[EXCLUSIVE] Lucy recommends: Sister Other Paranoia
Mindfreak.
Hey folks, welcome to Friday!
I've got a lookingforgame exclusive for you today! I'm so thrilled to share a demo for Sister Other Paranoia: a truly dark and twisted visual novel from the creator of NEEDY STREAMER OVERLOAD. LFG Subscribers will be the first to get their hands on this demo, as it's not public for a few days, so dive in now!
But the fun doesn't end there, I can also exclusively reveal that Sister Other Paranoia will be releasing on August 14th at 8:00 pm PT (August 15th, 12:00 pm JST), so not too long to wait until the full game.
In-keeping with the other games that publisher Serenity Forge releases, Sister Other Paranoia tackles some very heavy themes, so I'd strongly encourage you to read the game's Mature Content Description before playing. This one is likely not for everyone, but I'll let you be the judge!
I've got a write up on the demo, as well as a quick interview with the game's scenario writer and director, nyalra, after the jump.
A dark visual novel by acclaimed creator nyalra. Overly sensitive to other people's emotions, the protagonist—a light novel writer—develops the ability to read minds, only to be driven even deeper into isolation. His sole remaining comfort is his younger sister, gifted yet lonely.
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What is it about?
A shut-in becomes able to read minds, and instead of using his powers for good, drives others to suicide. With the rest of the world seemingly hell-bent on irritating this overly-sensitive protagonist, his one saving grace is his little sister.
Why it caught my eye
A few years ago, I interviewed Robert Kurvitz, writer and director of Disco Elysium, who challenged the idea that people don't want to read in games, when in reality, between social media, the news, text messages, and emails: all we do all day is read. If anything, we're desensitized to reading, so you've got to make your words count. Text has to be memorable, sometimes even confrontational to stick, and in Sister Other Paranoia, it definitely does.
The protagonist is a complete shut-in, briefly buoyed by the success of his debut light novel, but who quickly falls into despair at the state of the world. The story is told from his point of view: his annoyances with his classmates become ours, his snide comments on social media resonate with us, and the tension builds and builds... until one classmate pushes him/us a little too far.
And we snap.
Somehow, isolation has allowed him to read the minds of others, wade through their insecurities, and push, little-by-little, until he can drive them to suicide. The act of doing so in the game feels wrong, taboo, even. We've all had childish, impulsive moments of day dreaming: something bad happening to someone else, something good happening to us. Sister Other Paranoia takes it that extra step, and it is exceedingly confronting.
The protagonist's younger sister is equally as damaged, and it's clear that the only thing they have is each other. Their relationship is odd (a note here, the developer has gone on record to say there's no inappropriateness between the two), her kindness a stark contrast to her brother's fury. You wonder if he'll drag her down with him, or if she'll be his saving grace.
I'm going to be thinking about the dynamics of Sister Other Paranoia for a long time. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it sure will be memorable.
For fans of
Fight Club, NEEDY STREAMER OVERLOAD, Death Note
Enough from me, grab the demo for yourself here!
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