Cibele (2015)

I got this game as part of the Humble Bundle's narrative collection, which I have been enjoying for shorter, but interesting stories using a mix of FMV and gaming interactivity. However, I'm not totally sold on this game.

About a young girl experiencing her first love through an online game, you watch as she chats with friends (both real and online), navigate her desktop, move the game character around, and watching FMV scenes. Cibele, however, leaned strongly towards the "visual novel" style, where you spend more time watching and reading the conversations. You do not get options on what to say, you just do the prompting to make the game go forward. The only real action, the focus of the story, is playing Valtameri by moving the character and clicking on the enemies (just click on them once).

Because it is about first love, based on a true story, and shows real people, playing this game does get real awkward and feels quite invasive at times. Beyond the angst poetry and blog posts, you also get to look at Nina's photos from different points of her teenage and college years. Things can get uncomfortable at certain points, as the game is rated for mature audiences, if that is not quite your thing in games.

On the flip side, it is relatable and you can absolutely understand Nina's feelings as she talks with friends and tries to get closer to Ichi. You see her struggling to put her feelings into words, and even when she does, she finds that connecting with Ichi on a deeper level is another challenge. While just glimpses, you also get to read about Nina's friends and what sort of things happen with both college and online friends.

I believe this game will appeal to a very specific type of audience and I found that I did not fit that mold. Due to the short length, I also do not think this game is worth paying more than $5.00 - I would see if Humble Bundle offers it again with other more appealing games before buying it alone on Steam. I saw the positives of this game and find that the creator certainly has potential - this game was not the one to highlight.

Capsule thoughts here, link to full review at the end of the text.

Nina Freeman is making some of the most fascinating games that are intensely personal and work in a vignette format that keeps emotions high. Cibele is almost perfect in the way it captures misidentification of who the other person is or, more importantly, what they want in a relationship where you barely see the other. The internet is a haven for projection, imagining the best or worst of whoever we come across, and Cibele is a game for those who feel alienated after thinking the best of someone.

As far as gameplay goes, there's a "point of no return" each time you return to Nina's game world. In-between you're free to explore the nooks and crannies of her desktop. That's where most of the turmoil is, discovering for yourself how Nina struggles to find a solid identity when a new wardrobe and outlook are a handful of clicks away. I love how she captures the aimlessness of MMORPGs, especially once you're part of an established community, and the way battle becomes a process of automation and repetition in-between conversation.

Love and pain aren't any less "real" in-person than they are online, it's more a question of how fluid the transition between one persona to the next is when meeting someone in-person versus an avatar. Cibele is one of my favorite gaming experiences, and arguably the most painful use of, "I'm sorry," the medium has seen.

http://www.cantstopthemovies.com/2017/12/cibele-2015/

Short FMV story about first love. If that's not your kind of thing you may feel like puking while going through the game as did I. Fortunately it is quite short, and ending was unexpectedly decent.

Still Credit is due, interesting concept for storytelling, though not very enjoyable gameplay if you're not engaged in story. However I can see how that could work with a bit of polish.

Overall - if you're coming of age, you like stalking teenage girls or cheesy love stories it's a game for you. If you're desperate to clean it of your backlog or interested in story telling ideas it's ok, just do it in one run, takes around hour and it's still at level you can endure. Everyone else, don't bother.