Notebook Entries VOL.1
- November 11, 2022
- anOVERTHINKER
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Get on itch.io StoreNotebook Entries VOL.1 is a narrative-driven game where players uncover the story of a young woman's struggles with mental health, relationships, and self-discovery. The game features a unique art style, combining hand-drawn illustrations with interactive environments. Players will engage in dialogue choices and actions that impact the outcome of the story, with multiple endings to discover.
Reviews
- The game creates a constant feeling of tension and fear without relying on cheap jumpscares, making it a genuinely creepy experience.
- Each of the eight mini-stories offers unique gameplay mechanics and atmospheres, providing a diverse and engaging horror anthology.
- The sound design and voice acting are exceptional, contributing to the immersive experience and enhancing the overall horror elements.
- Some chapters feel too short and lack substantial gameplay, leading to a sense of disappointment in their execution.
- The game can be frustrating due to unclear objectives and mechanics, particularly in segments like 'Repeat. Repeat. Compulsion,' which can lead to confusion and repeated failures.
- While the anthology has interesting concepts, the overall execution can feel inconsistent, with some stories being significantly weaker than others.
- gameplay10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is described as varied and unique across different segments, with each of the eight games featuring distinct mechanics that create a sense of individuality and excitement. However, some users noted that certain mini-games felt too brief and lacked depth, leading to a mixed experience overall. While the mechanics are engaging and contribute to a sense of fear and immersion, the overall gameplay experience can feel disjointed at times.
“For the most part, all of these are excellent, and it's amazing how they completely swap visual and gameplay style from one to the next.”
“I'll avoid spoilers as much as humanly possible, but throughout the whole game, each of the 8 games has a unique and fun mechanic that really gives it a different feeling from each other, making the entire experience feel like 8 individual games rather than 1 experience.”
“A pretty cool anthology that switches up the gameplay formula between each scene.”
“With far too little gameplay.”
“Gameplay is almost like Simon Says.”
“The car game and the 'Don't Look Up' game were just kind of over really fast and had no gameplay, not super interesting either.”
- story7 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's story is presented as an anthology of eight short narratives, blending horror, mystery, and madness, which captivates players despite some criticisms of misleading storytelling and limited player agency. While the sound design and storytelling are praised, some players feel that the lack of mobility detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the game successfully engages players with its unique concept and immersive storytelling, even if it occasionally sacrifices freedom for narrative coherence.
“Each story is a journey into horror, mystery, and madness that keeps you glued to the screen until the end.”
“The three things this game excels at are sound design, storytelling, and level placement.”
“Otherwise, a very cool concept of making gameplay that fairly simulates real split-second reactions, especially with a sound-only story!”
“The game claims to be an anthology of 8 short 'stories,' but I would call this misleading at best because oftentimes there is no story!”
“It has a small amount of combat, but the story is asinine.”
“The downsides would be that the game does sacrifice player mobility and freedom of choice in order to tell its story correctly, so I was dumbfounded that I couldn't do much in some segments of the game.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their solid visuals and impressive creature design, with a unique art style reminiscent of black and white hylics that enhances the horror experience. While there are minor disparities between art styles, the developer effectively creates tension through varied visuals and control schemes, complemented by an impressive soundtrack. Overall, the game's graphics contribute significantly to its immersive and terrifying atmosphere.
“But the pacing and the art style akin to a black and white Hylics is absolutely wonderful.”
“The dev manages to terrify in a variety of different ways in one game, swapping art style and control scheme with each experience.”
“I haven't had such a tense horror game make me hold my breath in a long time, the visuals are unique and the soundtrack is impressive, what a lovely little collection of titles and I sincerely hope the developer continues to make them.”
“There's a tiny bit of a disparity between art styles, but it's okay.”
“The visuals are unique, but the overall graphics could use improvement.”
“The art style is inconsistent, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game collection is praised for its heartwarming experiences, evoking strong emotional responses that linger long after gameplay. Players express a sense of shock and deep reflection on the feelings the games elicit.
“I just finished playing it and I'm still in shock; I can't stop thinking about the emotions it made me feel.”
“Cute little game collection containing some 7 heartwarming games. 🥰”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features eight distinct mini-stories, each offering a unique atmosphere, plot, and stylistic approach, contributing to a diverse and immersive overall experience.
“The game consists of 8 mini-stories, each with its own unique atmosphere, plot, and style.”
“The immersive atmosphere draws you in, making you feel like you're part of the world.”
“Every scene is beautifully crafted, creating a rich and engaging atmosphere that keeps you captivated.”
- music1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its impressive quality, contributing significantly to the tense atmosphere and immersive experience. Reviewers appreciate how the soundtrack enhances the overall gameplay, making it a standout feature.
“I haven't had such a tense horror game make me hold my breath in a long time; the visuals are unique and the soundtrack is impressive. What a lovely little collection of titles, and I sincerely hope the developer continues to make them.”
