Sequence: A Normal Player's Opinions [Here There Be SPOILERS!]

[Weimann]

I just finished watching the secret ending, and so I thought I'd post my opinion on the game here, because I like doing stuff like that after I've completed something.

I first got wind of Sequence through TotalBiscuit's WTF Is Sequence video. Being of the opinion that the greatest problem with RPG games are how they reduce player interaction to picking stuff from a list, and also being a fan of rhythm games (Guitar Hero and Elite Beat Agents are some of my favourite ever), I was intrigued by the design and decided to check it out. I'm glad I did. It's absolutely one of the better games I've played. As I see it, the game has two major strengths:

1) The marrige between rhythm game and RPG. The entire concept is very interesting, and something I'd love to see explored and developed in other games as well. The basic mechanic is creative and makes playing fun in its own right, even more so since the speed alternatives were added. It activates the player and makes them feel involved. That's good.

Naturally, there're better rhythm games, and there are better RPGs, but the mix manages to be something on it's own rather than just a lukewarm mix. I'm thinking (hoping) we've only seen the start of this genre, and Sequence is no bad first step.

2) The characters and voice-acting. A fully voice acted game? I used to say I didn't care about stuff like that, but damn if it wasn't very nice. It helped give the characters, well, character, and that was certainly a great part of the game as well; the colourful gallery of characters that were very funny and well-written. I liked the humour, I liked the script, I liked the banter... I liked most of it.

Note that I say characters, not story. It wasn't bad by any means; I got big The World Ends With You vibes from it, and that's a good thing. No shame in using what works. Still, I found that the conclusion at the end was... well, I'm not sure. On one hand, Mir's explanation to Ky that he was in a game of carefully calculated increasing difficulty was one of the better written parts of the script for how meta it got, and the fact that it plays straight that what the player probably cares about is playing matchmaker between Ky and Naia more than anything else. On the other hand, taking this and making it an IC thing is... I dunno. It felt strange. How would one go about finding and abducting top genetic specimen, and then also adjust their scripts so they matched? Also, my bull♥♥♥♥ meter hit the ceiling when they started delving into genetic theory, and creating "geniuses" or whatever, but that's probably coloured by my own opinion that genetics play a vanishingly small part in how a human being turns out, individually.

On another note, I've definitely enjoyed the free-play and speed alternatives that got added in the last patch. Great! Now I can play the songs right through, like a full-fledged rhythm game, and while I didn't particularly get blown away by the music (not my genres, and I could use some actual songs, not just instrumental stuff), it's a very valuable feature. Maybe add a way to change difficulties in the options menu, rather than in the single player game, though?

All in all, I think you can see how thrilled I am about this game and what might come after it. I heartily recommend it, and hope to see a Sequel some time in the future!