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Number of Ratings: 87
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Previous | << 1 2 3 4 >> | Next | Show All - bradleyswissman (Virginia, US), September 28, 2020
- Arrowhead12 (Edmonton, Alberta), June 11, 2020
- quackoquack, June 10, 2020
1 of
2 people found the following review helpful:
Horse Master: an unWinnable State review, May 10, 2020Big ol’ disclaimer: This is my first Twine game. I am very skeptical of the system. I do not think it is for me. I am very much partial to parser based interactive fiction.
I have been putting off writing this review because I do not like Horse Master. There are a lot of great things to say about the it, Tom McHenry’s writing first among them, but ultimately the work does not resonate with me. This being a work in Twine has a lot to do with my feelings. Twine as a medium doesn’t grab me. But my problems with Horse Master goes beyond the medium.
Ultimately, it did not feel like any choice I made really mattered. I understand that there are at least three different endings to Horse Master and, as such, the choices during play do have some sort of mechanical effects, but as will be discussed in the spoiler-y section, the differences in the ending seem superficial.
A few positives, though. As mentioned, Tom McHenry’s writing is great, the world he created is stark and strange, the revelations revealed throughout satisfyingly bizarre. From a purely story point of view, Horse Master is worth a read. But as a work of Interactive Fictions, it falls a bit short on the interactivity.
You can find the SPOILER-Y portion of unWinnable State's review of Horse Master here.
- Marc-André Goyette, December 24, 2019
- alex19EP (Moscow, Russia), December 10, 2019
- Ashen_, July 23, 2019
- gildedSnail, March 18, 2019
- getlostdont, February 5, 2019
- Bartlebooth, December 11, 2018
- Jan Strach, December 4, 2018
- sleepbox, December 31, 2017
- Dominia, December 23, 2017
- Ivanr, July 21, 2017
- Aerobe, July 13, 2017
- Laney Berry, May 18, 2017
- megatherium, May 6, 2017
- Oreolek (Kemerovo, Russia), February 7, 2017
- Aryore, August 1, 2016
- E. W. B., February 23, 2016
- Kevin Snow, February 15, 2016
3 of
3 people found the following review helpful:
Futuristic/surreal twine game with unusual animals, February 3, 2016I had heard about this game for a year before playing it. Because of the hyper, I was mildly disappointed when playing it. The writing and concept of the game are similar to a variety of horror/surreal games out there, such as Porpentine's games, Ecdysis, parts of Frog Fractions. Who came first, I don't know. The idea seems to be to present something that is vaguely sketched out, with all details being slightly incompatible with each other and reality, borrowing ideas from deep-sea creatures and insects/parasites.
Beyond that specific genre, this game is part of a larger genre of text where the author experiences gut-wrenching, horrible things, turning the readers stomach in fear or revulsion. This includes books like The Kite Runner, Mudbound, A Separate Peace. A lot of these stories have been highly praised, and I even joy some of them (including Horsemaster), but in the end, I feel like true substance is more difficult to find.
The main pull of the game is your connection with your horse. A lot of things can happen between the two of you. You almost have the relationship of manipulative mother and her daughter.
The gameplay is perfectly tuned to contribute to the atmosphere.
Overall, most people will enjoy the game. I am glad that I played it. But it didn't change my life (not that anyone said it would, of course).
- Fantacide (California), January 14, 2016
- ohmycatness, November 15, 2015
- Catalina, November 15, 2015
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