“You guys can’t envision the final collapse of capitalism? Incredible!”
South Scrimshaw: Part One is a visual novel written and illustrated by Nathan O. Marsh. It’s structured as a documentary film about “brillo whales,” a fictional species that inhabit an alien world. It’s available for free on Steam. It’s a relatively short read, taking about 90 minutes to complete.
The game appears to have been made using RenPy. It’s nice to see RenPy continue to be used.
The writing is quite good. Marsh is clearly passionate about the world and has put a significant amount of thought into crafting a convincing alien planet. The documentary framework is consistent and believable.
Marsh’s illustrations have a water colour quality to them. There are a great number of illustrations in such a short work.
My only issue with the game is the use of “AI” synthesized voices for the voice-overs. I understand that there was likely no budget to hire voice actors. Nevertheless, I think artists and game designers should resist the temptation to use “AI” in their projects. Making use of these tools is fraught with dangers, including copyright questions and ethical implications. For instance, if synthesized voices become accepted, what happens to working voice actors?
“Part one” implies that there will be more. After such a strong start, it’ll be interesting to see where this project goes. Even if part one is all we get, it’s a self-contained story in its own right.
2024-01-22