It’s a visual novel wrapped up in a brooding sci-fi blanket that blends RPG and visual novel. In Erlin’s Eye, you play as a Sleeper, an android with an emulated mind. It’s run by corrupt corporations and inhabited by people who are making the best of it. A great cast of supporting characters awaits you as you progress.
During each day (or cycle), you roll up to five dice. You then navigate the Eye and spend your dice to perform actions at each location. You can work in the shipyard or investigate a conspiracy, and you decide what to prioritize. High rolls improve results, but low rolls are also useful for certain hacking tasks. You must also manage your condition – which gradually depletes over time, limiting your dice usage – and energy.
For the most part, you’re in control of the game, but unlucky rolls may interfere with your ability to make money or progress forward.
As a matter of fact, the game consists largely of text-based stories. Although it has some typos here and there, the novel is well written; most of the characters have interesting backgrounds and struggles. Drives — narrative threads to follow that reward you with upgrade points — will be provided by each of them. You should find and complete Drives, but it helps that the storylines are engaging enough to keep you interested.
A number of conclusions don’t seem particularly satisfying at the end, but overall the journey is worthwhile. It’s an engrossing, atmospheric experience worth a roll of the dice, despite a few missteps, with its elegant presentation, thoughtful narrative, and memorable characters.
Pros:
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Story that captivates.
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The dice system works.
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Characters you’ll remember.
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Great music and visuals.
Cons:
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An unsatisfying end.
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Mistakes in text.
A 7 over 10 score.