Sometimes Always Monsters (PC) Review

In Always Sometimes Monsters your mission was be to win back the love of your ex, with the journey towards him or her being a series of obstacles, and a day limit putting pressure on you to… bend your sense of morals, and make choices you otherwise wouldn't, just to make it on time. The sequel has a somewhat less impressive premise, as you are now on a bus tour to promote your book, with your company being a bunch of other writers. That's not exactly a problem though, as it's all in the execution. Sadly, this is all over the place, and in more ways than one.

One of the strengths of the original, was how it had a simple hook; a single motivation; one, and only one driving force behind your journey. This, on the other hand, doesn't communicate what the goal is that well. So you are on a bus tour - what next? Should you exit the bus and pay a visit to the town you're currently on, or should you spend one third of the day (or more) finishing your novel? Is there a point in doing do? Moreover, should you wash your teeth? Clean your clothes? Exercise? Generally, this isn't an adventure like before, but a life simulator crafted on RPG Maker, where you just… do stuff.

A lack of handholding is great, but while a purpose should never feel forced, it should definitely be there. Yes, one can cook and eat, play a video game, watch a movie, clean the place, let a couple of ones rip (actual in-game mechanic), and many, many more. Players are free to explore, interact with almost every single background detail, and do things their way. This helps taking role-playing to another level, but the end result is… well, lifeless. Most of all, it feels as if the developer tried to bite more than it could chew, but choke on it. The scope is impressive, but it hasn't been handled that well.

The first instalment was a series of steps that revolved around choice and consequence. It presented a set of problems, which would really test your way of thinking, as you had to choose between two evils, or between helping others and ruining your chances of succeeding. This is less about choice and consequence though. Its main shtick is that now you control the narrative, and can "craft" your own story, without really ever being anxious of what your decisions will bring forth as you play. It's a shame, really, as the writing is almost of the same quality as before - when you get to witness it, that is.

It was mentioned earlier that a lack of handholding is great… but it's also great when an "invisible" hand pushes you to the right direction. Take a look at the following example: you decide that you'll stick to finishing your book, never hang out with the other guys and gals, and follow a strict diet of beer (the Stephen King way). Great, you've just missed like… all the content on offer! Ok. Plan B. You now don't give a darn about your work, just pick someone, and hit the streets. Well, good luck finding something enjoyable to do, or finding the exact spot that will "trigger" a character interaction.

An even bigger shame is that you essentially play as the antagonist from Always Sometimes Monsters, yet the potential of such a concept has been fed to the sharks, mainly because 'Sam,' as he or she is called, is a complete… nothing of a character; one that you'll feel no connection to. Partly that's due to how you no longer get to see him/her speak, and just pick a generic 'Yes/No' response. In the right hands the silent protagonist "trick" can be quite immersive, but here it just doesn't. In fact, watching the rest of the authors interact with each other, turns out to be far more interesting.

It's important to note that you don't need to have played the original to enjoy this. This is a self-contained tale. Having said that, though, it's possible to import your save from the first game, and in essence continue the story with the same bunch of characters, with the plot supposedly affected by their choices. The word 'supposedly' is used due to the fact that this feature can lead to an astounding number of problems, which broke the will of this reviewer, as he soon stopped testing this mechanic, and just started a fresh, "clean" play-through. Generally, this is a bit of a mess.

The troubled, long development is evident in the myriad of bugs, lack of UI elements, and quality-of-life features. The team behind it, obviously just a tiny indie studio, has been working 24/7 to fix most issues. A whole month has passed, however, and patches keep coming every single day, which is a reflection of the unfinished state this was released. Unfortunately, even without the technical flaws, this critic, who is still in love with the original, cannot recommend this. It's not just how it's an entirely different beast from Always Sometimes Monsters. It's simply… boring.