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Last stop xbox5/27/2023 Part of that was due to the story, but the setting is also fantastically realised. Outside of this moment, the pace of Last Stop is spot on, and I didn’t want to put it down once I started. Using a mouse was much better here (I played it mostly on PC) but for the rest of the game a controller is recommended. Only one section actually drags the pace down – searching an apartment in first person, it’s too easy to miss the final clue needed thanks to some sluggish camera controls. Occasionally we’re tasked with walking and talking, completing a quick time event, or solving puzzles, but these are all very easy to handle and only add to the tale, rather than blocking progress or presenting a challenge. Three dialogue choices pop up frequently allowing us to put our spin on the conversations going on, though the end result of the scene generally ends up in the same ball park. In game, players of any narrative adventure will be right at home. Before each scene we’re treated to a ‘Previously On’ cutscene, which helps keep track of what’s going on and is a great touch regardless of it we’ve just beaten the previous scene, or have come back the next day. We get to pick the order of the scenes, the characters riding the tube before getting off at their stop when we pick, though all three must be played before moving onto the next chapter. The final chapter is longer, and wraps up the tale in a satisfyingly fun way, though to say anything would obviously spoil it. Each of the six full chapters has a scene per character, and they take approximately 15-20 minutes to clear per scene, though some are a touch shorter than that. Mainly then, we’re treated to individual scenes. An over-arching narrative thread binds them all together, and as we play there web of connections gets fleshed out more and more, though for the most part this is played out in the fine details such as a newspaper article, or meeting tertiary characters in later scenes. Each of these characters, as well as the supporting cast, are wonderfully acted and written, and I found myself truly attached to their stories throughout. We follow the tales of three characters Meena, a government secret agent looking for the next big mission Donna, a teen working her way through the trials and tribulations of dealing with family and friends at that age and John, a single father struggling to keep on top of life. What we’re treated to then is a thoroughly entertaining and captivating story from start to finish, presented In a fun way so as to keep things fresh. Following in the mold of Telltale’s excellent formula, Variable State have taken that template and improved on it in almost every way. There are few constants in gaming as sure as you can be that the latest AAA game will have some nonsense microtransactions, or the newest online only game will shit the bed day one, when you see the Annapurna Interactive logo, you can be sure of a good time.
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