I Was A Teenage Exocolonist is not short of becoming an exemplary title in fantastic writing and storytelling, and easily my favourite entry into the visual novel genre thus far.
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist is a game to get lost in, from its heartbreaking, hopeful storytelling to its engaging gameplay. I think it’s a shame that this title probably didn’t get as much widespread recognition as it deserves, because it has to have one of the most touching stories about what it means to be human that I’ve seen in games. I’m so thrilled that this title is meant to be played on a loop, because it’s a game I’m looking forward to returning to, and learning from, again and again.
Amazing game. Love it so much. Could not stop playing it during neither my first nor my 2nd playthrough. It’s all so well written and engaging, the art direction is fabulous,the main story and the cast of characters are brilliant… i’ll play a third and a fourth time no doubt.
If you like storyrich games, with impactful choices, it’s definitely a must play
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist is a storm of punches that hits straight in the stomach. It’s a video game that monopolized my free time and that I'll continue to dissect well beyond my (current) fourth playthrough. It’s a game that has crept between my mind and my heart, something that I’ll hardly be able to chase away from there. Not that I’d want to, to be honest. Northway Games has managed to create something that transcends genres, a video game that I’d like to be enjoyed by as many people as humanly possible.
Live as many lives as it takes to be happy in I Was a Teenage Exocolonist. The addition of a little roguelike side to this narrative and progressive Sci-Fi life simulator gives it all its charm and makes it addictive.
Northway Games has crafted one of my highlights of the year with this narrative adventure. It’s wonderfully engrossing and hiding so many worthwhile character moments and gorgeous secrets well worth uncovering. I’ve already spent so many hours with the game and feel like I have barely scratched the surface, prepared to dive back in and live out this life over and over again until I settle on an imperfect resolution that feels well and truly my own.
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist is a quality life-sim role-playing game with plenty of events, endings, and adventures to enjoy. Visually enchanting and musically inspired and varied, the journey devised by Northway Games is an adventure that enthralls. The only unsurprising element is the card game, great for breaking up the pace but less profound than we would have hoped.
A whirlwind of an narrative driven RPG that deals in emotional gut punches while leaving the player agency to develop the story according to their heart's content. Amazing and genuinely moving experience that will render you anything from joyous to ****. Northway hit a bullseye with this one. Couldn't recommend more.
Pros:
-The Card system is fun and adictive.
-Some characters and situations are engaging.
-Decisions with real consequences.
-Plot a bit wasted (IMHO it has potential for something more), but well written in general, like reading a young adult novel.
Cons:
-The romance. Underdeveloped, a bit forced, with more soap opera than genuine tenderness and sadness and fun. And it should has more relevance in the plot. And some routes only have bad endings, no matter what you do, which is annoying.
-A bit repetitive sometimes.
-There were some really tragic moments where i was like: ok, ok, whatever... and I consider myself a very emotional person, so...
The gameplay is perfectly passable but pretty basic and gets boring after a bit, but the writing is pretty decent. The plot is unfolds fairly slowly (as it does in all games, because there's gameplay in-between plot points), but is a perfectly decent plot. However, the writing is significantly hurt by the fact that the writers have a really messed up worldview in a variety of ways, including the view that it would be good for all humans to be killed because it would be better for "nature", and a vague overarching anti-heterosexual vibe. The writers actually took the time at the end of the game to tell me that they were disappointed in me for choosing an ending where humanity is allowed to thrive (this really actually happened), and there are various points were the writers include really messed up, sociopathic views as basic truths, it's really weird. Playing this game as a human feels like what it would be like for a woman to read a book written in the 1600s by a man who thinks all women are dumb and writes all women as inherently incompetent, as if that's just an objective truth.
SummarySpend your teenage years on an alien planet in this narrative RPG with card-based battles. Explore, grow up, and fall in love. The choices you make and skills you master over ten years will determine the course of your life and the survival of your colony.