A simple game that puts finicky 3D 'titans' series such as Dragon Age, TES, The Witcher etc. to shame !...
It is about stories where the main character builds their personality (I totally love this concept – to build a personality), it is about heavy ethical decisions, loaded with hesitations and strong emotion. It is about forming friendships that shape moral characters and radically shift points of view...
Where Love isn't just a whim or a primitive, desperate urge. Instead, it is a benevolent Force of blooming light, of sanctifying one's soul, of liberating from the shackles of conventions and brute matter dough. Love becomes Metamorphosis, Transcendence, Enlightenment...
Such truly story driven games are very rare. They are like any masterpiece of Art - be it literature, music, or painting - created once in decades, if not in centuries... They are mainly about Story and about Feelings. Combat comes second place. Their general atmosphere is pleasant, benevolent, fairy-tale like. They avoided goriness and visual decay, and for good reason. In order to transmit an inspiring Message, the true Art emphasizes the good, the celestial-sublime aspect of the Universe...
I can name the few games that achieved, in my eyes, the status of Master Art:
Star Wars - Knights of the Old Republic 1 & 2; Jade Empire; Mass Effect 1 & 2; Loren the Amazon Princess.
Anyone can notice the common element in these games – high level Story and high level Feeling. The above mentioned are not only top notch pieces of high quality entertainment, they are pioneers in their own domain. They show us how things are done, how they could be. They brought a new vision about virtual reality entertainment that was never done like this before.
Any sentient being craves for a good story, one that has a 'special touch' of emotion., one that 'melts the heart'... That is what makes great games, not the difficult unintuitive fights, not the uninspired grotesque decors & animations, not the distorted graphical 'effects', and not the brain-killer idiotic puzzles...
Although I am a 3D fan by heart, I was amazed to find so much depth and immersion in Loren the Amazon Princess. The graphics are so delicately designed, the characters' attitudes and gestures are gentle and beautifully dancing-like. The RPG elements are gem-like implemented and never hinder the natural flow the story has. The combat (a turn based system variant, which is surprisingly simple and fun) is fluid, easy to grasp and efficient. You really are a hero in this game and you really do tons of damage to your enemies, while bluntly, yet somehow exquisitely, shout in their faces: "I don't like you!..." :)
You don't wander around aimlessly, your goals are always clear. Your time as a player is respected – never was I bothered with repetitive or senseless tasks. Everything is crystal clear: game navigation, interface, inventory, map – all magistrally simple & fun done.
And the choices you are presented with... I don't want to spoil anything, I will only say that the choices bear tons of ethical struggles, carrying ramifying consequences. The power of replayability is at a peak in LtAP...
Although full voice acting is not present (a 3D game is more prone to such a requirement), that doesn't diminish the eminent value the characters' personalities reflect. You get absorbed in the tale, no matter what. It's like the graphical design itself (everything is top quality and grace in the game: the landscapes, the faces, the costumes...), combined with the splendid music, superbly compensate for any other lack...
Although character creation is not very customizable (only choose between 2 already set protagonists?! - a regrettable scarcity of choices here), still, highly commendable remains the fact that the player can toggle between more or less revealing attires and scenes. That should shut potential censors up! :)
It is laudatory for such a small team of developers to create such a masterpiece. They deserve the highest praises... and prizes :)
*sigh* If only 3D games could learn from this example...