The Outcast Lovers

[h1]KOSTENLOS[/h1] "The Outcast Lovers" ist eine sehr kurze und kostenlose Visual Novel. Weniger als 10 Minuten dauert es, die Geschichte eines abgeschieden lebenden britischen weiblichen homosexuellen Pärchens, das am Strand einen angelandeten Flüchtling findet, zu erleben. Wie reagieren wir darauf. Werden wir mit den Behörden kooperieren? Damit schließt "The Outcast Lovers" thematisch an den Vorgänger "The Nightfisher" an. Bietet der Nachtfischer aber noch eine Überraschung und interessante Wendung, flacht diese Geschichte doch merklich ab und schrammt immer etwas zu hart am Klischee vorbei. Der Titel ist vor allem eins: stilsicher. Das sieht man schon an der simplen, aber gekonnten Grafik, die die Nachtstimmung mit Rosa- und Blautönen gepaart mit reichlich Schatten geschickt zu erzeugen vermag. Auch die klavierlastige Musik zeugt vom Können der Macher. "The Outcast Lovers" ist Teil eines größeren Projektes, bei dem das Studio Far Few Giants Erfahrungen für ein größeres Spiel sammeln möchte, indem sie mehrere Kurzgeschichten veröffentlicht. Eine sehr lobenswerte Herangehensweise, die Unterstützung verdient. Mit dieser kleinen Visual Novel haben sie meiner Ansicht nach bewiesen, daß sie ohne Frage das Zeug für Größeres haben, auch wenn die Geschichte selbst nicht ganz zu überzeugen vermag [h1]Wertung:[/h1] 7/10 Atmosphäre 6/10 Story 8/10 Grafik 7/10 Sound 5/10 Spielmechanik 5/10 Balancing 6/10 Spielspass [h1]Fazit:[/h1] Stilsicher, aber mittelmäßig. [h1][b]6/10 Gesamtwertung

The free game sure is pretty, to me anyway. I really dig these minimalist visuals and the color pallet. However, it just instantly starts smacking you in the face with a political message. And here is the thing about that, I try not to go out of my way to figure out a business's or artist's political leanings, but if you shove them in my face you better hope I agree or you just lost me. This lost me. I really wanted to go through their little art piece, but not at the expense of being slapped in the face constantly with bs political messaging. One could argue I don't get it. But you see, I do get it. I just don't agree. There is a difference.

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[h3]Quick Impression : Incast or Outcast?[/h3] Having played many of the games by the same creators, I understand what they were aiming for here. While I previously gave positive feedback on the narrative and this "multiple perspective" mechanic, I’m less convinced this time. The intention and the subject remain commendable, but I personally had trouble connecting with the execution—both in terms of narrative and visual intensity. The philosophical dilemma here is quite straightforward for the characters (the outcasters): should they shelter and care for a refugee they’ve just literally run over, risking trouble with the law and the authorities—or should they report him to avoid consequences? Incast or outcast? The lack of depth in both the characters and the topic prevented me from appreciating the game’s slow pacing, short length, and seemingly simple dialogue—despite the meaningful subject—like I was able to with other games ([i]The Night Fisherman[/i], [i]Ring of Fire[/i], or even [i]The Leviathan: Prologue[/i], though in a different style). It's hard to really attach a "player experience" here, or to clearly grasp the intended emotional path: even if the point is to avoid a clear conclusion, I struggled to see where the game truly wanted to lead us. Similarly, it’s hard to draw a strong connection between the core dilemma and themes of isolation, exclusion, or drifting. The house—lost somewhere in the middle of nowhere—didn’t quite convince me as a metaphor, even though I can see the intent behind the idea. Maybe it needed to be framed differently to better convey the sense of confinement or the house as a symbol of home—safety—comfort (or lack thereof). It's not uninteresting, but it's not my favorite either; I think a final pass on the narrative, visual direction, and execution (especially the pacing) could have smoothed out the overall impression. It’s too bad, but it’s still worth a try—especially since it’s free!

Bir gece geç saatte eve dönerken, sıkıntı içinde bir mülteciyle karşılaşırsınız. Kurtuluş arıyorlar. Onları şiddete başvuran yetkililere mi teslim ediyorsunuz? Yoksa onları kendiniz barındırma riskiyle mi karşı karşıyasınız?

Данное продолжение "Ночного рыбака" (The Night Fisherman), имеющее другое название (в смысле, без двойки) слегка лучше той "лодочной беседы" и немножко подлиннее 10 минут. Правда, вместо одной сценки здесь по сути три, но качественно они лишь немножко получше. Всё также встаёт дилемма, касаемо мигрантов и некой службы по их отлову. Полноценной можно считать только одну сценку (главный диалог), на которой персонажи большую часть времени статичны и разве что посмеются...

The Outcast Lovers is a sequel to The Night Fisherman. The Outcast Lovers just feels not quite as impactful as The Night Fisherman on broaching the topic of immigration with multiple endings that also don't feel as distinct. Overall, this game is even shorter and also manages to fall shorter too. 2/10

Un bon très petit jeu sur le thème de l'immigration illégale, de l'empathie et de la compassion.