Pabo
E. joined
Currently studying IT at the University of Piraeus, Greece. I'm pretty interested in game development and FOSS, and hope to contribute to both. I'm not very good at programming, but I believe making games is an efficient and fun way to improve one's coding skills.
Reviews
Although more an audiovisual experience than a game in the traditional sense, Kyoto can still be considered as an example of interactive art.
The entire game takes place in a small scene consisting of a moon-lit rock with a tree growing on it, amidst a quiet lake. The great graphical effects are probably the most outstanding part of the game. Most of them are rather subtle, which ensures that the soothing atmosphere is only enhanced by them. Everything, from the effects to the color palette, makes up for an incredibly calm experience.
The audio only complements this, with the subtle sound effects being the equivalent of the graphical effects, and the smooth soundtrack enhancing the general feeling of the game.
Though it's not always clear what to do next, it seems like the experimentation is something the developer wants the player to do, in order to take the game world in. The game is fairly short, and even a player who takes his time to appreciate the experience can finish it in less than half an hour.
The question here is, whether it is fair to rate the gameplay compared to other, more traditional games. Kyoto is an interactive audiovisual experience in its own right, and this label is far more suitable than the label "game". But since this is a game-centered site, I will rate it as a game.
As a game, I give it a 7/10 (Good). The gameplay is fairly limited, and the game's goal isn't obvious. But then again, this might be a good thing, and playing around and embracing the game's atmosphere is surely more rewarding than progressing to the next stage. It just doesn't have enough content.
Game version: 1.0
Full review: Indiedb.com
