Okay, so my well for creative writing has been coming up dry lately, and I've always wanted to do one of these liveblog things since back when I first read that "Matt Reads Harry Potter" series, so let's do this.
I've been hearing about the Chzo mythos in several places here on TV Tropes. I guess it's a Lovecraftian horror point-and-click, written by Yahtzee? I like his Zero Punctuation series, but I'm not really familiar with his other work, so this should be fun.
Alright, enough talking about pointless chatter, let's get started! We'll start with "5 Days a Stranger!"
I'll be honest, I've never really been fond for point and click adventures (The last couple of Telltale games notwithstanding), so I don't know how well this will work.
Okay, so apparently our main character is named Trilby (because OF COURSE he is), and he fancies himself a gentleman thief, and he's about to break into this mansion owned by this dead guy named De Wolf, who is apparently the last of the De Wolf line.
Question: if you're stealing the valuables of the recently deceased, is that technically grave-robbing? And if not, then is it technically stealing if there's no heir to pass it on to? I mean, granted, the valuables would probably be forfeit as government property, but as someone who definitely DOES NOT want his stuff going to the state/feds upon his death, I'd say no—first come, first served.
Gotta say, I'm really digging the somber intro music. Something about it kind of reminds me of the Chrono Trigger score. Was Yahtzee a CT fan? If I remember right, he never seemed to care much for JRP Gs, so somehow I don't think so...
"Yes, this should be a painless and rewarding night... [paraphrasing]" <— Ha! Not very Genre Savvy, are we, Trilby? With a statement like that, everything must be TOTALLY SAFE AND PLEASANT FOREVER. SO VERY SAFE.
You suck at being a gentleman thief if you're so detached from the drama that you don't understand the meaning of dramatic irony.
So, we rappel in (digging the grappling hook, BTW), and the game proper actually starts. Immediately, there's a sense of unease, as there's no music, but I keep hearing a lot of ambient sounds that just randomly start playing, as if to punctuate the silence; creaking that sounds like doors opening and closing, footsteps, and a ton of creepy whispers.
Can I just say how awesome this beginning is at building atmosphere? Like, while I was writing notes for this liveblog, all I could hear were these bizarre whispers in my headphones that sounded like they were coming from my head. For an intro that's actually delightfully colorful in its presentation, the ambient noises actually started getting to me after the first five or six minutes. Kudos, Yahtzee; you've succeeded in creeping me out.
Actually, in retrospect, I just realized something; I think I only ever heard the whispers whenever I stood still for any length of time, and I kept hearing things like "Wake up," "Speak Up," and "What are you doing now?" I wonder what it could mean? (Or it could just be unintelligible nonsense, and my brain is just interpreting it to make it sound like actual words. I think I kept hearing "Mephistopheles" and "Indestructible" in there, too, so who knows? Either way, pretty cool).
Not much in the room; first thing I see is a portrait—sorry, a "dreadful" portrait painted in Victorian style of whom Trilby assumes is the original lady of the mansion (not sure why one would assume that, as it could have been any of the ladies De Foe; then again, I don't actually know how far back the line goes, and it specifically mentions the Victorian era. The mansion implies a rich family, which the press would pay attention to, so for all I know, maybe the origin of the family is fairly well-known in this universe).
Next to the painting is a diploma of a De Foe male from Warwick university; graduate as a law student.
"I have lost all sympathy for De Foe." Ha! Not sure if it's a lawyer joke or a dig at Warwick (I'm American, so it could mean either or both for all I know), but either way, SICK BURN, DUDE! YOU CAN'T HANDLE THESE SICK FIRES!
But we can't just sit here admiring the creepy sounds and Trilby's witty jabs at the dead! WE'RE THIEVES, DAMMIT! LET'S DO SOME PLUNDERING!
I check the desk—empty. Cabinet's empty too. I consider stealing the office chair, but Trilby wastes no time in telling me how stupid that is, as he couldn't haul it back to the car through the window.
I check out the books—maybe some of them are valuable antiques? Nope!
"Bookshelf filled by the rich to make them look learned." That made me chuckle. Kind of sounds like a Great Gatsby reference.
Check the safe underneath. Empty—likely collected by the family solicitor.
Well, that was a big ol' waste of time! I try the door, but Trilby insists on going back the way he came, so I go after the window.
The window's stuck shut.
Huh. Well, shit.
....So, what now?
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