Hey guys, Laocontico here, this time with the newest game from a just barely formed studio; Waku Waku Awesome Studios, based in Midgar....or also known as my basement.
Yes guys, Waku Waku is my own and new game developing studio.
This is not my first game though, you might also remember the acclaimed: ''Lulu, the alpaca slayer demoness'' for the PS2 (yeah, the hack n' slash game set up in Peru in which you get to ride a llama from time to time, and chop off the heads of evil zombie alpacas that are trying to take over the world with their evil schemes) And the not so known ''Mitochondria Knights'' but eerrrrm......better not talk about that one.
So, enough mambo jambo, here is a review for In Absentia.
Plot (or well, kind of like a plot):
Joseph, a 24 year old regular joe sets into a strange and not so pleasant adventure when his dreams begin to be affected by a familiar yet uncanny set of characters after finding a mysterious notebook on an alley.
After finding the notebook, every time he dreams, he is transported into a strange land where nightmares/monsters, fears, magic and even 2 headed politicians live along.
In order to wake up, he has to now face various challenges and puzzles imposed by the four strange characters he meets in this world.
After finding the notebook, every time he dreams, he is transported into a strange land where nightmares/monsters, fears, magic and even 2 headed politicians live along.
In order to wake up, he has to now face various challenges and puzzles imposed by the four strange characters he meets in this world.
Little by little this dream world will reveal that the place he considered home wasn’t much like he thought it to be. And Joseph…....well, all I can say is; poor Joseph. :’(
(That’s it?)
Ok, here, a little more insight of the plot:
Part A.
It's Lavender town 1996 and you Ash Ke......oh no! I mean New York City! yes N.Y.C. 1996.
Joseph Ward our protagonist, he lives a normal life, as a journalism student, he also has a part time job he enjoys a lot; writing the obituaries for the local newspaper.
The notebook contains a story consisting of 5 chapters; being each chapter title some sort of name. Immediately Joseph puts the notebook in his pocket and resumes the search for the blue creature, but as soon as he moves, he faints (into his first dream)
In this dream you are greeted by The Oracle (or how I call it; The Whoracle, for how slutty she is) an angelic looking female creature. She sets you up in this world (also is your guide when you don’t know where to go or what to do) she tells you WHAT but not the WHY of all this current nonsense.
By her side is Dog, the blue little midget creature you saw before. From now own he or whatever it is will accompany you to everywhere you go when you are dreaming. Dog will serve as a your *backpack* any item or thing you collect he will eat it and keep it safe in storage for you)
....Anyways, after you have been talking a while with The Oracle you faint again and you wake up in your house having no recollection of how you got there, but with notebook in hand, you know whatever the fuck happened it was real.
After that event you decided to read each chapter of the story in the notebook and try to figure out what happened.
Days passes by, Joseph is fainting more regularly and uncontrollably now, And each time he faints, he dives into strange dream in which in order to wake up he has to face several puzzles, challenges and battles created for him by 4 of the characters described in the notebook.
Days passes by, Joseph is fainting more regularly and uncontrollably now, And each time he faints, he dives into strange dream in which in order to wake up he has to face several puzzles, challenges and battles created for him by 4 of the characters described in the notebook.
Part B
This entire second part of the story, you leave behind Joseph (you will learn how this comes to happen in the end of Part A storyline, I'm no giving you any spoilers dude!) and now you play as Elena, Joseph's Anima and the fifth and last character in the notebook.
In this part of the game you are basically trying to defeat Egregor (Joseph’s Ego) In order to help Joseph to…..*Spoiler alert* wake up from the coma he suffers when he is unable to defeat Egregor in the end of Part A.
A little hint here; In order to play Part B cartridge you need the saved data from Part A, it means you will have to be defeated by Egregor. If you do manage to beat him somehow (I don’t know, using black magic or something) the game will end in Part A and you won’t be able to play Elena’s part.
A little hint here; In order to play Part B cartridge you need the saved data from Part A, it means you will have to be defeated by Egregor. If you do manage to beat him somehow (I don’t know, using black magic or something) the game will end in Part A and you won’t be able to play Elena’s part.
(I bet you are asking now….dude! what the fffffuu?)
*This is like in Castlevania : Symphony of the Night, when you face Richter Belmont and you defeat it, the game ends there and you don’t get to play in the upside down castle….that is practically the other 50% of the actual game.
But well, this is no novella, so if you want to know the rest of the storyline and how all this makes sense or no….... you will have to play the game yo!
….or read the spoilers in my upcoming new book: Memoirs of a broken video game. XD
….or read the spoilers in my upcoming new book: Memoirs of a broken video game. XD
As I said, this games features 2 parts; A and B, each of them comes in a separate cartridge.
(This is something new Waku Waku Studios is trying to implement as standard for future long ass games)
Characters (and some bios):
-Joseph Ward.
Soon to be 25 Joseph lives a calm life. Not so socially active, but with enough good friends. Currently in 5 semester of Journalism, he managed to find a job for *The Daily Spectator* one of the local newspapers.
With the events going on in this game, Joseph will discover he was never the person he always thought he was.
Soon to be 25 Joseph lives a calm life. Not so socially active, but with enough good friends. Currently in 5 semester of Journalism, he managed to find a job for *The Daily Spectator* one of the local newspapers.
With the events going on in this game, Joseph will discover he was never the person he always thought he was.
-Ileana Ward.
Joseph's Mother, living in a city near him, she keeps regularly in touch, calling him pretty much every day. She keeps a very dark (but sexy) secret Joseph once knew, but he has forgotten.
Joseph's Mother, living in a city near him, she keeps regularly in touch, calling him pretty much every day. She keeps a very dark (but sexy) secret Joseph once knew, but he has forgotten.
-Micah, Lorena, and Jake.
This are Joseph’s closest friends.
They usually hang out in *The Loading Bar* (only place in town where you can find good beer and good videogames at the same time, fuck yeah!)
Lorena is the relevant friend here; she also works in T.D.S. newspaper. She knows Joseph like no one else and she will play a major role in the events to come.
This are Joseph’s closest friends.
They usually hang out in *The Loading Bar* (only place in town where you can find good beer and good videogames at the same time, fuck yeah!)
Lorena is the relevant friend here; she also works in T.D.S. newspaper. She knows Joseph like no one else and she will play a major role in the events to come.
-Marcus Thornbrugh
Joseph’s boss and owner of the T.D.S
He is……well, meh, just a generic idiot.
Joseph’s boss and owner of the T.D.S
He is……well, meh, just a generic idiot.
Notebook characters (each character represents a Jungian Archetype of Joseph's Psyche)
Animus. (Ello)
-Represents all Joseph’s male aspects
-Represents all Joseph’s male aspects
Kid. (Just Kid)
-His inner child (including fucked up and stupid fantasies and freaky fears)
-His inner child (including fucked up and stupid fantasies and freaky fears)
Shadow. (Salvia)
-Inner conflicts, traumas, fears and all negative aspects of his personality are represented by The Shadow
-Inner conflicts, traumas, fears and all negative aspects of his personality are represented by The Shadow
Ego. (Egregor)
-Who he deeply thinks he is, and at the same time who he wants to become. Egregor is our antagonist (though you can say Joseph is both, our main good and bad guy at the same time)
Recently awaken when Joseph started reading the strange notebook, and hurted by a self-anger and hatred, Egregor will do anything to be free from Joseph’s mind.
-Who he deeply thinks he is, and at the same time who he wants to become. Egregor is our antagonist (though you can say Joseph is both, our main good and bad guy at the same time)
Recently awaken when Joseph started reading the strange notebook, and hurted by a self-anger and hatred, Egregor will do anything to be free from Joseph’s mind.
Anima. (Elena)
-Represents all female aspects in Joseph’s Psyche.
Main character in Part B, you can and can’t say she is a female version of Joseph; she is her own unique entity yet she seems to resemble him in a lot of aspects. (Like the fact she has a dic#...what!) …….(just kidding)
Main character in Part B, you can and can’t say she is a female version of Joseph; she is her own unique entity yet she seems to resemble him in a lot of aspects. (Like the fact she has a dic#...what!) …….(just kidding)
Persona (Joseph)
Well guys…yeah, I’m spoiling my whole game, I still hope you buy it though (no pun intended)
Well guys…yeah, I’m spoiling my whole game, I still hope you buy it though (no pun intended)
The persona is the costume you put on to interact and for others to see, the clothes you use and the makeup you choose to wear also your actions; the persona is what others see on you.
Yeah, somewhere in the story Joseph learns he is also an archetype himself.
:O !!!
Other Characters:
The Oracle. (Auspice)
She is sexy as hell (or heaven?) That’s all I can say.
Her origins are unknown, she just appears to be an ally to you, guiding you and giving you wise words of advice.
She is sexy as hell (or heaven?) That’s all I can say.
Her origins are unknown, she just appears to be an ally to you, guiding you and giving you wise words of advice.
Dog.
Cute fat midget look alike creature with no eyes, hungry all the time, as I said before he will be your backpack, you will cease his hunger feeding him any items you can, though from time to time if you don’t treat him well……mmmm…lets say he would dygest more that you would like him to.
He also function as save point.
Oh! Did I mention he has 4 arms? ^_^
Cute fat midget look alike creature with no eyes, hungry all the time, as I said before he will be your backpack, you will cease his hunger feeding him any items you can, though from time to time if you don’t treat him well……mmmm…lets say he would dygest more that you would like him to.
He also function as save point.
Oh! Did I mention he has 4 arms? ^_^
Some important locations:
While Awake:
Your little neighborhood in N.Y.C. of course.
Your apartment.
The Daily Spectator H.Q.
Lorena’s house.
The Loading Bar.
There are some other locations where you have to go for meetings and some jobs but they are not so important.
While Dreaming:
The Merkaba: Where Auspice resides, every time you die, restart or fall into a dream you go to there, is a tinny space man.
Zed and Two Naughts (or ZOO) Ello’s world.
lalaland. Kid’s world.
Haruspex: Salvia’s world
Heptagram Aton: Egregor’s world
Tetrakis: Elena’s World.
And, The Prefix: This is Joseph’s world after he is defeated.
Haruspex: Salvia’s world
Heptagram Aton: Egregor’s world
Tetrakis: Elena’s World.
And, The Prefix: This is Joseph’s world after he is defeated.
So now that your head hurts after reading all that nonsense and that you are asking what the heck is going on, here is quick gameplay description and other set ups of the game like controls and multiplayer options.
Gameplay:
When you are awake, you don’t get to move around freely like you would do in an open world/sandbox game, here you basically use your apartment as a rendezvous point after each dream or task you have done outside it, Such as visiting your mother, meeting with your friends in the bar, or going to do jobs or other common activity. This gameplay mode serves more as an excuse to get you to interact with the characters you are with while awake and make that side of the story move forward.
You won’t be spending much time awake though. 70% of the game in Part A takes place in the Archetypes respective worlds , and in Part B only Heptagram Aton, Tetrakis and, The Prefix are available (more bigger worlds now of course)
From the exit of the location you are in you get to choose where to go, and after choosing it a quick animation will follow and then you are in that place. From time to time that animation will be interrupted if you meet someone you can interact with or you just blackout (resulting in a new dream) Also you can go to every location you want and interact with the environment or get items later you will use while dreaming, but story will not advance unless you are in the correct location (you will know where to be if you pay attention to the story of course)
The game is in third person camera, with some first person occasionally.
This is a basic beat ‘em up (or is it hack ‘n slash?) with little hints of RPG.
First in the game you are only armed with whatever you can find at your disposal; pipes, kicks, your fists, a rat or a shoe. But as the story evolves you will learn you can go crazy in this dream/reality, from Jumping into mechas, summon zombie dinosaur bots to aim you, get armor or magic powers, the ability to turn yourself into a giant insect or flying a chopper. You also have at your disposal all sorts of weaponry such as sniper rifles, bazookas, katanas, Morningstar or whiplashes.
The game is massive when it comes to playable items. This is only possible when further in the story you come to realize you are actually in a dream (duh), and therefore pretty much everything is possible.
This abilities or items can only be made available through the real world, with the help of Lorena. With her help you will understand you can’t actually dream about something you don’t know, therefore you can’t make this aids available while you dream if you haven’t learn about them in the real world.
Playing a video game in the loading bar, reading a comic book, watching a movie or seeing a crazy Japanese TV show, even looking at some weird add are examples of what can be done to make this information be available in the dream world.
Controls:
Move character with the left analogue stick, use the right one to move the camera.
You will only have 4 *set ups* available at a time (with set ups I mean abilities or aids. There are more than 200 set ups) and they can be triggered with the arrow keys.
You will be able to scheme whatever set up you like using Dog (he will be always at your side) just click on him using the touch screen and a he will open his mouth and a menu will pop up. Then you can select what to set up in the 4 arrow keys.
You will be able to scheme whatever set up you like using Dog (he will be always at your side) just click on him using the touch screen and a he will open his mouth and a menu will pop up. Then you can select what to set up in the 4 arrow keys.
My favorite set up is this one: UP for the lightning bolt magic, DOWN for armor and spear (for when I have to face large group of monsters) LEFT for dual pistols and finally RIGHT, for controlling Dog (this will allow you to give commands to him, I normally use it to distract whatever foe I’m facing)
You can only use one of the 4 abilities at a time.
The Right trigger for cover and the left trigger to catch an enemy.
X for jumping.
Square for light attack or to interact.
Circle for heavy attack.
And triangle to throw things.
X for jumping.
Square for light attack or to interact.
Circle for heavy attack.
And triangle to throw things.
Clicking your character with the touch screen will display your stats, map and current level.
The rear touch pad is only use for special attacks.
Graphics:
Cell shade FTW! (Borderlands alike. I love that not so cartoonish cell shade rendering)
Multiplayer:
The multiplayer takes place in *The Loading Bar*
This place works as a social reunion point for Non playable characters in the main story and also for other players that own the game.
Here you can meet them and chat with them (using audio and video or just text) You will be able to customize your own player to use in the loading bar when connected to the internet so you don’t freak out to see 50 Josephs or Elenas walking around.
This place works as a social reunion point for Non playable characters in the main story and also for other players that own the game.
Here you can meet them and chat with them (using audio and video or just text) You will be able to customize your own player to use in the loading bar when connected to the internet so you don’t freak out to see 50 Josephs or Elenas walking around.
There are several mini video games here for you to enjoy and play with up to16 players at the same time.
Some of the most popular ones are:
Infidel Soccer: Regular soccer game, just this time you choose from a variety of weapons to give your players.
Cholo Ninja 4: Bloody Revenge. New entry in the Cholo Ninja’s Saga. Pretty sweet fighting game if you ask me.
Blast a Nut. Snipe that oompa loompa….and well, many other games.
Believe me when I said these are quality AAA mini games, and not some wtf randomness.
Cross play:
Though this is a PS Vita exclusive, these mini games will be also available in the PS3 PSN as DLC only, so PS3 players who don’t have a vita can download the games they like and play against you while you are on the vita.
We are also working on future DLC in which players can create their own mini games using their main campaign recollected Items (yup, just like LBP)
We are also working on future DLC in which players can create their own mini games using their main campaign recollected Items (yup, just like LBP)
Music:
A Combination of Akira Yamaoka, Joe Hisaishi. (oh man, how I wish it was so true)
Here, a post card featuring Dog. Exclusive for those of you who pre-order now.
Ok guys, this is it, this is the game I would make if I had the money to do it. I hope you like my idea, or at least enjoyed a bit.
Don’t think that cause I joke a lot I'm not serious with my game. I want to win…..but hey, a few jokes here and there to make the reading more pleasant and fun wouldn’t hurt anybody.
-Laocontico
