Overview: The Novelist is an exploration game which tells the story of a family that moves into a home inhabited by you, a ghost. Roam around the house looking for clues, reading their minds, and influencing their lives.
The Novelist (PC) (2013)
Relevant Links:
The Novelist Website
The Novelist (Wikipedia.org)
The Novelist (Steam Store Page)
The Novelist (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
20150429 (Evening Part 1):
Today I played the first chapter of The Novelist. For the most part, it's a mix of an exploration game and a point-and-click game.
While the game is decently fun, I only plan to play until I collect all the Steam trading card drops.
Thus far, the hard part about the game is deciding which character gets to be happy and which character gets a compromise. Unfortunately, the third person is left sad.
20150429 (Evening Part 2):
After dinner I returned to the game and finished the first month.
During that first month I made Dan happy and compromised for Tommy, then made Linda happy and compromised for Dan, and finally made Tommy happy and compromised for Linda.
However, as far as I could tell, the choices I made didn't seem to impact the ending of the first month.
Overall, the game feels too repetitive. Furthermore, the game is slow-paced, a factor which only worsens the repetitiveness.
Recommendation:
I personally disliked the gameplay and the game's aesthetics. As mentioned above, the game suffers from poor pacing and repetition. Overall, I would not recommend the game.
With that being said, there is a game mode (Stealth) where you, the player, must not be seen as you move around the house to gather clues and uncover memories. Perhaps this mode is superior to the one I played (Story - the Kaplans don't see you).
In any case, I'd sooner finish an exploration game called Gone Home (2013) before playing more of The Novelist. Also taking place within a new home, Gone Home has a stronger atmosphere and a better pacing than that of the The Novelist.
The Novelist (PC) (2013)
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| The Kaplans move in to their new home. |
Relevant Links:
The Novelist Website
The Novelist (Wikipedia.org)
The Novelist (Steam Store Page)
The Novelist (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
20150429 (Evening Part 1):
Today I played the first chapter of The Novelist. For the most part, it's a mix of an exploration game and a point-and-click game.
While the game is decently fun, I only plan to play until I collect all the Steam trading card drops.
Thus far, the hard part about the game is deciding which character gets to be happy and which character gets a compromise. Unfortunately, the third person is left sad.
 |
| See their memories. |
20150429 (Evening Part 2):
After dinner I returned to the game and finished the first month.
During that first month I made Dan happy and compromised for Tommy, then made Linda happy and compromised for Dan, and finally made Tommy happy and compromised for Linda.
However, as far as I could tell, the choices I made didn't seem to impact the ending of the first month.
 |
| Whisper to them in their sleep. |
Overall, the game feels too repetitive. Furthermore, the game is slow-paced, a factor which only worsens the repetitiveness.
Recommendation:
I personally disliked the gameplay and the game's aesthetics. As mentioned above, the game suffers from poor pacing and repetition. Overall, I would not recommend the game.
 |
| Read letters which they leave lying around. |
With that being said, there is a game mode (Stealth) where you, the player, must not be seen as you move around the house to gather clues and uncover memories. Perhaps this mode is superior to the one I played (Story - the Kaplans don't see you).
In any case, I'd sooner finish an exploration game called Gone Home (2013) before playing more of The Novelist. Also taking place within a new home, Gone Home has a stronger atmosphere and a better pacing than that of the The Novelist.
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