urban narwhal
I'm still in the process of catching up on this franchise's lore, so apologies if there's anything I overlook or get wrong. I haven't been able to actively follow this series since the original was in beta.
As it stands, I genuinely can't tell whether to say I like this game's plot. I love the idea of Peterson being tied to a cult, and all the new neighbors seem like they could be fun characters, but there's never a point where I feel like I unraveled a mystery. When I first stumbled upon Gerda, I assumed she was some NPC I was supposed to talk to for clues. Part of the problem is Quentin; the basic setup of a reporter trying to take down Peterson and discovering a conspiracy enabling his antics is great, but what does any of this say about him? Does he know all these people already, is he aware they're tied to an ancient evil? Are we supposed to know what their deal is, or is the existence of the Forest Protectors a plot twist? I can understand not wanting to hire voice actors on a limited budget or make him an audience surrogate, but it feels like there's important context being withheld, and I don't want to buy a book to know why I'm justified invading a taxidermist's house.
Ideally, the game should be just as much about Quentin as it is about Peterson or the Guest. Again, he doesn't need to talk, per se, but give us ways to get into his head. Is he supposed to be a heroic truth seeker, or the lesser of two evils who happens to be onto something? If we're not supposed to know, then you can still make it an interesting character piece. Same with the neighbors, their homes are all very interesting and full of personality, but they don't say anything about the story. At most, Mr. Otto knows Peterson, and the mayor has a secret worship room. Just having some consistent brands or iconography beyond "ravens a lot" would go a long way to give people room to speculate.