Big-big spoilers hidden here!
At moment of writing this I've played a total of 8 ND games.
Now, this one’s a bit of a doozy. This is my forth ND game. But technically it is also my first ND game. I tried it years ago, but the puzzle with assigning seats was bugged for me, and didn’t work, so I had no way of progressing the game and gave up. Maybe it was for the better, since this game would’ve been a terrible first introduction to the ND series. It is very different from other, older ND titles I have already played. However, I have yet to find out if this one’s an outlier or if all the newer games are like this.
Fortunately, despite how different this game felt compared to others, I still enjoyed it a lot. It was fun in all the right ways for me. Without giving to many details away, this game is FULL of drama. I’m quite used to ND games constantly deescalating their internal conflicts. Characters are very rarely allowed to just unabashedly hate each other, not even in DAN (and that game was MESSY). But here? Everybody hates everybody. Quite openly too. There’s a lot of shade being thrown around in dialogue, but that’s not there the real tea comes from. You see, in the game you have an option to listen to recordings of cast’s rehearsals, and while I usually hate this type of lore dumping in games (think Dirk’s letters in SHA), I ALWAYS looked forward to going back to the office and checking if more voice notes have been uploaded.
The reason for this is the cast, it was simply amazing. They were all little egomaniacal pricks. Talking to them in real life would’ve been unbearable, but I had the time of my life talking to them from behind the screen. I can’t even pick a favorite. And the dialogue options were just as fantastic. There were several times in this game when I had to exclaim out loud “Nancy! You can’t just ask this!!”. But each time I went ahead, and asked the question, reveling in the unfolding drama. This game managed to make me really excited about learning everyone’s back story and talking to people. Even in my all-time favorite CRY I wasn’t as invested in everyone’s dialogue, but here, I interacted with characters time and time again, always hoping a new dialogue option had been unlocked. I didn’t even want any clues, I just wanted gossip!
The was one thing that annoyed me though. Despite LIE taking place in Greece, all the characters are Americans, except for one guy (and if you’ve played the game you know that’s a very interesting choice from HER). What a bummer.
The plot of this game, however, is ridiculous. I still like it, but it’s really goofy. [spoiler] Just the fact that Melina invites you to investigate, and then dumps the entire museum on you, is bonkers. Yeah, sure, I’ll learn how to verify ancient art’s authenticity in one hour! No problem at all! Not to mention everything that has to do with the play, especially the way it's justified by the story. It’s giving “to save our local skate park, we’ll have to put on the best talent show this town has ever seen!”. The conspiracy is also bonkers. Like, how would that even work? It is so convoluted, only a theater kid could come up with something like this. Also, I just don’t believe in anyone’s motivations for doing this. Tough mobster going around in costume and full make up? Going to rehearsals? Learning lines? I didn’t buy it, and it was goofy every single second. [/spoiler]
And the play itself? [spoiler] Why does a play about Persephone only has 4 roles??? Why is the script like that? I get that it’s a front, and not meant to be performed a second time, but has Melina not once checked the script? It’s so bad! Persephone is such a non-factor in it, it should really be called “Persephone’s Mom and her weird relationship with the blond twink, whoever he’s supposed to be”. I guess all of that adds a human layer to the story, cause like, of course Xenia would write something like this. She has a gigantic crown on her head. But then again, in hindsight, how did I not know it was a group conspiracy?? Any legitimate actor would be raising hell over a script like that. In my defense however, I had no idea HER could even pull a twist like this. Not a single good guy in the story! All interactive characters are criminals! Even Melina, because she totally exploited Nancy for free labor (also she must’ve been profiting from the scheme somehow, I just don’t believe she had no clue whatsoever). [/spoiler]
Regardless of my bewilderment over the plot, I still think character writing was very nuanced and detailed, so, big kudos for that.
Puzzles were alright. They were doable, so that’s good. But they also… felt like homework. It was constant learning. Learning history, art verification, sound mixing, stage lighting, doing paperwork. For whatever reason this game really made me feel like I was Nancy Drew with her never-ending barrage of unpaid internships. I did A LOT of work for that woman [spoiler] on top of saving her ass from jail. [/spoiler]
The game overall is pretty solid in terms of atmosphere and feel. First half of the game is not very scenic, but it gets a lot better as it goes on, and we get to explore the underworld. I’m not particularly in love with the daytime ND games, but this one at least didn’t hurt to look at. Plus, it managed to have a very lazy Mediterranean-afternoon vibe to it. It’s the big day, but not a single person seems to be in a rush over it. Some of them haven’t even finished with their assignments! Also, I’m sorry, but the fact that this play REQUIRES authentic reproductions of ancient Greek pottery is hilarious. Another fact that’s hilarious, is that, because this game supposedly takes place during a single day, all the characters are in costume ALL THE TIME. Even while making pottery or setting up lights.
One more detail that makes my head spin is those decorations. Part of me is convinced that the underworld was real actual hell that exists underneath the stage. [spoiler] The other part of me still thinks that all of this was a money laundering scheme by Melina.
God, I just never managed to trust Melina, it had to have been an inside job! Also would’ve rocked if the criminal turned out to be a phone contact (but that would cost additional money for animation, and HER just doesn’t have spare budgets like that). [/spoiler]
Also, this game made me feel like I was in the backrooms. Wondering this gigantic empty set with, what I can only describe as, the only 4 people in 100 km radius was very suffocating at times. Felt like purgatory (which is above Hell!!).
I don’t think it’s a negative though. Like I said, this game has a very interesting feeling to it. [spoiler] And I’m still shocked by the choice to make all the characters not only actors, but also co-conspirators. Not even a rogue repairman or assistant are part of the story. Just Nancy and the gang. I genuinely felt in danger during the finale. [/spoiler]
All in all, this game felt like a neat, tight experience, rich with over-the-top drama and scheming, and even though it’s different from most ND games I’ve played so far, it is still very identifiably ND.
9,5/10 for all the drama and gossip.
