Hotel Dusk: Room 215 is just an incredible game. It has to be one of the best adventure games I have ever played. It is not your ordinary adventure game, as it blends the "novel" and "noire" sty-le into the genre.
The game is presented with hand drawn graphics, so to speak. The art st-yle is fabulous, and unique. You play the game as Kyle Hyde, the protagonist, a man who was once a cop for the NYPD. The story is quite intricate, and is the best part of the story. The story is about revenge, mysteries, connections, and love. There are also many twists, so the story is not lacking here. The story is told through cutscenes, encounters with other characters, and flashbacks. The characters in the game are amazing: you will grow to love each one. The character development is also impressive. Each character grows morally, physically, and mentally.
The gameplay is standard adventure st-yle go to point :A" and talk to a character, but with a twist: the touch screen. There are many innovative ways of blending the touch screen with this game. I don't want to give any of them away for the sake of spoilers. Sometimes, the gameplay can get frustrating especially if you forget to save; thankfully you can save anytime and anywhere. The gameplay can also feel slow at times. The entire game is text- based, and each character has an expression for everything they say, so it may bother some people.
As far as localization, this game was made in Japan by developer Cing. Suprisingly, this game is perfect in terms of text. The local color is extrodinary. I feel as if I were in that actual time period listening to these people speak in my head. This is by far the most impressive feature in the game. There are times where you laugh at some of the hillarious things the protagonist Kyle Hyde says: some of them are all time clas-ics. There are many "proverbs" characters say to one another in the game as well. The music is standard MIDI, but it is excellent and suitible for the various situations you encounter throughout the game.
This game is quite lengthy. It took me a little under 20 hours to beat it. It's perfect in terms of length, I can't picture it any shorter or longer. There are several different endings and they correspond to what you do throughout the entire game; this means that the replay value is quite high.
Overall, this game impressed me. I spent the entire day playing it. I never play games that long; it is truly a gem that no gamer should abandon. This is why I crown it as the Game of the Day.
Log in to comment