Thursday 10 November 2022

Storyteller Requires An Author In March 2023

Disclaimer:

This is an analysis of a new trailer and a reflection of a demo for an upcoming game that contains content aimed at older players, including:

  • One moment of mild nudity
  • Mild cartoon violence
  • Mild cartoon death scenes

Reader discretion is advised.

As a gamer, I am always up for a fresh new idea for an upcoming instalment or port, whether it would be a pack of dinosaurs cooking in their prehistoric kitchen or helping a red panda find inner peace by gardening and making new friends on an island [16] [23] [38]. And as a writer, I am up for writing a few follow-ups to my two novellas in the future [43]. A concept for a game that has caught my attention and can appeal to both casual gamers and writers is no other than Storyteller, a quirky puzzle game that has been in development since 2009 and is still yet to be released [24] [25] [39]. A demo was only available for a limited time back in 2021 but the experience that is yet to be expanded in the release of the full game can be a very refreshing experience for those who have not ever tried the demo, especially with new features within an expansion [1] [24] [25] [39]. Just after the releases of Sonic Frontiers and the second animated prequel short taking place before the events of Marvel’s Midnight Suns [17] [44], I shall discuss the potential the demo consisted of during its availability [1], along with what can be part of its expansion in the full version [24] [25]. 
Kudos to Daniel Benmergui and Annapurna Interactive for this extraordinary idea for a casual puzzle game [2] [3]. And kudos to Jesse McNamara, also known as “plumbella” for the inspiration put into the Pastel Pop Kit for The Sims 4 [21] [35] [36]. [24]

As the author of each tale is sorted into lists within chapters in a book, the player must place characters in panels that are sometimes arranged like your average Garfield comic strip [7] [8] [9] [24] [25]. One example of how non-linear the development of a scenario can be during the gameplay is that a previous panel can be altered with the addition of a character, leading to the current one being altered as well [1] [25]. The variety of genres and themes shown in the release date trailer include: 
  • A recreation of Adam & Eve [1] [2] [25]
  • A romantic tragedy briefly inspired by Romeo & Juliet [1] [4] [24] [33]
  • A medieval drama [2] [3] [24] [25]
  • A murder mystery [3] [25]
  • A spooky tale either involving Count Dracula or a werewolf [1] [2] [3] [24] [25]
Each character has their own purpose and traits; some of them leading to devastation within conflict [1] [24] [25]. There is some logical thinking required in terms of chronology [1]. Trust me, I have been there when I was writing “The Gold UFO In The Forest” and “The Silver UFO At The Beach” [37] [43]. The overall feeling of constructing a story in interactive comic panels can almost be like building a world of citizens and either fulfilling or ruining their lives in The Sims 2: Super Collection [4], although it would be a lot more limited with a specific challenge to be completed [1] [24] [25]. 
There have been so many interpretations of Count Dracula throughout one-hundred-and-twenty-five years [13] [14] [32] [34]. This new one can always use his cape to shield himself from the sun [1]. [25]
Would Lucifer and Lilith Morningstar from Hazbin Hotel recall any of this [11] [12]? Oh. And guess what? Eve’s breasts now appear to be censored with locks of her long hair [1]. [25] 

As a puzzle game, there is the challenge of assuring that a tale will be told in a specific order for a plot in the chapter to be marked with a crown [1]. There is also some replay value as each completed plot line can be altered in a certain juicy way to be marked with a jester hat. These methods of providing some challenge could lead to the player being rewarded with more themes to experiment with that can be unlockable in the outcome of the full game, making it excel more than the demo did [24] [25]. That way, the player can feel rightfully rewarded for arranging a story as if it was for a client [1]. As simple as the controls in the Steam version would be with dragging each character and action into a panel with the mouse [1] [3], I am up for a port of the game for mobile devices, mostly preferably tablets with the controls simply being the user dragging them with their fingertip against the screen, much like the Nintendo Switch in handheld mode [24] [25]. A challenge and a simple control method are what will make the experience of telling a story…then adding a twist within a retelling stimulating. 
Compared to what was there in the demo back in Summer 2021 [1], there ought to be more tales to tell and more twists within replay value in the final outcome. There also ought to be more genres and themes in the additional tales for an expanded variety, including a murder mystery [3]. [25]
I know the art style of the backgrounds is supposed to make it somewhat blend in with the pages [1] [2] [3] [24] [25], but I think it would be nice if they were a little more colourful, quite like the keychain rewards from My Nintendo that will be available during a promotion of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet the Splatfest event [22]. This can be achieved with a feature that is quite like changing the colours of a Game Boy game on the Super Game Boy [31], yet the backgrounds on the page ultimately do not have to be as richly vibrant as the art style of Sonic Frontiers: Prologue: Divergence [40] [41]. [25]

I am rather captivated by the game’s visuals, most notably the character designs. The backgrounds that can be changed within the panels for setting up some action may be minimal and not very colourful with a beige palette, but they are at least fairly detailed and fit the purpose of being part of a storybook as the characters stand out boldly from them with thick outlines [1] [2] [3] [24] [25]. The characters are short within easing colour platters that are not too saturated as their animations are also minimal yet quite expressive within different interactions, vaguely reminding me of the expressions of the avatars in Monster Seeking Monster [15]. I am already theorising a potential DLC pack for this game after its release that can provide some more genres in more chapters, such as a same-sex love story set in a university in this day and age, an action-packed adventure with superheroes, a slice-of-life setting starring pets or a sci-fi drama. Aside from the quirky art style of the characters that could be expanded with new genres in more chapters, perhaps there can be the option to change the colour of the backgrounds to make them a little more vibrant in a software update sometime after the game’s release [1] [2] [3] []24. [25]
Looks like there will be an enchanted fairytale to tell in the full game as there is a witch who can take a spoonful of some brew that will turn her into a lovely vixen. [25]
Perhaps there could be some more LGBTQIA+ representation in a college life story to tell within a DLC pack. You are not “gullible” or “foolish” for hoping for some memorable and respectful portrayal of same-sex romance or a transgender character in an upcoming animated film or video game [5]. There is no shame in doing so and you should not feel bad about that. [25]

Want to be a storyteller in Storyteller? If so, thou shalt bear thy storytelling in either Steam or the Nintendo Switch in March 2023 [25]. As a writer and a gamer, I believe that Storyteller can excel after several years of its development hell and a highly promising demo from last year [1] [24] [39]. Speaking of Hell, I will be hyped for yet another episode of the second season of Helluva Boss sometime after some dark Black Friday merchandise sales and some rick rolls [6] [18] [19] [20]. I shall also look forward to the full potential of new instalments, including Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Final Fantasy XVI, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Rayman’s grand return to the world of 3D and write some more stories and song parodies and continue blogging in 2023 [26] [27] [28] [29] [42], no matter how much I miss the days of a seemingly less toxic era of Twitter [30]. Could there also be a port of Storyteller for iOS and Android if the Steam and Switch versions become successful with much more than what the demo offered, including harder chronologic puzzles to solve and a bigger variety of genres? Until then, fellow gamers and writers. Keep playing games and writing stories, articles and so on! 
I do not doubt that some more chapters await those who enjoyed the demo version of Storytellers [1] [24]. As for our dear Disney devotees, they are now free to listen watch new stories in Zootopia, also known as “Zootropolis” on Disney+ [10] [45]. Creativity can be everlasting. [25]

References

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