I really enjoyed this game. Brilliant writing that built an immersive world and made me feel emotionally invested in my character.

I'm a backer of the game's crowdfunding and was initially excited to play this, liking the beginning of the story. But then I notcied telltale signs of AI-generated art in most of the game's assets and that made me stop and research this topic.

Now, I'm not a hardline "no gen AI" person. Generative AI is a tool that can be used, especially for small developer teams, but its use should be properly disclosed, which is also required by Valve.

However, here we have a developer doubling down on how it's not AI-generated in Kickstarter comments, and the game literally advertizes "gorgeous high-resolution, hand-drawn digital artwork". This is disingenious and leaves a bad impression that will cause me not to play the game further and request my name to be removed from the credits.

For proof, I have compiled some exmaples at https://imgur.com/a/t3vytH8 - but you can also download the demo version hosted at Itch and decide for yourself. I've had my share of experience with gen AI, and my conclusion is that most of the 2D art in the release version is lightly edited AI output.

But it is perhaps worse; looking up older, beta screenshots of the game reveals that it featured hand-drawn art in a different, painterly art style but with similar overall compositions to the release art. Instead, the art has been swapped for the current state shortly before release in Feb 2025.

I have a little over three hours in at the point of this review and I'm enjoying myself! Think a pick your own adventure combined with RPG elements such as limited gear and stats that can influence how you make decisions (Charisma, Body, Mind, etc). I do like that you get to pick your origins but do wish there was a bit more customization! I can understand why there isn't but just a lil teeny bit more would make me feel more attached to my character.

Overall, though, I'm enjoying the chill experience of watching the world-building unfold and am looking forward to where my first ending will lead!