Okage: The Shadow King Part 2
This game has split me in half. On one hand, the writing and development of characters is drawing me in further. On the other hand, the dungeons are the absolute worst.
It turns out I inadvertently lied in my previous post. My sister did not beat the game. She got lost in a dungeon and called it quits. She said she had better things to do in her life and now I’m wondering if I have better things too. I’m 6 hours into the game now and I’m calling it.
When I finished my previous post, I had just defeated the first pretender to the evil king’s throne. A knight with a pink shadow joined me, and a scientist researching ghosts followed not long after. My shadow and I hatched a plan to capture the princess’s soul, but it turns out she has none. Now my soul has been portioned off between a princess and my shadow. I am just an instrument in other people’s plans.
That’s really the theme of the whole thing. People are pressed and manipulated by others. Very few can set their own course in life. It’s a very depressing theme in a funny game.
One of my favorite side stories is one in which you help a budding pop idol gain popularity. She sings for you and you give her tips and encouragement. She went from singing bright pop songs to shouting about world domination. She’s going places and I’m proud of my input.
When I went into my first dungeon, I was happy with how quickly I could level up and move through the floors. All I had to do was kill some jars and go down some stairs. Then I got to the second dungeon. This is when I realized that every dungeon is about killing jars and traveling up an down stairs. The only variation is in the size and added turns. I cannot play through four or five more of these. I’m not built like that.
Maybe I’ll watch a Let’s Play later, but I think I’ve internalized enough of this game. By choosing to stop playing, I’m taking control of my life. Yeah, it’s all Juffo’s time now 