unfinished story.
Gameplay
This is your typical horror game, at least from a 2D perspective, similar to games like Yuppie Psycho, in which you are trying to escape from something and free yourself by completing tasks, mini-games, discovering secrets, and alternative endings, some of which are bad and some that quite possibly may branch into future chapters.
Whether you're a casual player or someone who enjoys delving through exploration, secret dialogue, notes, characters, and endings, this game caters to all types of players. If you don't want to perform any of the hard content and just want to continue the story because you think it's too difficult, that's great! You can skip the many puzzles and mini-games if you choose; it's your adventure after all!
Please be warned, while I believe this is a really good game, there may be content that depicts animals being harmed or killed that some viewers may find unpleasant.
Conclusion
Very few horror games pique my interest. It's not that I don't like them; it's just that so many of them are so concentrated on jump-scares that they fail to engage a player like myself who thrives on the inclusion of my immersion with the characters or just the world in general with that tension of not knowing what's going to happen next.
Every corner is a mystery that could lead to your death, or simply scary sound effects that never lead to anything. Paper Lily: Chapter 1 struck every single chord with me that I enjoy with horror games. The game is free, so please support the developers!
Sometimes there is too much dialogue too...
2024-04-22
Author likedIn essence, that is how the majority of story-based role-playing games play out. I did not experience too much of an excessive amount of dialogue, in contrast to a visual novel, which consists of 99 percent dialogue and frequently very little gameplay beyond player driven choices.
2024-04-22