Note: I was provided with a review copy of the game by the developer.
To talk about the latest slice-of-life VN by ebi-hime, nothing & nowhere, we have to start in a less-than-obvious place. Nearly two years ago I made an overview ebi’s freeware games and one of the most memorable and unique of them was Lynne: a heavily stylized, pixelart horror game about a teenager crumbling under pressure from her dysfunctional family and societal expectations she's unable to truly meet. Full of suffocating atmosphere and visceral dream sequences, it is to this day one of the most effective horror experiences I’ve seen in the medium and one that ends on an abrupt, but appropriately disturbing note. Nothing & nowhere, while representing a completely different climate and stylistic, is basically an alternative timeline spin-off of that game, offering something probably every person that read Lynne wished for – some form of respite and hope for the future to the game’s tortured protagonist.
Interestingly enough, after being released in mid-May 2020, nothing & nowhere was not marketed directly as a sequel or spin-off of Lynne. Even the Steam page only mentioned the connection at the very end of game’s description, suggesting it’s above all a standalone story, despite sharing the central character with its horror predecessor. In my experience, however, it was exactly that link, and the extra context being familiar with Lynne provided me with, that made the new game a truly worthwhile. More than that, I’m willing to argue it's likely be the same for most potential readers, for a few crucial reasons.
The mystery behind the main character’s appearance near Cora’s village is not particularly compelling (and nearly turned void if you read Lynne), but the real appeal of the story is her path to overcoming the persistent issues that made her escape her previous life
The core story of nothing & nowhere is a very slow-paced, nostalgic slice-of-life story, similar in feel and scope to one of the other recent titles by ebi, Rituals in the Dark. Through third-person narration, it presents the story of Cora, an eccentric writer living in a small village in rural England, and a mysterious girl she finds one morning on a local beach, exhausted and drenched from the cold, autumn rain. Assuming the Girl (that’s the only way she’s referred to for most of the game’s story) run from home, she decides to give her shelter, opening the story of their unusual and slightly strenuous cohabitation. The main axis of the story is about the Girl and her path to overcoming the depression and anxiety that drove her into running away from her previous life – however, her specific circumstances and motivation are not the only, and not the most interesting mystery. That honour undeniably goes to Cora – an extravagant and successful young woman, living a reclusive life in an old-fashioned cottage in the middle of nowhere. Always perfect in her appearance and borderline-boastful about her achievements, she gives few hints on what drove her to this lonely way of life. Even while her relationship with the Girl grows deeper, she reveals very little about her past and wittingly diverts any attempts at prying into it.
Here, however, we’re already landing on the biggest issue I have with the game – the reveals, when they happen, are not as impactful as I hoped for and the path that leads to them have too few memorable moments. The dynamic between Cora and the Girl is pretty amusing, with Cora using her rhetorical skills and life experience to not only solve the “mystery” of the Girl’s presence in the remote village, but also steer her in a direction of overcoming her deep-seeded problems. Her patient and considerate attitude, hidden under a layer of teasing and caricatural self-confidence, is heartwarming and makes a great basis for a believable story of healing and finding a new path in life. However, especially combined with the Girl’s depressive passivity, it does not create many impactful scenes or spark genuinely interesting tension between the two women. This results in an experience most appropriate for people with a really high tolerance for relaxed slice-of-life content, with no real twists of shifts in pacing involved.
While the context of Lynne adds a lot of meaning to nothing & nowhere’s story, it also exposes its biggest weakness – lack of tension and few emotionally impactful moments
Here we come to the aforementioned connection with Lynne and its significance. The main reason I think it’s important, is because it gives a much deeper look into the Girl’s backstory and the suffering she went through, making her recovery way more meaningful and satisfying to see. Also, the epilogue is filled to brim with references that will mean relatively little to people not familiar with the previous game. At the same time, I can’t shake off the feeling that deeper crossover from Lynne’s storytelling devices and unsettling climate would make nothing & nowhere a more compelling experience. Referencing more directly the girl’s traumatic nightmares and intense suffering we saw in that game would make the process of overcoming them and Cora’s involvement a lot more engaging to follow. I respect the fact that was not the kind of story ebi wanted to tell and that’s at least one of the reasons she didn’t tie this game to Lynne so explicitly, but it makes me particularly worried about its viability as a standalone experience. Without the appeal of an alternative take on an already-known story, there’s not that much here to hook the average reader with – even romance, the most obvious magnet for a broader audience, is relegated to brief backstory section for Cora.
On the other hand, what might draw people in, outside of the story details, is the art, high in quality and utilizing a distinct, non-anime artstyle. As usual with this kind of stylistic, I needed a bit of an adjustment period after approaching the VN and I’m still not sure how I feel about the eerie, doll-like look of Cora’s sprite. However, the general impression from the game’s visuals was definitely positive. The backgrounds were nicely detailed and all assets felt very consistent in style and level of detail. The CGs were few, less than 10 in total, but the minimalistic story hardly demanded more custom illustrations to fully get the message across… Although just the fact I can’t think of another scene I would like to see illustrated, other than maybe the last sequence of the epilogue, reinforces my point about the (relative) lack of memorable moments.
The last thing that has to be mentioned is the music – very relaxed and rather minimalistic, which puts it perfectly in-synch with the overall tone of the story. Generally, the cohesion between all layers of the experience in nothing & nowhere – story, art, GIU and music – was extremely high, which is something I deeply appreciate. I still, however, wished that the substance of it all was a bit more dynamic and hard-hitting. I’m tempted to say that the soul-crushing experience such as Lynne deserved a just as deeply uplifting sequel, but even disregarding that point, I simply feel this story idea demanded execution either longer and more in-depth, or more vivid and dramatic. Some will surely disagree with me, but this is the only honest assessment I can give. At the same time though, if you enjoyed Lynne or if you’re willing to read it before buying this game, it should be very much worth experiencing – and with the prequel being free and this game costing just $5, there are few reasons to not give them a try.
Final Rating: 3/5
Pros:
+ High-quality, stylistically consistent visuals
+ Pleasant music
+ Satisfying, uplifting alternative scenario for fans of Lynne
Cons:
– Pretty forgettable as a standalone story
– Very slow-paced and minimalistic storytelling
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