Necrobarista

This is a collection of books in the form of a game. By itself, the writing manages to create a very distinguished atmosphere, but Necrobarista takes advantage of its interactivity to immerse the player in its world. It's one thing to read a group of stories about a coffee shop, it's another to read these vignettes while inside the setting itself, right next to the characters that bring the world to life.
The main story is told through what could be comparable to a movie, but one in which you choose how long each cut lasts. You can linger in a moment for as long as you like. Like the characters, however, you'll have to move on at some point. The game utilizes the interactivity of the medium to its fullest potential to create a captivating, convincing world that lets players find bits of narrative by themselves and adjust the experience to their own pace. None of the stories, alone, had to be told through a game. They could all have been animations or books, but the playable experience is what connects them in a cohesive, believable world, aided by the soundtrack and visuals that both communicate a sensation of warmth, like the end of a sunny afternoon. It's a game bathed in the aesthetics of a nostalgic present.
It's this atmosphere that introduces a story about love, loss and acceptance in an imperfect world. Every aspect contributes to a tangible sense of presence in a moment in time. It reinforces all the weight that comes from the "finality" of death.
I was surprised to find the characters so genuine and their relationships so sincere. Necrobarista effectively communicates each individual's personality and worldview through purposeful dialogue that shapes every interaction. The one gripe I have with the dialogue is how awkwardly some of the jokes are delivered. Although rare, it's almost annoying to have to witness these people going on and on about a pointless, unfunny and highly specific bit that only serves to hurt an otherwise tight narrative flow. It's not constant, but it's enough to stick out as a negative (unless you love bad stand-up comedy). If anything, the fact that I still managed to like these characters even after reading two or three lines of painfully unnatural humor serves to demonstrate the quality of the rest of the writing.
Necrobarista is one of the most unique works I've read so far in terms of form. The developers built a cohesive world, utilizing every aspect of a playable experience to deliver an immersive and organic narrative.

In the hierarchy of the growing trend of indie titles using hospitality occupations as the setting of a low fantasy story, Necrobarista probably sits behind VA-11 HALL-A but definitely exceeds Coffee Talk. The game's lynchpin is the theme of mortality, and there's quite a few discussions of death hidden beneath its charming 3D CGI anime-esque exterior. Ultimately, the writing was a little bit dryer than needed, especially with some of its loftier worldbuilding aspects being quickly explored to make way for the A-plot, but the game still gets a lot out of a little, with impressive cinematography and shot pacing for an otherwise static visual novel experience. complementing a lean but no less evocative and colorful script.

The side stories are also great, evoking a Lost Odyssey style set of standalone character vignettes as well as extra backstory for our very memorable main cast, but the method for unlocking them is so esoteric it feels like an experiment that didn't quite pan out. The soundtrack could have similarly used another look; what's there is great, but there isn't quite enough to fill out the game even as short as it is. Still, it's a very solid effort that understands the value of restraint and also when to really swing for the fences, making for a memorable experience on both counts.