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Let's Play Anodyne [VLP] About the Game Anodyne is a 16-bit styled game by Sean Hogan and Jonathan Kittaka. Very much influenced by the SNES games of old and notably the gameplay of Zelda games, Link's Awakening in particular. Another notable influence is freeware game Yume Nikki*. It was released to little fanfare in the spring of 2013, but this game quickly earned its place as one of my favorite games of all time. There's another thing about Anodyne that I absolutely love, but is hard to put into words. You know how some games have pixel art, but don't actually follow the idea of a pixel based grid, instead having sprites float willy nilly along without a care in their happy rounded world? Well Anodyne doesn't do that, things move along the tiny grid created by the pixels as if they actually have some meaning. It might be a subtle or maybe, to some, an unimportant detail. But to me it goes a long way in solidifying its existence as an SNES style game through and through. Set in a magical land with a lot of mysterious things going on, our goal is to save The Briar from The Darkness. Sounds vague enough to set us on our way! *You can download the flash versions of the videos from the polsy pages (thanks Nuclear Pizza). About Not the Game This is going to be a subtitled LP, because I want to preserve the atmosphere the sound and music provides. I will be going for a 100% run, so all the upgrades and all of the cards will be found. There are also a few secret items after you finish the game. I will Regarding spoilers: please DON'T! None at all, not even in spoiler tags. There's some pretty cool stuff to see and it's best to experience the story as it unfolds. However, the story is pretty unclear and open to interpretation at points and is perfect for analyzing. So please do have discussions about what you think certain things might mean, but ONLY after we get to them in the videos. I've got my own ideas and I'd love to hear what you guys think! Want to Play Yourself? Anodyne is available for Android/iOS and PC on Steam, GoG, GamersGate, Desura and it's own website, or you can pick it up from the Humble Store. The soundtrack is also fantastic. Composed by Sean Hogan, it is available here, or by purchasing the game from their site. There's a remix album as well. Desura has a demo so you can try that if you're not quite sure you want to buy it. There's also pretty awesome Japanese and Korean translations included in-game if you're into that or are Japanese or Korean. Lastly, Sean and Jon are working on a new game called Even the Ocean right now, so check it out! List of Characters List of Cards List of ??? (Items) Videos      Cube King Monologues There's some audio desync in this episode, sorry!         Cheat Codes!
chocolatekake fucked around with this message at 17:16 on Jun 27, 2014 |
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Feb 16, 2014 19:48
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The Characters Main Characters  Young Young is our avatar in The Land. They do what's requested of them and embrace their duty to become  Sage The "Village Elder", Sage gives us our quest and some cryptic messages along the way. He shows up in some strange places.  Mitra Our bike riding friend. Mitra almost crashes into us at the start of our journey, but because of that we become friends. We'll be seeing him around every so often.  Statue The statue follows Sage around and gives us advice that is debatably more helpful than Sage's wisdom.  Briar In order to save the world we must save The Briar, whatever that is.  Briar It turns out Briar is Young's friend. Minor Characters  Miao Xiao Tuan Er This cat is sort of Young's understudy. He likes to shadow Young, but gets nervous if you venture too far off.  Icky Ichabod is Miao Xiao Tuan Er's friend and a pretty cool dude.  Hews Probably the coolest character in the game. This  James A bear who can speak English, which is cool enough. He likes berries.  Goldman A land-living fishman. He doesn't seem to like Young much.  Rank A nod to the Zelda series, this guy is the Hero of His Family. Cutting bushes is a rough job. chocolatekake fucked around with this message at 17:20 on Jun 27, 2014 |
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Feb 16, 2014 19:48
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The Cards No. 1 I don't mind being watched by the trees.  No. 2 Where is she?!  No. 3 I will be with you Young, whenever you are alone.  No. 4 Are you an Ookchot? My mom always warned me about the Dangerous Ookchot.  No. 5 Jello there, Young! So goo to flanly meet you! Why don't you set for a minute? I was just pudding on some tea!  No. 6 Pew, Pew, Pew, Pew, Pew, Pew, Pew, Pew, Pew, Pew, Pew, Pew, Chancel, Pulpit, Altar, Stained Glass Windows...  No. 7 Limited time offer! Buy one, get one free - only today!  No. 8 Remember the time that you lit a candle when the power was out?  No. 9 Mmmm, your pillow was cozy last night.  No. 10 This'll teach 'em for calling me the fumi-GAY-tion guy.  No. 11 Wares and I make a good team.  No. 12 I'm the Chosen One-in-training!!!  No. 13 Do you ever feel like, no matter what you do, you can't stop the world from dying?  No. 14 Beware the forest mushrooms...  No. 15 I am sorry. It is my nature.  No. 16 What do you mean, 'Only a rock'?? Rocks can be on cards too, you know!  No. 17 Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he will have bonding times with his son, Jimmy.  No. 18 Sometimes the answer is taking a walk.  No. 19 Why do bats suddenly fly down, every time you're around.  No. 20 NO, *YOU* NEED BRACES!  No. 21 ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?  No. 22 Don't get violent around me.  No. 23 I've always wanted to be on Iron Chef.  No. 24 My mom always told me, 'If you do that arch long enough, your spine will stay that way!'  No. 25 Are you amused yet, human?  No. 26 ...  No. 27 Scientifically speaking, toads are a subset of frogs.  No. 28 HAHAHAHA! Yeah! I know!  No. 29 Oh, you collect cards, too? Real classy, Ying.  No. 30 They always said, "Get off the computer! Or you'll never make friends!"  No. 31 I'm only the ruler for the extent of a conversation.  No. 32 I'll bet you think you're 'making my job interesting'!  No. 33 I hate diagonals.  No. 34 Don't even try that claritin clear poo poo with me.  No. 35 Swipe this card to unlock the door to your room!  No. 36 I'm doing a great job.  No. 37 .......??  No. 38 Who carved all of us anyways?  No. 39 I hope you enjoyed your stay.  No. 40 Seening as you've gotten to this point, you must be quite Intrasting.  No. 41 I'm just here to lead you astray.  No. 42 You like like a pyramid to us, too!  No. 43 It's the same drat play, night after night, and the pay sucks.  No. 44 Leave me alone! My last name isn't Sachs!  No. 45 At least I'm not a stick.  No. 46 What do you mean money doesn't grown on trees? Eheheheh!  No. 47 I'm nothing but an illusion.  No. 48 I'LL TAKE IT OUT ON YOU. chocolatekake fucked around with this message at 05:35 on Jun 18, 2014 |
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Feb 16, 2014 19:48
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This game looks interesting. I'll be following this for a while, I think. I also love that the main weapon is a broom. Does he get the MASTER BROOM later on? Will he become the chosen Janitor? I guess I will have to watch to find out!
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Feb 16, 2014 21:20
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I remember getting this game with a humble bundle a long time ago and playing it for a few hours. I didn't get too much farther than you did in the first episode, but I did get to some pretty creepy places. Seems like a quality LP so far, I'll be watching to see how deep this rabbit hole goes.
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Feb 16, 2014 21:38
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I love this game, glad to see it get LPed. Are you going to do a 100% run?
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Feb 17, 2014 00:40
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Having beaten the game, I can say with absolute certainty that those dogs remain one of my most hated enemies. Never did pick up on the right strategy to kill them, so I always took a ton of damage fighting them. That said, I love so much about this game. The atmosphere is fantastic, and the music is simply wonderful. Also Sage's pet statue is the best.
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Feb 17, 2014 02:26
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I don't think I got very far in this game on my PC before drifting away, but I did like it very much, and was just thinking about going back to it when your LP came along. I'll be following this with much interest--and I'm glad to have found out there's an Android version of the game, too.
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Feb 17, 2014 02:31
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Whoa! Nice to see an LP of this going on. I remember having a lot of fun with the game and it had a very engaging story. Shame it runs at a wonky resolution. Serious props for doing a 100% run because some things are back breakers to do "right" even after you know what you need to do.
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Feb 17, 2014 02:54
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I suppose card number four is a pun on the hookshot. That's cute. This looks intriguing. I wonder what the title of the game has to do with its content.
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Feb 17, 2014 03:15
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Wait, Mitra's a guy? I thought Mitra was a girl. Then again I didn't play too much of this game...
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Feb 17, 2014 10:31
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I was kind of worried not many people would care since I thought this game kind of flew under the radar, but I'm glad to see this amount of interest for the game!EntranceJew posted:Whoa! Nice to see an LP of this going on. I remember having a lot of fun with the game and it had a very engaging story. Shame it runs at a wonky resolution. Serious props for doing a 100% run because some things are back breakers to do "right" even after you know what you need to do. Papal Rain posted:I suppose card number four is a pun on the hookshot. That's cute. SGR posted:Wait, Mitra's a guy? I thought Mitra was a girl. Then again I didn't play too much of this game...
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Feb 17, 2014 17:12
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Oh, what a terrible day for me. First someone plays Risk of Rain. Then Deux Ex. Then Angband. Now Anodyne! What is next and how will I get any work done? (Who cares, fun!)
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Feb 17, 2014 17:51
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Man, I did a review of this game a while back. Pretty wiggy writing, but the gameplay felt so much like Zelda that it bugged me. Also smart move with subtitle LP, this is one of those games where atmosphere is everything.
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Feb 18, 2014 10:38
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As a side note, I'd suggest watching in 480p or 720p fullscreen. For some reason Youtube's been turning 720p into absolute trash when using the non-fullscreen player. Although maybe it's just me having issues. New Characters! Miao Xiao Tuan Er This cat is sort of Young's understudy. He likes to shadow Young, but gets nervous if you venture too far off. Icky Ichabod is Miao Xiao Tuan Er's friend and a pretty cool dude. Goldman A land-living fishman. He doesn't seem to like Young much. New Cards! No. 11 Wares and I make a good team. No. 12 I'm the Chosen One-in-training!!! No. 14 Beware the forest mushrooms... No. 44 Leave me alone! My last name isn't Sachs!
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Feb 25, 2014 18:37
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Man, its so weird. Anodyne is basically about exploring areas and unveiling the world but it does it far better than other games out on the market. I think the obtuse writing (which we'll see more of) and element of risk help a lot in that regard as well. Also, I can think of three areas with a much better view than the Cliffs. I will agree that it has top-tier music though.
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Feb 25, 2014 22:28
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I had never seen that game over house screen before! Though it does explain quite a few questions I had about something. Also believe it or not, but I never realized you could take Miao to visit Goldman until well after I'd beaten the game. I guess it just never occurred to me to take the cat to see the goldfish. For the record, if you don't take Miao visiting, Mitra will visit you in the cliffs just before you get to the broom extension cave and give you the jumping shoes then.
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Feb 25, 2014 22:56
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I like that they're really going full-on with the whole "broom" angle to things.
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Mar 11, 2014 18:49
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This game looks cool. Do more, OP.
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Mar 12, 2014 14:47
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I can't recall seeing another game with a look and feel so calm yet so foreboding and mysterious at the same time like Anodyne. So simple yet really driving you on to explore more of it, not to mention it's really easy to watch and follow along as an LP. Keep up the great work!
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Mar 12, 2014 15:22
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I watched a couple minutes of the first video and bought the game, then powered through all the way to the final boss in pretty much a single sitting. Great game, definitely worth the $10 I paid for it.
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Mar 12, 2014 17:25
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ultrafilter posted:I watched a couple minutes of the first video and bought the game, then powered through all the way to the final boss in pretty much a single sitting. Great game, definitely worth the $10 I paid for it. Had a few problems getting this processed, but I should be good in the future, I hope. New Characters! Hews Probably the coolest character in the game. This James A bear who can speak English, which is cool enough. He likes berries. New Cards! No. 17 Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he will have bonding times with his son, Jimmy. No. 27 Scientifically speaking, toads are a subset of frogs. No. 28 HAHAHAHA! Yeah! I know! No. 29 Oh, you collect cards, too? Real classy, Ying.
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Mar 14, 2014 06:19
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And we have entered my second-favourite area of the game. Wow, the memories...
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Mar 14, 2014 06:42
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lol, I never talked with James at all. I thought this game's dialouge was very avant garde, but that was just weird.
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Mar 14, 2014 07:26
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Looks like my assessment of this game as really aggressively indie when it came out was pretty much on the mark. I think I can infer what's going on here from the game over house and what some of the NPCs have said, anyway. Wonder if I'll be right?  Looking forward to seeing more, it's a pretty intriguing little game.
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Mar 14, 2014 11:33
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It must be pretty nonlinear--I futzed around with it quite a bit, but never did that second dungeon. I think this is where I eventually stopped playing (for no real reason), although that's not saying much when I don't know how far along in the game I was! It's nice to be able to watch you play through it, chocolatekake; thanks.
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Mar 14, 2014 21:17
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Hirayuki posted:It must be pretty nonlinear--I futzed around with it quite a bit, but never did that second dungeon. I think this is where I eventually stopped playing (for no real reason), although that's not saying much when I don't know how far along in the game I was! It's nice to be able to watch you play through it, chocolatekake; thanks. Yeah, there's a bit of freedom for when to approach different areas. The second dungeon and the third (coming in the next video) can be done in either order. Later on we'll have some more options as well.
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Mar 14, 2014 22:26
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Watching these videos, I'd been thinking "maybe it's not as hosed up as Yume Nikki, despite the overall feel." This video's ending convinced me otherwise.
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Mar 19, 2014 16:33
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This episode ran pretty long, but there's a lot going on. Hopefully it's not too much at once! No New Characters! New Cards! No. 2 Where is she?! No. 6 Pew, Pew, Pew, Pew, Pew, Pew, Pew, Pew, Pew, Pew, Pew, Pew, Chancel, Pulpit, Altar, Stained Glass Windows... No. 13 Do you ever feel like, no matter what you do, you can't stop the world from dying? No. 16 What do you mean, 'Only a rock'?? Rocks can be on cards too, you know! No. 18 Sometimes the answer is taking a walk. No. 19 Why do bats suddenly fly down, every time you're around. No. 20 NO, *YOU* NEED BRACES! No. 21 ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?
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Mar 20, 2014 08:44
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Man, the murder ocean was so hosed up in terms of the environment and the dungeon tablets. Its really a stark change compared to the tranquil nature of other areas.
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Mar 20, 2014 12:02
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Highwang posted:Man, the murder ocean was so hosed up in terms of the environment and the dungeon tablets. Its really a stark change compared to the tranquil nature of other areas. It really is. The tablets make me think that someone had some serious mommy guilt going on, because holy poo poo! Regarding the broom, I didn't realize the widen extension was any stronger than the reach one. The extra, well, reach felt much more useful to me.
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Mar 20, 2014 20:04
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SourceElement posted:It really is. The tablets make me think that someone had some serious mommy guilt going on, because holy poo poo! Relaying something Sean Hogan said about this dungeon, one of the designs was about inside being a safe space compared to the scary outside world. The boss seems afraid of going outside. Some of the mommy guilt you mentioned also seems to to be influenced by the fear of outside vs. the comfort of inside, like with the obvious womb relation. I thought it was interesting though that the dungeon being inside was actually more dangerous and creepy than the rest of the outside Red Sea. Also, the widen upgrade isn't really better, I just like it more. I tend to get close to enemies and it helps if I'm not lined up quite properly, or to hit more than one enemy. There's at least one time I prefer the extension upgrade, but I generally prefer the widen one.
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Mar 24, 2014 05:27
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Just an announcement, Anodyne is in the latest Humble Weekly Sale (Along with the also excellent Offspring Fling)!
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Mar 27, 2014 21:42
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For anyone following who does not happen to have this game, I now have an extra copy of Anodyne that I would be more than happy to give away. Email me at tyreforhyre@gmail.com or send me a PM and I'll shoot the link over to ya.
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Mar 28, 2014 14:45
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azren posted:Watching these videos, I'd been thinking "maybe it's not as hosed up as Yume Nikki, despite the overall feel." This video's ending convinced me otherwise. I should really just shut my damned mouth.  This is getting really damned unnerving as we go on. Between the tablets/boss in that dungeon and the town area, I get the feeling that this is just headed downhill in terms of creepy.
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Mar 28, 2014 15:38
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I just stumbled across this and allow me to say how glad I am that you're using subtitles instead of talking over the game. One of the few things that surrealist indie games like this absolutely need in order to work is their soundtrack, so covering that up with talking always seemed like it kind of ruined the effect for me.chocolatekake posted:There are also a few secret items after you finish the game, but I will not be getting those. You're not doing the post-game at all, or just not getting the "collectables"? I'm just curious, honestly, given that Anodyne's post-game has some interesting stuff. KataraniSword fucked around with this message at 18:29 on Mar 30, 2014 |
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Mar 30, 2014 18:12
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KataraniSword posted:You're not doing the post-game at all, or just not getting the "collectables"? I'm just curious, honestly, given that Anodyne's post-game has some interesting stuff. I am doing the post-game stuff, but I'm not getting all the collectibles. You reminded me how not all of them are super involved, so I'll get most of them. I know one I won't be recording, but for that one and any others that give me trouble, I'll still show them off.
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Mar 31, 2014 03:46
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chocolatekake posted:I know one I won't be recording I know exactly which one you're talking about and I actually kind of want to smack Sean Hogan upside the head for putting such a thing in the game. Glad to know you'll be showing off the legitimately interesting parts, though!
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Mar 31, 2014 17:08
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I've played through the whole game and I'm not sure of anything that's really gone on. They've done a great job on the soundtrack though. You're doing a good job with the LP chocolatekake.
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Mar 31, 2014 19:32
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The soundtrack is very nice, and reminds me a little of FEZ in spots. Is the game's ratio 4:3 or does it look narrower to anyone? It looks like a iPhone port. Did the designers say anything about they wanted it to look like that?
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Mar 31, 2014 21:12
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