When it comes to game demos, I more often play demos of games I have not wishlisted, rather than games that I have. Most of the time, when I wishlist a game, I know what to expect.
Exceptions to this is when I'm not sure how a game would really play for me. Simulation games and puzzle games tend to fall under this category. It's very easy for a simulation game to become tedious, either because the controls do not work well or it's too realistic. There is also the possible problem of having no motivation to play the game whatsoever, so it's good to know that out of the gate.
Puzzle games, are a different problem, because as I mentioned, I am not that bright. I've certainly become better at puzzle games since it's something I play a lot of, but sometimes my logic and someone else's logic are two different things.
So when Rivage's demo dropped, I had to ensure I wasn't going to bite off more than I could chew if I bought this game once it releases.
The concept of Rivage is fascinating, you play as Miranda who is part of a team sent to study a new world as humanity is require to live expand beyond the solar system they call home. More importantly though, the game has a time loop mechanic.
Miranda finds herself alone, without her crewmates and must find out what has happened. The station is low on power, meaning every time you open a door, activate a device, the power gets a bit lower, until the power goes out. Furthermore, everything runs on real time, time is flowing which means there are certain events that are happening within a chronological order. This forces the player to make careful choices, and to be observant on what is happening around them.
The game has a pretty robust notation system in the form of a visual overlay as Miranda has some sort of augmentative chip in her head. However there are two problems, the first is that the user interface system probably could do with a better tutorial. It took a bit of experimenting (and checking the settings) for me to figure out how to use the system. In addition, some of the images could be expanded a bit more for better readability. I actually ended up using pen and paper as it was just easier for me in the long run.
Otherwise, I think this is something that, while challenging, isn't hugely above my skill level. The story seems interesting, and I'll hold my judgement on the characters for now since all I played was a demo.
