Chaz at Twinfinite writes,
The first thing that must be said is that Actual Sunlight is not something for everyone. Dealing through and through with depression, failed relationships, and suicide, this isn’t a world where everything works out or people get all the help that they need. The story is a stark, no-frills expression of a man in the depths of the darkest corners of the human psyche, and the text-heavy play is littered with profanity and extreme self-loathing and hopelessness. An inescapable dread and sadness permeates nearly every line; both interactions with other characters and frank internal reflection offer little to feel good about, or to take any sense of accomplishment from.
Grief, depression, trauma, and pain are all prevailing themes in these narratives, and while they don’t aim to shock, they inevitably do. Indies aren’t the only titles that attempt this, either, though they often do it best. Multimillion-dollar productions from megacorporations should have the budget to explore here, but it’s often a one-person team or a small group weaving the tales that are most impactful.
PSLS: "My biggest shift, though, was with the ending. It’s rather open-ended actually. It finds Evan at the end of his mental rope, standing on the roof of his apartment complex before it cut to credits. When I played Actual Sunlight originally, I was almost sure he jumped off the roof. Finally ending his misery of living a life without hope. Now, though, I feel different. I’m not so sure if he went through with the jump. There’s an almost wistful look on his face in that final graphic. Is it a final moment of peace before jumping, or a change of heart that makes Evan go and finally seek help? I’m too cynical to think it’s 100% the latter, but maybe, just maybe, that hard road was taken for a better life, instead of a meaningless death."
Join Hardlydan, Amras89, and Boondockbrat4 for game talk and fun! This time, The Gamesmen talk about the Nintendo NX upcoming reveal, PS4 controller support for Steam, the delay of Cuphead, a look …
