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1-11 of 11 - Shaduf, May 25, 2022 >INVENTORY - Paul O'Brian writes about interactive fiction This review probably makes it sound like I thought Halothane was just abysmal, and I didn't, really. The overall impression that I got was that the game is just sort of... half-baked. I don't mean this in an offhand sense, nor is it intended to be derogatory. I just felt like I was playing a game that was not suited for the competition, nor fully realized by the time the deadline arrived, but was entered in the competition anyway, for who knows what reason. Lord knows I've played a lot of games that are worse, even in this year's comp entries. But it's a pity to see the potential in a game like Halothane squandered so. Put that sucker back in the oven and wait for it to rise.
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An Atmospheric Creation, August 19, 2017by ParserGirl Endearing and innovative, Halothane focuses on exploration and symbolism. The few puzzles are complex but surprisingly intuitive, rewarding players who take cues from the environment and immerse themselves in the detailed environments. The themes of the author's struggles are wrapped in lighthearted banter and extensive description. The latter portion of the game changes tone and protagonist, though the resolution feels rushed and does not plug back in to the overall theme. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Remove vote | Add a comment
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A game about authors responsibility for their creations, February 4, 2016by MathBrush This is a pretty long IfComp game about an author who is sucked into the world of a manuscript which he has attempted to destroy. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Remove vote | Add a comment
- E.K., September 8, 2015 3 of
3 people found the following review helpful:
Polished but fails to entertain, August 24, 2015by dutchmule "Halothane" isn't about the story, according to its own author; it's more of a collection of scenes, tied together very loosely by a premice that's kind of interesting. You have to know this before playing, or you'll get frustrated; i kept looking for clues or connections, even just thematic connections, to know how those scenes were going to tie together in the end, but they don't, and it was a letdown for me. Setting up very different scenes and have the player scratch their heads for connections is awesome if you are able to resolve it and have some unexpected yet coherent thing that ties it up together; it feels like a magic trick and blows the reader's mind! (See the structure of Photopia, more generally of an Harold.) There were a few connections (hospital, red liquids, etc) which made me hope for everything tying together somehow, but then nothing happened and it felt like the author made me waste my energy/attention/investment in the game. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Remove vote | View comments (2) - Add comment
- Floating Info, July 1, 2015 - PNervous, July 8, 2012 - Anya Johanna DeNiro (Minnesota), June 20, 2009 - Audiart (Davis, CA), January 8, 2009 Baf's GuideYou're an author who's decided not to finish his novel and who gets mysteriously drawn into the world of the story. More story than game--the narrative itself is well put together, but the player doesn't have much to do--but it's nicely written and well told, if you can follow along (not a given--there's lots of plot). It takes a while to figure out where the story is going, though, and it's likely that you'll have to replay to figure out how everything fits together. The puzzles are fairly inconsequential, and when they do come along, they break the feel of the story a bit; they're not all that well integrated into the plot. Still, this is a better-developed story than most IF, and those who prefer the narrative to the crossword may well enjoy it. -- Duncan Stevens
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